THRILLS AT CROYDON

Hawera Star, Volume L, 27 October 1930, Page 2

THRILLS AT CROYDON

ROYAL AIR FORCE DISPLAY. ’PLANES TIED TOGETHER. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) ■ LONDON, Oct. 26. An acrobatic display by the Royal Air Force, including rolling, rocketing looping, diving and high .speed fighting manoeuvre,-, was llie feature of the programme for the Imperial Conference delegates’ visit - to Croydon in wintry weather. Tlie delegates, of whom Mr Scullin was the only Australian Minister present, lunched at the aerodrome hotel after inspecting a wide variety of civil and military aircraft and seeing air liners coming in from the Continent against the strong wind.

Thereafter two single-seater Gamecock high speed fighters gave a thrilling exhibition of co-ordinated acrobatics-, climbing perpendicularly, rolling, then diving towards the ground at a tremendous speed. A squadron of day bombers of the latest- Hart type gave a formation display, finishing with a deafening roar as nine machines dived and swept across, the aerodrome at , high speed and low altitude. The last three experimental types—the autogyro, the tailless pterodactyl and the gugnunc biplane provided'a contrast- to the high speed l 11 viuo- all remaining stationary in the "air for some minutes. They showed their versatility in quickly gathering speed alter hovering, and also ry'ativ cartied out the. performance for which they were .primarily designed, landing in a confined space and coming to rest alter running a few feet. Indeed the autogyro did not seem to move after touching the ground. A squadron of Siskin single-seater fighters provided the concluding thrill, taking off in threes tied together with cords and even looping -with such prehraken * ie °° r^s -remained un-

■ i .MacDonald, wearing flymg kit, including a parachute and plus fours, flew off for Chequers.' Mr nnd'+i Mr 1 ForI ? sir -Thomas Sidey ami others had brief flights over Lond°n in a triple-engined Imperial Airways liner.