LOCAL AEROPLANING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14648, 6 April 1911, Page 7

LOCAL AEROPLANING.

TRIAL AT PAPAKURA. A BIG GRASSHOPPER. Such of the public as have journeyed to the flying grounds at Papakura in the hope of seeing the Walsh aeroplane go up have mostly been greatly disappointed. The occasions upon which it has left the ground have been few, and have in almost every case been those when hardly anybody was about. A few weeks ago a special flight for the benefit of the public was announced, but during some early morning trials the machine fell, and was damaged, so the promised flight had to bo abandoned, and the numerous people who journeyed to eee it left disappointedly, reviling the undependableness of aeroplanes. For some days past tho machine has been on exhibition at the flying grounds, at a rate of admission per head, to assist the syndicate of owners to recover some of tho expense they have incurred in their experiments. Yesterday that exhibition closed, and to mark the occasion a flight afternoon was held. Attracted by the prospect of a possible sensation, a score or so of people were present. The visitors included several persons keenly interested in aviation, among them being Mr. Arthur Schaef, of Wellington, who has the distinction of having flown there in a monoplane of his own design and build. The machine was in the hands of Mr. V. Walsh, an almost youthful pilot, who showed that he had acquired a very good control over the engine and the movements of the various parts of the machine. Unfortunately, the Manurewa, or " gliding bird," practically declined to fly. It was quite used to " rolling practice," and very willingly ran about the big paddock, squirting clouds of white smoke from its exhaust pipes, and making a fine noise, and evidently had a good mind to " get off the earth" to avoid the bumpy passage caused by the unevenness of the ground. Now and then, coaxed by the pilot, Ti turned up its nose (if one may so describe the tilting of the elevator plane), and hopped slowly from the grass to a height of sometimes a few inches, sometimes a foot or more, and settled quietly down again upon the comparatively safe earth a chain or so further on. In? ono run threo short " hops" were effected. Only once did the hop develop into anything" approaching real flight, and then the machine rose a good 10ft, or perhaps 15ft, and glided about 50yds. Then it came down somewhat abruptly. The skid under the tail of the frame struck the ground first, aqd the whole chassis landed with a bump. The shock broke a couple of the wire* stays, and the ' day's flying ended with tho first real approach to flight. The conditions for an exhibition were very good, as only a very faint, but steady breeze was blowing, but there was evidently something the matter with the machine. The experts blamed the propeller, which was a home-made article, and pointed out that it took the machine all its time to leave the ground when the engine was going full epeed. The demonstration was disappointing as a spectacle. The owners of the machine intend to bring it into Auckland shortly and exhibit it, and it is also stated that they propose to fly it in the Domain. So far, however, the best flight achieved by the present pilot has been about, a-quarter of a mile, and he has had no turning practice, so that to fly over hilly ground suggests a good deal of risk. The Schaef Aeroplane. * Mr. Schaef, the Wellington aviator, is spending a few days at Papakura. He had intended to bring his machine to Auckland to exhibit it in conjunction with the machine built by the Watch Aeroplane Company, but he has now practically decided, he told a reporter yesterday, not to do so. It is, on the other hand, likely that he will take it to Christchurch, to have the advantage of the flat ground. The Schaef machine is a monoplane, which differs considerably from the wellknown types now in general use. Its wiags are short, measuring 25ft from tip ■ to tip, and are wider than usual, being 9ft from front to rear edge. They are rigid, instead of being flexible, as in the famous Bleriot type, and lateral balance is secured by ailerons placed below them. These are also used as elevators for raising the machine from the ground, instead of a movable tail, asun most monoplanes. The tail is unusually large, and is fixed, and takes a good share of the , lift of the machine. Another important feature is that the main planes are placed above the engine and pilot, so that the centre of gravitv is well below the centre of suppqrt. This, Mr. Schaef contends., increases the stability of the machine. It has also the effect of tending to make the front of the machine .rise unduly, but this is counteracted by the size and lifting power of the tail. Another effect of the low centre of gravity is to make the machine heel considerably when turning a corner, and this is provided for by a special arrangement connecting the ailerons with x the rudder, to counter-balance the heeling tendency. Mr. Schaef's machine, besides being small, is liiht, and is propelled by an engine of 30 horse-power. Tho inventor claims that his machine has justified his belief in its principles, and he has made several tights"with it.