HEAVY BOMBING 'PLANE
NEW LAUNCHING MACHINE
SUCCESSFUL TRIAL
(British Official Wlroless.) (Received 22nd May, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, 21st May. A remarkable experiment was demonstrated at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough to-day, ■when a huge 9-ton bombing machine was successfully catapulted into the air by a new mechanism designed and constructed at the Air Force experimental station. Squadron-Leader Caster and FlightLieutenant Ryfe were in the bomber, a twin-engined Vickers-Virginia type. When the 1000 h.p. engines were running, the pilot gave th"c signal, and the catapult was started, adding 4000 h.p. to their pull. There was an earsplitting roar from the catapult, and the 'plane was shot high into the air, having dispensed with all take-off run. The catapult's motive power is compressed air. Neither' pilot received the slightest shock. from this method of launching. The device may be shown at the annual Air Force pageant at Hendon this summer*
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19310522.2.61.1
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 119, 22 May 1931, Page 9
Word Count
149HEAVY BOMBING 'PLANE Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 119, 22 May 1931, Page 9
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