BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

Evening Star, Issue 20671, 19 December 1930, Page 12

BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

[By Sam Bkotvni.] DOINGS AT THE ’DROME. Hot on the heels of tho news that the second plane has been grunted to tbo Otago Aero Club and is ready at Wigrara, comes tlie purchase • of the “ Chocolate Plane” irom Messrs Cadbury, Fry. Hudson, Ltd. This should facilitate considerably tho work of the instructor, who, during the last few weeks, had been considerably handicapped by having only one machine. AVitli three machines at his disposal, training should proceed apace. Mr C. H. K. Napier is to be congratulated on making a successful first solo flight. ______ WELLINGTON-NEAV PLYMOUTH SERVICE. Taranaki Airways opened the first regular aerial passenger service tho day before the Cbristchurch-Dnuedin service was inaugurated. Major G. A. C. Cowper was the pilot. Tests and trial flights were carried out for a fortnight previous to the opening of the service. Two De Sautter machines will be used, and in the meantime one return trip per week is .planned. The service will be extended as traffic warrants. Extensive .trials made recently nave shown that the trip between Wellington aud New Plymouth can be made regularly in two hours, and the timetables have been worked out on that basis. Tho intermediate stopping places will be Hawera, AVanganui, and Marton. The machines will take off from the Bell Block Aerodrome at New Plymouth, and the Rongotai Aerodrome will be used at Wellington. The first passenger to bo .earned on the inauguration was Mr AV. F. Horner, a solicitor, of Hawera.

AUSTRALIAN-DESIGNED GLIDER. At the Melbourne aircraft factory of (he Larkin Aircraft Supply Company Ltd. a new glider is being constructed to the design of Mr W. S. Shackletou. When completed it will have a span of :38ft, chord 4ft 9in, overall length about 24ft. The body or fuselage differs from the usual glider, inasmuch as it is constructed of plywood box form. The wing is of the latest type singlespar construction, and the glider will be fitted with wheels instead of the usual typo of skid. This is intended to give it stability on the ground and reasonable facilities for ground handling. Unlike most gliders, this machine will be definitely capable of soaring, at the same time having all the advantages of primary types, which usually remain in the air only so long as they continue to lose height. When plans are completed and the first machine erected scale drawings will bo made available for sale to those interested in building their own gliders, complete material lists being also supplied with the drawings. During the preparation of the design it is being borne in mind that future machines will probably be built by amateurs. Simplified construction is therefore being incorporated wherever possible. A higher safety factor than usuai is being specified and parts standardised where practicable. It is expected that the machine will have a stalling speed of twelve to fifteen miles per hour and a maximum speed of sixty miles per hour under favourable conditions. The ease with which it can bo flown is an outstanding feature, and it is the opinion of the designer that beginners will have no difficulty in controlling it, even on first flights. LARGEST AERIAL BEACON. On August 27 President Hoover pressed the electric button which turned on for the first time the gigantic aviation beacon on tho Palmolive Building in Chicago. This ceremony was attended by the most notable figures in aviation, representatives of the flying services of the army, tho navy, and the Department of Commerce. Preceding the initial turning on of tho beacon, with its two billion candle power beam of light, visible for 500 miles, a dinner was served at the base of the silvery tower which rises to a height of 602 ft, on top of the Palmolive Building. This great light which flashes every night its guiding rays to aviators is one of the show places of Chicago, and its location on the building which is the central office of the Chicago Palm-olive-Pect Company makes it a landmark for hundreds of miles around. ELIMINATION OF NOISE. Tho Aeronautical Research Committee of Great Britain is conducting investigations with a view to reducing the noise made by aeroplane engines to a minimum. From time to time criticism has been levelled at the excessive noise by both travellers by air and sufferers on tho ground, and it has frebeen urged tbat_ devices should be applied either to eliminate or reduce in great measure this annoying feature. Noise in reasonable amount and of certain qualities is claimed to have a tonic action, but excessive, continuous noise is both fatiguing and destructive of thought. From the intensive study that is being given to the question by

the Aeronautical Research Committee and by aircraft manufacturers it is probable that rapid progress towards the elimination of noise will be accomplished. Contrary to popular belief, exhaust gas noises represent but one of several sources of annoyance. The running mechanism of the engine accounts fot a lot of it, while'an additional factoi to be considered is that there is a large volume of noise relative to th high tip-speeds of air screws, to de crease which will present a difficuh problem. In the new 7 forty-seater Handley Pago machines now being constructs for imperial Airways notable progress

should be made. It is claimed that one of tho two saloons will be as quiet as a railway carriage, while the noise heard in the other will bo no worse than that experienced in a tube tram. Of the four engines, two will be fitted m tho upper wing and two ora the wer, while the fuselage will be susicnded beneath and m a different lane from the engines. _ In the present tachines tho fuselage lies in the same iane ns the engines. Each cabin will assess a double skin, between the layrs of which will be packed a quantity sound-absorbing material. Such deices as these, it is believed, will mairially lessen the noise created by an aeroplane i.u flight