REAL BIRD MEN

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 234, 29 June 1922, Page 4

REAL BIRD MEN

FLYING WITHOUT NEW LIGHT ON WING MYSTERY (By Major C. C. Turner, in the London “Daily Telegraph.”) During my recent visit to Germany I mbt some of the “soaring flight” ex- ■ perts, although, on account of the weather, there was no flying. Great activity is promised, however, and some of those who are well qualified to judge believe that before the end of the coming summer flights exceeding one hour will have been made on a molorless aeroplane. There is as yet no complete explanation of soaring,. whether of birds or of mechanism; but during the past few years some advance has been made in our knowledge of this fascinating subject, and the experiments in Germany and Dr. E. H. Hankin’s researches in India and England (of which more will soon be heard), together with valuable observations by other scientific men, promise soon to clear up the mystery, and in so doing extend our conquest of the air. * It may be remembered that in the “Daily Telegraph” of September 22 last the difference between gliding under gravity and soaring was explained. By soaring is meant the bird’s'power to maintain altitude, and even to climb, without visible effort and without dependence upon any vertical compone.ni in the wind. The earlier gliding , experimenters were either those who'began their study of mechanical flight with a view to gaining experience before employing an engine or those who supposed engines would be unnecessary. These experiments depended ujxin an opposing wind, and on obtaining an initial impulse ,by starting down hill or ,by launching the apparatus from a catapult. There, are on record of those days no longer fights than two or three minutes, the outstanding exception being Mr. Orville Wright’s -“glide” of about .fifteen minutes. The Science of “Soaring.” It is remarkable that after centuries of discussion the real nature of “soaring” is only now beginning to be understood, and the reason for certain peculiarities of the natural wing explained. Here some of the results of Dr. Hanlrin’s researches may be briefly summarised. _ They seem to suggest possible modifications jn the design of aeroplane wings, even after allowing that' birds and insects, by developed instinct, more delicate senses, and continuous practice, are tn a position to which men can hardly hope to attain. One of the verv interesting facts noted; bv Dr. Hankm m that soaring birds emd insects are. without exception, characterised by a peculiar wing feature: thev have pn_ the under surface of the wings definite transverse ridges which, one would nave supposed, would interfere with rather than aid flight!. This ostahl’shed fact is supplemented by the ° l J ,se ' r 'T f tl ”” that birds i possessing benutitoßy streamlined wirigs. without such ridges or with .ridges \srarcelv evident, never soar, but invaffiahlv fla.n their What is the purpose_ of the;se vrhich, are seen Both in the best soarImr birds and in (soaring dragon flies? H mav be"add~< that of late years manv other carefffl observers have ate tncVcd in-oat importance to the rou h imJor-snrface of of certain birds, and have sngb.ested that this srts up some useful commotion of air.

air. . Exploded Ideas. The idea that birds can only soar by aid of ascending currents. «idies due to convection. anueaM to be finitclv disproved. Dr. , \ciind J" 9 tedlv observed soaring with tinv feathers or “winged seeds , be°in some . way&v peudent noon the presence of certain fishes'.” say© Ur. Hankip., “can execute doubt that' we are dealing with n S' aS’S. th. wei«rh in TG^? , P? ‘Thus the of 51in., is loaded 'fc, th» mm .;«>«■ •• '“J'S 1 7 toZreLod snan bv concurrently more’sing the lifting power of the wmg ate confident of hetog able to fly for long distances without engines. Already soarers hav over the startmg point at a rewrneu hoped t Jj at fanportant knowledge will be obtained apShcable to the design of aeroplanes and to the art . of flv i gMany prizes are offered and m Switzerland also a competition is announced The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom invite all who are interested to send in their names and it is _suggested that work may be begun on one of,the German soaring machines. There is a certain danger in these which may be avoided V . the exercise of reasonable care. Ihe apparatus must be light: but weight must not be sacrificed unduly. Already one German pilot has been killed bv the collapse of bis apparatus. Another danger is due to the lack of any reserve or power with which to overcome difficulties. The bird can recover balance bv resorting at any moment to flapping —wing flmhy- J . he aviator also, when gliding with engine idle, nan in nA emergency open out his engine and get out of trouble. The exponent of soaring flight has neither wings that flap nor engine. He is therefore, far more dependent than the bird nnon an intimate knowledge or sense of the air: or he may have to discover some means I which would render' him proof against surprise or friako his apparatus secure from losing balance. “If we could only make the air visible!” remarked one of the German soarers.