FALL THROUGH SPACE.

Mataura Ensign, 22 July 1914, Page 3

FALL THROUGH SPACE.

.AIRMAN'S HSi'ApE,

SWi'li VA .:. STABILISE!!. ; cause the dent!, of m'i* t,i|' aviator*, hut. a<-.-(.tvj :li; . ;., a .-<:, ry uUU-h he U.:ily" ; .ti k-^i^;.;''' ' >)V .1 /.." Ifc.'ii.-y, a. recoi'uly ie!l Iron, a ho.gii, ~.1 ;sUt)l'i irrl in a biplane, and escaped wii.ii jacerations to the back and a sprained wrist. The thrilling misadventure took place while .Mr. Bailey was Hying over Bacchus Marsh, Vic, and he attributes his miraculous escape from death to the employment of a stabiliser of his own invention. Mr. Bailey, who had made only two flights previously, is a motor mechanic by trade, and lias taken up aviation as a hobby. Some time ago, together with a triend, Air. J.. .Morgan,' he conceived the idea, of inventing a biplane on an entirely now principle. The result of their lirst effort was a biplane glider, and experiments were. conducted with this on the golf links] at Kew, tho motive power being Mip-j plied by a motor car to which the glider was attached by a rope. After several tests had been made Mr. Bailey made a successful flight, the glider ho.ng carried along by the ear at a rate of about HO mites ah, hour. .Air Alorgan then essayed a trip, but the strain was so groat that the rope broke, and the glider came down from a height of ab.mt' 40 feet. Fortunately, .Mr. Morgan escaped with a few cuts I and bruises.

Subsequently the machine was fit toil with a '25-h.p. stationary engine and with this power Air. Bailey Mov from Kew to Hoide.lhorg, a d.ishine< of nine miles, and attained an' alti tudo of 300 feet. After that he in stalled a. rotary engine. His next flight wsis the one ivhicl learly cost him his life. ''lt happonci ,his way," said' Air. Bailey in relating he story. 'T was flying from Cran muriie to Bacchus Alarsh, a distar.ci if about 85 miles, and when I wat ibout ,3000 ft!. abeve Bacchus Alarsli ny engine suddenly stopped, and tin liphuie dived downwards towards the 'arth. It was a decidedly anxious noment. The ground seemed to be •ravel-ling up towards me at lightning;ke speed. The rush of air war, tor'...ie, and almost took my breath iway. But, although I had never been aught aviation. 1 did not lose iny lead. J tried to volplane, but through a.ek of experience, I could not con;rol the machine prope.'v. Suddenly, lowever, I thought of a p.itent device if my own invention, kn> -n as a stabil'iser, with which I had ,'in'-tided :o give an •exhibition at (leeloug .-t<>r n the afternoon. I promptly broug;. l this into use, with the result that the ;ato of speed at which 1 was falling ivas considerably slackened. Everything went well' until 1 got withii ibout 15ft. of the ground, at w!no h height the stalnl/sor is rendered u? e _ less because of the insufficiency of ai| . pressure, and then 1 dropped Ktia,)uj. town. I was rendered temporarily. *]„. sensible, and sustained a Gained wri,st and a lacerated hack. By v su , ;) . posing I had not employed nr, 1 would not be'j ieil , tO . night I 'I ha r is" tfe°- «iiue of mv illVn . tion. It reduces the dangfT t() ',. minimum, and enables a man to escape ivitli eompar.lively minor injuries! tvhen otherwise .instant death would lave been lj:s fate. An experienced iviator would, perhaps), have been nore fortunate than 1 was. You see, ill that 1 know about aviation has icon learned as the result of oxpen-ne-nfcs." 'vUriefly," said Air. Bailey, •the stabiliser is an accessory, and can >e fitted to any b'plane the upper )laue.s -.f which are. suirrdlvadapted. I'd make the plane adaptable requites -ery little readjustment. In pnucijlej the stabiliser has ninth in oomnon with the parachute, although it (ears some slight relation to the baloon. The upper planes must bs captble of elevation until .they form a sornplete right angle with the lower ilanes. Thus, if the aviator at, say, iOOOft. above the ground, experiences •ngine- trouble or the engine, stops vorking, lie will immediately turn his lppor planes, and the silk halloonlaiaehute arrangement is ready. Jn ailing, the tremendous current of air orced" upward through the gap.in the ventre of the bottom planes Miflates he stabiliser, find arrests the drop to in. enormous extent. There are reguatiiif valves to stem the pressure, and vhihTthe downward drop is thus a-rres-ed the aviator, now free to use both lands, can attend to the engine or whatever is wrong. Afterwaids, the lalloon-paraehute arrangement is east roe. and falls to the ground when the ilanes are returned to the original ateral position. To on,sure the plane Iropp'ng dircptly downwards, the, eu'ino is so placed in t'ho ceiitrtt of grnvty that it must fall first with the upicr structure directly above." Mr. Bailey is now negotiating with he defence'authorities to give a demmstrat:on of his invention in Sydney, le states that, anyhow, providing uitaiile arrangements can be made, e intends to give a. public exhibition.