AERIAL NAVIGATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 599, 30 August 1909, Page 7

AERIAL NAVIGATION.

AEROPLANE CONTESTS. - FARMAN MAKES NEW RECORD. AND WINS GRAND PRIX. IB* Teleeraph.-I'rois Aeaoolallon.-Oopjrlttit I (Reo. August 29, 5 5 p.m.) Paris, August 28. At tho Rheims aeronautical tourney the following was the result of the Grand'Prix do la Champagne, for tho aviator covering tho greatest distance in tho air (Ist prize £2000, 2nd £1000, 3rd £400, and three prizes of £200 each) :— Type of Time, Distance, Aviator. Machine, ram. sec. miles. Mr. Farman....Biplano 184 56J 112 ... 1 Mr. Lfttham....Monoplano 138 10 96J ... 2 M. Paulflan....Biplano 163 28 81 2-5 ... 3 Mr. Farman's feat of covering 112 miles in 3 hours 4 minutes 56} seconds is a world's record for aeroplane flights. { NEW DIRIGIBLE BALLOON. SEVEN PASSENGERS-33 MILES AN HOUR n l ' - (Reo. August 29, 5.5 p.m.) 'Paris, August 28. The new French military dirigible balloon Liberte, of 135 horse-power, designed by M. Lebaudy, made a successful trial flight at Nantes and attained a speed of 33 miles an hour, carrying seven passengers. TO HELP AUSTRALIAN INVENTORS. Illy, Telegraph.—Preis Association,—Got>>rlrbt I Sydney, August 28. At a meeting of the Aerial League, it was decided to appeal for public subscriptions to the amount of £5000, to supplement a> similar sum .offered ,fyy the Federal Government, to encourage Australian inventors in aerial navigation.

A NOVEL MACHINE., i NEW ETINNEE DEVICE FOE LANDING, j Mr. Henry Farman, 1 whose brilliant flights ' somo timo ago ranked him with M. Delagrange in the next rank to the Wrights, has now, j after a period of quiescence, come to the fiont' with a rush. "Tho Times" wrote last April: "Mf. Henry Farman has now almost com-1 pleted a new machine upon which lie has been ' at work fnr some time; and his latest bi-plane is a highly interesting vessel. The two main planes are rather wider apart than usual, and he adopts a stabilising box at tho rear almost similar to that used on the Voisin machines. At each rear corner of the main planes are large flaps which can be let up or down to any required angle. These flaps are of considerable dimensions, and are intended to fulfil the same purposo that the Wrights obtain by waiping the main planeb themselves. Stability can bo obtained by a judicious use of an apparatus of this kind, while the rear stabilising, box .will automatically assist towards the same end. Mr. Farman hopes to emulato tho Wrights m their swift and bndlike tuins by the use of the new side-wings A 50-h p engino is,fitted , and two wooden propellerb will be omplo>ed. x

"Another very novel feature is the use of both sledge runners, not unlike thoso on the, Wright machine, and oycle wheels for tho support of the machine on ,the ground. The main weight of the aeroplane is carried upon four ■wheels airanged m two parallel sets, the inner wheels of each set being slightly smaller than the outer. Suspended from the connecting axles of each 6et of wheels is a runner which normally is clear of the ground There ure two additional whoele to support the rear pait of the machine When about to start, the aeioplane rest? flft ) -i t M(/il' : »i wn^ s ' <""1 'J l « wl ">k framework forme aii integral pait of the machine. If the aeroplane rises in tho air, and a descent is then about to be made, the "aviator can lower.tho runners bo that they come below the circumference of the wheels. Thus in striking earth, tho first shock is taken up by the runners, and the wheels are' spared those damaging concussions which usually put thom ont of order Tho whole device does not teem to add to the weight of tho machine Very consideiably, and tho method adopted appears to have 1 much piomise Mr. Farman iieses only a' single plane in front for ,up and down steering. The finishing touohes aio now bomg put to the appai atue, and its trial in the air will be awaited with much curiosity, as it marks a novel departure in many respects horn all other machines now,m use/"