AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19615, 20 October 1925, Page 9

AVIATION

AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY.

THREE PERSONS KILLED,

Pcm» A»*oci*tion—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, October 18.

An army aviator, named Burgess, was conveying Mr Hutton, a journalist, and Mr Timmerman, a photographer, employed by the Ohio Herald, to view the aviation races at Selfridge field, when engine trouble necessitated a descent. The machine struck a tree and caught fire. All three were killed by the fall or were burned to death.—Sydney Sun Cable. THE SPANISH AUTOGYRO. A NEW WONDER-MACHINE. LONDON, October 18. (Received Oct. 18, at 5.5 p.m.) The Morning Post’s aeronautical correspondent .says that the Spanish autogyro, which recently made a successful ascent, and which reproduces bird flight mechanically, will be demonstrated at Famhorough on Monday afternoon. It resembles an ordinary aeroplane, but the blades imitate the beating 'of a bird’s wings as closely as mechanical limitations permit. It can ascend and descend almost vertically, can hover, fly as fast as an aeroplane of the same power, loop the loop, do other acrobatics besides special acrobatics of its own, and can land in a field 15 yards square. experts who have seen the machine in flight are astonished at its performance. They admit that it constitutes an entirely new and unforseen application _of aerodynamical principles. An ordinary aeroplane fuselage with a rotary engine and an air-screw form the basis of its construction. —A. and N.Z. Cable. (Received Oct. 19, at 6.5 p.m.) Above the fuselage is a windmill of four articulated blades which rise and fall as they turn. Their rotation is caused by air pressure and not by engine power, the engine being entirely unconnected with the windmill, and sine© the autogyro is stable its control is simpler than that of an ordinary aeroplane. It can be flown with rudders and elevators alone, though the experimental machine is provided with a lower spar as/'a precaution. If the engine stops when the machine is at a great height its weight is supported by the revolving windmill and the machine is lowered gently to the ground. Senor Don Juan Dewa Cierva, in an interview, said: “I have been engaged in aeronautical research foi 16 years. I first conceived the autogyro in 1920, when I came to the conclusion that it was essential to hiiild a machine which could descend safely after engine failure and land even on a housetop I built six machines, but, only in the fourth did 1 hit the idea of adding articulated blades to jhe lifting windmill which gave automatic stability. I believe my method will eventually replace all others, because it allows higher speed and higher climbing with safety, and makes flying much easier. I calculate that an autogyro with the power resistance of a Bernand monoplane will do 310 miles an hour at full speed and have a landing speed of 37 miles an hour. The autogyro will be scarcely affected by air disturbances due, to a gusty wind.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. ITALIAN AIRMAN'S FLIGHT. PEKING, October 18. Major di Pinedo, the Italian airman who recently flew to Australia and then to Tokio, has arrived at Shanghai.—A. and N.Z. Cable. WOMAN’S FATAL AMBITION. PARIS, October 19. (Received Oct. 19, at 8 p.m.) Engine trouble forced an army aviator to descend at Nimes. After he had effected repairs and was preparing to reascend a woman bogged a trip, having never been in an aeroplane. As the machine left the ground it swerved and crashed. The petrol tank burst into flames. The woman was burnt to death and the pilot was burnt seroiusly.—A. and N.Z. Cable.