AVIATION NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 72

AVIATION NOTES.

M. L«, Blon who met his death last April had only been an aviator ei°-ht months For several vears he was connected with the steam cars of the late M. Leon Serpollet, and verv rarely did a berpollet car compete in an open event without M. Le Blon being- at the wheel. on Le Blon became a free lance, and drove several makes of petrol cars He drove a Panhard in the Ardennes Circuit, and.a Hotchkiss in the first Grand frix. in. regard to the latter race it, is interesting- to relate that, having broken a wheel, _ he rebuilt it entirely .in three toowrs, using the broken parts, arid borrowing material from his fellow-competitors on Hotchkiss cars. Le Blon also drove in the big Italian events, and in the Vanderbilt Oup, which he would have won but for tyre troubles. A highly-trained engineer. with a special knowledge of metallurgy, and a conscientious driver, he nevertheless failed to win any important race, and did not reap those financial rewards that are attached to success in the racing motorist's profession. Fortunes have been made by ST 8 m? mous colle agues—Nazzaro, the late St" The £y, Lancia, Szisz, Teste, Gabriel Henry Farman. etc.,—but the fickle dame always passed by one of the most deserving of them all

An exceedingly novel form of flying maohme--a combination of an aeroplane With an airship—has been dievised by M. Oostantini, of Paris. The inventor's idea M to utilise the exhaust gases of the-engine fa maintaining the air contained, in a special reservoir at the necessary temperature, so that when necessary it can. be employed to inflate two pockets or' bags in connection .with the planes, and so convert the machine from the heavier to the lighter-rhan-air type. M. Costantini, who is stated to be •building an experimental .machine on these lines, claims that it will enable it not only to rise or descend in a vertical condition, twit to hover in the air and render it impervious to any breakdown of the engine.— [Those who had the pleasure of seeing Mr Gill's aeroplane at the winter show will have noticed that a similar idea is embodied by the Dunedin inventor in his monoplane.] AERIAL NAVIGATION. NEW YORK, June 1. The New York World and St. Louis [Post-Despatch jointly offer a prize of 30,000d0l (£6000) for tlhe first aviator aeroplaning between New York and St. iLouis, and the New York Times and Chicago Evening Post offer a prize of 25,000d0l (£5000) for a flight from New jYork to Chicago. The United States and Mexico are negotiating a treaty for the compulsory registration of aeroplanes and dirigibles. WfniJicensed airships are to be treate£'" by these two nations as smugglers jp?d pirates.

A MILE IN 35 3-5 SECONDS

NEW YORK, May Si, Mr Barney Oldfield, in a 200 titffepower Benz automobile on the opolis speedway, was carried a mifV in 35 3-ssec.

FLIGHT ACROSS THE CHANNEL. LONDON, June 2. The Hon. C. S. Rolls 6tarted on his Irfp from Dover to Calais at 6.3 Q «i.m ,

- J and arrived at Calais at 7. He circled ■ I tor 10 minutes above the semaphore ' station, but did not land. Then he re- . ! started, and Teached Dover at 8.5 in per- > ! feet weather. • ! June 3. I The Hon. Mr Rolls quickly rose to a - I height of 600 ft. Tie highest point ' I reached' by him was 1000 ft. Three fcorj psdeers followed him. He had no trouble , | iii steering, but the wind caused a devia- ', j tion of his short Wright biplane. He ! circled round the semaphore station at j Sandgate, not Calais. His biplane was ' fitted with air-bags as a safeguard in case of immersion. There was immense excitement amongst the crowds at Dover when they realised that Mr Rolls was unexpectedly returning. The biplane circled round' the Castle, and alighted 60 yards from his shed. The only prize attached to the flight is an 80-guinea cup. June 4. The Hon. C. S. Rolls, responding to clamours for a speech, said that his flight was purely a question of mechanics. With a certain horse-power and a certain •olane surface set at the right angle, there was no danger unless the engine stopped, and little then. All the credit was due to the designers. Colonel Capper, Superintendent of the Balloon School at South Farnborough, with two companions, made a secret trip in the new army dirigible, Beta, of 35 horse-power. They left Farnborough at 11.30, and steered by the stars to St. Paul's Cathedral, which they reached at 2.15. They circled the cathedral and, returning at 25 miles an hour with the wind, were enabled to reach Farnborough in 90 minutes. Their average height was 1000f.t. PARIS, June 3. The French newspapers cordially congratulate Mr Rolls, and declare that his' feat is more remarkable than that of M. Bleriot and Count De Lesseps. Mr Lloyd-George also complimented Mr Rolls. INTERNATIONAL CARNIVAL. LONDON, June 6. An international aviation carnival will be held at Blackpool from July 28 till August 20. The sum of £4OOO in prizes will be provided.