NEW BRITISH AEROPLANE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7111, 25 April 1910, Page 8

NEW BRITISH AEROPLANE

LIEUT. DTJKOTEre fcUCCESSPUU FLIGHT AT SHELLBEACH.

The Aero Club's flying ground at Sheilbeach, Isle of Sheppoy, was the scene early in Harch of a' successful trial flight by the aeroplane designed by Lieutenant J. W. Dunne. The machine rose easily from the ground, ttev at a good speed, and was- under, complete control. The flight extended aifcerat three-quarters of a mile. Lieutenant Dunreo's machine is at the biplane type. The broad wings carve backwards after the fashion of a bird's wings; ,and, instead of being inc&aed. to the air in. the ordinary manner, the carrying surfaces, along their . front edge, dipped sharply dowirwairtis—a

principle of construction not hithertoapplied to a man-carrying flying machine. Broadly speaking, the machine resembles a boomerang in shape. Th« aeroplane is driven by a 50 h.p- British Green engine actuating two lsrjjo; propollers situated iurmodiatery to therpar of the planes. The most interesting feature of the. machine, however, is the total absence. of a tail or of ' rudders of the usual tvpe. . Both horizontally and vertically the machine is entirely steered by £h»operatlon of two (small wings pivoted to the rear of each extremity of the upper carrying surface. These small steering surfaces or "flaps" can be rncfiaod simultaneously—in. order to cause the aeroplane to rise or to singly steer the machine to right or to left. The steering arrangements have thereby been greatly simplified. Li&ut. Durino has aimed at obtaining automatic stability simply and solely bj complex "'curvature of the carrying ffur-fa'.-ei themselves, and in this*, to .judgi by his first flight, he " seems U have been successful.