A MODERN ICARUS DARES THE AIR

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 128, 1 June 1935, Page 25

A MODERN ICARUS DARES THE AIR

Since the days of Icarus, daring son of Daedalus, a great mechanic of Greek mythology, man has been trying to emulate the birds of the air. Clem Sohn, daring devil-may-care stunt airman and parachutist, is the first to succeed, states the "Daily Express." ' Sohn is reported to have climbed into an aeroplane piloted by his friend and fellow stunt aviator, Arthur Davis, and soared above the golden sands of Daytona Beach, Florida. They disappeared from sight. In the clouds Sohn climbed out on to the wings of the machine and began to clothe himself in the strangest suit man has ever donned.

It consisted of two wings—each six feet by three feet, strutted with metal and covered with aeroplane cloth. They looked like the wings of some supernatural bat. Sohn fastened them to his arms, and his aeroplane climbed higher and higher.

At 12,000 feet Sohn winked at his pilot and jumped overboard. He held his wings close to his body and fe!.l like a stone. He dropped 2000 feet in a few seconds. Then, suddenly, the gaping crowd below saw this man-bird spread his wings and fly.

He flew through the air like a seagull by means of the metal, contraptions attached to his hands and legs. He imitated the movements of a bird to perfection.. He swooped. upwards, swerved and swooped down again. He looped the loop three times. He manoeuvred from side to side and again swooped up. Then he sped earth-

wards like an eagle plunging to the kill.

For 7000 feet he flew through the air with his artificial wings. Then he folded his arms in mid-air; his wings were at his side again. He pulled the rip-cord of his parachute and sailed slowly down the remaining 2000 feet to earth.

Sohn landed without injury. He ftook off his wings and-cheered for joy. Years of experiment had been rewarded. "It was a perfect success," he said. . "I could have stayed up much longer, but it was so. cold up there I was freezing to death. But I am going up again.

"This is going to be the beginning of something. I should not be surprised if this is not the beginning, of a series of inventions which will result in man flying with wings instead of aeroplanes." This extraordinary young man demonstrated his apparatus, which he has spent years in perfecting. "It was quite easy and great fun," he said. "When the weather clears, I am going to make another try, and this time I shall stay up much longer."

With artificial wings made from aeroplane fabric attached to his arms and legs, a parachutist named Kharakhorov ascended to a height of 9000 feet in an aeroplane and then launched himself into space at Moscow on April 26. He swiftly covered 1350 yards horizontally before plunging into a tail-spin, but his parachute opened and he landed safely.