BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

Evening Star, Issue 21583, 1 December 1933, Page 2

BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

[By Gypsy Moth.] AIR FORCE COURSES. In the three four-day refresher courses for squadrons of the New Zealand Air Force which ended on Saturday, about thirty-three officers spent altogether 210 hours in the air.. Most of this was in Bristol Fighters and Hawker Tomtits, but a considerable amount was in Grebes, and a little in Moths. Taking the average speed as eighty miles an hour, the distance covered was nearly 17,000 miles, or more than 1,500 miles for every flying day. Officers of No. 3 Squadron, which had perfect weather, flew for eighty hours. No. 2 and No. 4 squadrons, each of which had some bad weather, spent approximately seventy and sixty hours respectively in the air. No 2 and No. 3 are bombing squadrons, and No. 4 an army co-operation squadron. In addition to flying, the officers had other work to do, and attended lectures on different branches of air force activity. A FLYING ARMCHAIR.

New features wore few in this year’s Army training (says Captain Liddell Hart, in the London ‘ Daily Telegraph ’), but one was of far-reaching importance—in every sense. This was the advent of the '' autogiro ” as an aerial staff car.

It did enough to suggest that wo are on the eve of a revolutionary development in the means of communication and control in mobile warfare, And this promise was extended by the latest type of nutogiro, which came down later to give a special demonstration, although it did not actually take part in the operations. This has no wings and its “ windmill ” has only two olades. Because of its winglessness it provides wonderful observation—like sitting in an armchair hoisted in the air. And when (lying low over the countryside it is said to be very difficult to detect from above by hostile aircraft. "in still air it can “take off" in about fourteen yards, and against a slight breeze it rose within the length of an ordinary room. In coming down it hovered about Bft off the ground and then dropped flat, its wheels hardly turning over. Among the more startling of its feats is its ability to hover alongside a marching column just clear of the ground, so that notes can bo passed by hand, for its speed can be reduced as low as 10 m.p.h., although it can travel at over 100 m.p.h.—the speed range of the other type is from 25-70 m.p.h. Even this type proved of remarkable utility in the operations, and made all the greater impression by contrast with the normal moans of intorcomin unication.

MODERN FATHER CHRISTMAS. One of the Auckland Aero Club’s Moth aeroplanes, flown by the club’s chief instructor. Flight Lieutenant D. W. Allan, landed at Victoria Park on a recent Saturday morning, bringing Father Christmas. The flight was in connection with aviation essay contests sponsored by the Farmers’ Trading Company, Ltd. Little difficulty was experienced in landing the machine, as a sufficiently long runway had been cleared by the police and traffic officers. A crowd of children, estimated at several thousands, who watched the arrival of the Moth with eager interest, swarmed round the machine as soon as it landed, and some trouble was experienced in preventing them from clambering all over it.

The interest of the children in the aeroplane proved a hindrance when the pilot was about to take off for the return flight to Mangere. The assistance of the police was again sought to control the crowd, but in spite of their best efforts the children could not be restrained sufficiently to allow Mr Allan to make an orthodox take-off. A neat climbing-turn practically off the ground, however, enabled him to clear the crowd easily.

IMPROVEMENTS AT WELLINGTON. Formalities in connection with the letting of a tender for the erection of a clubhouse and workshop for the Wellington Aero Club at the Rongotai aerodrome have been completed, and a start, will shortly be made with the work, though whether the building will bo available for the Chrsitmas season is not yet certain (states an exchange). The clubhouse and workshop will be a two-story building, the clubroom being on the upper floor, and the repair and maintenance shops below. The design is not elaborate, but clubroom facilities are badly wanted at the aerodrome, and the workshop space, while not a Affording much additional shelter for the accommodation of visiting machines, will permit maintenance work to be carried out irrespective of weather conditions. At present overhaul work is done under difficulties, and for the most part must be carried out on the tarmac outside the hangar, for in bad weather —the very time when overhaul is most economically done—the hangar is filled to the doors by the housed machines, and should two or more visitors be at the aerodrome the extra machines have at present to be roped down outside.