ANOTHER AEROPLANE TRIUMPH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 8

ANOTHER AEROPLANE TRIUMPH.

M. DELACRANCE'S FEAT. ; FLIGHT OF FIVE MILES. Writing on April 12, tho " Standard's" Paris correspondent states: — After M. Santos-Dumont, tho first to fly with a heavier-tlian-air machine, and Mr. Henry Farman, tho first to make the machine turn and t-o cover an appreciablo distance, M. Delagrango has further demonstrated the capabilities of tho aeroplane by flying a dis- . tanco of about fivo miles. To tho spectator . tho pprformanco was oven moro impressivo than M. Santos-Dumont's first fliglit of a hundred yards at Bagatelle two years ago, . and oven moro impressive than Mr. Farman's successful attempt to win the Deutscli-Arch-deacon prize. Tlio speed of the machino, the sureness with which it answered to the demands of its steersman, and the wonderful dash and .fearlessness of M. Delagrango will not bo forgotten soon by .those who saw tho aeroplano trial at Issy-les-Moulineaux yes r torday. M. Delagrange, although ho has been experimenting in aviation tor two or threo years, has only recently' been remarked as a serious rival to M. Santos-Dumont and Mr. Farman. However, two months ago, on a machine almost exactly lilto that of Mr. Farmail he succeeded in equalling Mr. Farman's different records successively within a week or a few days of their creation. M. Delagrange had everything in. his favour yesterday, and after making a preliminary trial .of about half a mile, he notified the Aero Club committee that he would attempt to beat Mr. Farman's record in tho afternoon. Siuce aviation is now no novelty, few except those who wore notified were present a* tho at'tempt. M. Delagrango's machine worked perfectly' from the first. Setting off at a speed of between thirty and forty miles an hour, ho seven times flew round a triangle with a perimeter of half a mile. The triangle was marked out by flagpoles, and its angles wore approximately 9Udeg., 60deg., and 30deg. Tho net distanco covered, even if M. Dolagrange had not touched ground, from end to ejid .would not have been as great as five miles, but the best estimate .of tho gross distanco, whioh makes allowances for the deviations whioh tho aviator had to make at tho approach to tho turn, put down tho total distance at eight kilometres, or, roughly, fivo miles. Unfortunately, however, in trying to take tho corncra too sharply, and at an anglo which was too acute, considering the height he was abpvo ground—about eight feet only—sl. Delagrango touched ground twice or three times in the first threo rounds. Tho committee, therefore, took account only of the last four rounds. Thoy computo tho 1 distance, at 3900 metres, 'or, roughly, two miles aiid a third. Tho time for tho unbroken flight was about six minutes and a half, but the gross timo was nine minutes and a quarter.