GUNNERY PRACTICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20593, 18 June 1930, Page 12

GUNNERY PRACTICE.

TARGET !N THE AIR.

OPERATIONS BY WARSHIP.

CO-OPERATION WITH AIRCRAFT.

Trailing a droguo target, 26ft. long and similnr to a large "wind sock," one of tho Faircy aeroplanes left the Hobsonvillo nir baso about 1.15 yesterday afternoon for the Hauraki Gulf to provido anti-aircraft gun practice there for H.M.S. Dunedin, This is tho first time in New Zealand that an aoroplano has towed an aerial target for such practice.

Flying conditions wero good, and tho heavy clouds gavo tho aeroplano tho advantage. Tho aeroplano trailed tho target at about cloud lovel over the warship, which was lying to tho south-west of Flat Ilock, near Kawau. About 40 rounds wero fired from tho warship, and although tlioro wero no direct hits, tho gunnery was considered qu'to satisfactory. Tho aeroplano afterwards descended and flew tho target past the warship at a lower altitude for maxim and machinegun practice. In this tho warship succeeded in scoring a numbor of hits. Tho aeroplane returned to Hobsonville shortly after four o'clock.

Before tho aeroplane set out the target—which is of canvas, 4ft. wide at tho towing end and 2ft. 6in. wido at tho trailing end—was folded and placed in the cockpit of tho machine, which was fitted with a main winch carrying a spool of wire 7000 ft. long and an auxiliary winch carrying 600 ft. When tho aeroplane took off tho target was lowered through the floor of the cockpit and the 600 ft. of wiro released. The end of this spool was then joined to tho main wiro which was unwound by means of a windmill attached to the winch.

After tho shooting the main length of wire was drawn in, leaving the target towing at the end of tha 600 ft. section, and when tho machine was directly over tho aerodrome tho wire was cut by the observer, the target floating clear and landing on the aerodrome. By this means any possibility of tho wire of tho targot becoming entangled in the controls while the machine was landing was avoided.