AVIATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3615, 26 June 1923, Page 31

AVIATION

THE BRENNAN HELICOPTER. LONDON, June 1. Mr Louis Brennan, whose helicopter has passed successful workshop tests, in an interview declared that the vertical movements were now perfect in every way. When horizontal flights were perfected the machine would he ready for the air. ROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHT. LONDON, June 17. The Frontiersman sailed from London to-dav to survey a seaplane route in the North Pacific for the attempted world flight which is to be undertaken by Captains Malms and Norman. Her crew of 35 comprises young university men, whese keenness outweighs their knowledge of seamanship. Among the islands it is proposed to visit in preparation for the flight are the Aleutians, a group stretching southwards from the Behring Sea. Special precautions are being taken to prevent the supplies left on the islands from attracting pirates.—A. and N.Z. Cable. CROYDON TO COLOGNE AND BACK. LONDON, June 21. Barnard Instone, an air pilot, flew from Croydon to Cologne and back in the same day. The actual flying time was 392 minutes. He carried -five passengers going and six returning. AN ALTITUDE TEST. LONDON, June 21. Three well-known aviators underwent a curious experience at Paris to test the effect of rarefied air on persons climbing Mount Everest or any other high mountain. They submitted- to being enclosed in a cylinder 15ft by 9ft, in which the air was gradually rarefied while doctors watched the effect upon the inmates through the windows in the cylinder until the conditions reached the equivalent of those at an altitude of 27,898 ft. The pilots were dressed in skins like Eskimos. When the indicator registered 15,000 ft their noses reddened and they stamped their feet to get warmth. The doctors judged it undesirable to allow the indicator to go beyond 27.898 ft, as earlier experiments had shown that men lost consciousness at a heisrht of 26,000 it. The whole test occupied 35 minutes. NEW FIGHTING MACHINES. LONDON, June 21. The mystery surrounding the new equipment of 'the Royal Air Force has been lifted sufficiently to show that the new machines are such as would have staggered the imagination only a year ago. It includes machines which fly with a full military equipment of men and munitions at a speed of 150 miles an hour and at a height of over 10,000 it. They are capable of twisting and turning with extraordinary facility. The experts are gratified with the results of experiments in the Naval Department. The latest, types of torpedo carriers are the Blackburn-Dart and the Handley-Page and Hamley, both singleseaters, with a speed of 100 miles an hour. Several other types are ready, which it is considered will place England ahead of the other Powers in aircraft. TRIAL ATTACK ON FLEET. LONDON, June 21. In the presence of thousands of people who were lining the foreshore six aeroplanes carried out a trial attack on the Atlantic Fleet at Weymouth on Wednesday night, using aerial torpedoes. All the ships’ lights were put out, and the aeroplanes, though they flew low, had tin greatest difficulty in spotting a target. (Received June 22, at 9.10 p.m.) The Daily Express states that three out of six dummy torpedoes hit the Queen Elizabeth, the Valiant, and another warship during the night attack. FLIGHT ROUND FRANCE. PARIS, June 19. Lieutenant Dessoureaux landed at Strasburg, having abandoned the attempt to fly round Eranee after covering 2310 kilometres in llOOmiu (18h 20min). The weather was bad. AMAZING DEVELOPMENTS EXPECTED. LONDON, June 22. The Daily Chronicle says that amazing stories are in circulation regarding secret air researches in connection with which Germany, Russia, and England have laboratories hidden deep in the heart of Russia. Air experts say that they would not be surprised if this German-Russian quest, which is undoubtedly aimed at solving the great remaining problems of the air, has resulted in a discovery which will practically- revolutionise flying. Seekers who possess money and brains, in the seclusion of isolated laboratories, are aiming principally at the development of an cx traordinary new “ray” which centres upon the annihilation by science of the fundamental law of gravity.

SCRATCH PILOT MEETS DISASTER. LONDON, June 24. The first air race this year was marred by a serious accident. The race was a point-to-point handicap for the challenge cup presented by Lord Edward Grosveuor over a 400-mile course from Lynipne over Croydon to Birmingham and Bristol and back to Croydon and Lympne. The race was limited to British machines not exceeding 150 horsepower. Nine started. The winner was Lieutenant Longton, piloting a Scpwith-Gnu of TLO horse power, his time being 280 min 45sec. Hinkler, flying in a Baby Avro of 35 horse-power, was third. Major Foot, scratch, flying in a StanleyWhite 100 horse-power monoplane, nosedived and crashed at an isolated spot oil a country road near Chertsey on the outward journey. When found the bodv was so charred as to be unrecognisable and the machine was burnt. A FRENCH “ACE” KILLED. PARIS, June 24. •Jean Casale, the well-known “Ace,” holding the French height record, crashed near Ccmpiegne and was killed. Signor Mercanti, Italian Under-seeretarv of Aviation, left Turin in an aeroplane which he was piloting himself, hound for London. He crashed near Aix-les-Bains, but was net seriously hurt.