TENSE EXCITEMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 9 May 1927, Page 9

TENSE EXCITEMENT

WHEN NUNGESSER SET ftFF.

HEAVILY LOADED ’PLANE

DIFFICULTY IN RISING,

BY CABLE—PRES 3 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.

Received 12.5 p.m. to-day. LONDON, May 8. The aviator Nungesser cut short his farewells, saying curtly to his assistants, “Iwhen you like.” The engine roared and the plane moved slowly forward. The question uppermost in the croivds’ mind was whether Nungesser would succeed in taking off in a heavily loaded ’plane, when Fonck, whose machine was loaded with 21 tons crashed. The ’plane speeded up and the tail rose and fell to the ground. Nungesser opened the throttle till the machine tore over the ground at a terrific pace. The tail again rose and fell. The ’plane was dangerously near the trees boarding the aerodrome. Cheers broke out as the wheels were seen lifting. Nungesser by a superhuman effort, forced the ’plane up and sored over the trees by' a narrow margin and disappeared in the haze. Experts say that lie was travelling at one hundred and ten miles per hour when he took off. only sixteen yards from the aerodrome.

His route is across the channel, south to Ireland, along the fifty-four parallel of latitude to Newfoundland', and south west to Boston.

Everything depends upon,the reliability of the engine. Three great petrol reservoirs are placed in the machine in such a way that the airmen, who are sitting side by side, have barely room to move. They are unable to reach the engine and should it fail, they are helpless. Before starting a metal propellor was substituted as a safeguard against striking an albatross, and thereby smashing a wooden one. Both airmen arc dressed in. suits of double silk, underneath leather coats, as a protection against cold winds. Although everything possible has been sacrificed in the interests of lightness, the airmen did, not resist a few gifts from friends, also the first direct Paris-New York mail. When the machine commenced to ■climb the undercarriage was dropped to the field, thereby reducing the weight by«22o pounds. They crossed the English Channel at a height of 1200 feet and hope to complete the journey in thirty-six hours. Nothing is expected to be heard from them for the next twenty-four hours, beyond meagre signals from ships in mid-ocean. Mr. Farrat, engineer of the Lavasseur Company, says that they bail four motors before they were satisfied each costing sixteen thousand sterling. “Captain Nungesser carries £20,000 of our money as well as our hopes,” h, remarked.