SINGLE-SEATER MONOPLANE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20832, 26 September 1929, Page 14

SINGLE-SEATER MONOPLANE

COMPACT FLYING MACHINE. ASSEMBLED BY YOUNG ENTHUSIAST. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 25. A monoplane assembled by a 21-year-old enthusiast, Mr William ‘Dini, of St. Albans, was flown lor the first time from the Wigram Aerodrome yesterday by Captain M. W. Buckley. The machine, a Heath super-parasol monoplane, is the first of its kind seen in New Zealand, although many of them are flying in America. The parts were imported from America 10 weeks ago, and Mr Dini has assembled them practically unaided. The aeroplane is a single-seater, 16ft Oin in length, with a wing span of 25ft. It is very small, and weighs only 3001 b, including the engine, which weighs 1001 b. The fuselage is built of steel tubing and covered with the ordinary fabric. The wing is constructed in the usual way of fabriccovered wood. The aeroplane is driven by a 30 h.p. Heath Henderson engine of four cylinders. It is guaranteed to do 70 miles an hour, while its landing speed is 28 miles an hour. It is very economical to run, the petrol consumption being 40 miles to the gallon. Captain Buckley remarked on landing aftci yesterday’s trial that the machine flow very well and its power of manoeuvring was also good.