NEW TYPE OF ’PLANE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17067, 27 September 1929, Page 14

NEW TYPE OF ’PLANE

ECONOMICAL RUNNING A monoplane assembled by a 21-year-old enthusiast, Mr. William Dim, of St. Albans, Christchurch, was flown for the first time from the Wigram Aerodrome this week by Captain M. H. Buckley. The machine, a Heath Super-Parasol monoplane, is the first of its kind seen in INew 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 plane is a single seater, Ilift. !).in. in length, with a wing span of 23ft. It. is very small and weighs only 3001 b., including the engine, which weighs 1001 li. The fuselage is built of steel tubing, and covered with the ordinary fabric. The wing is constructed in the usual way—fabriccovered. wood. The plane is driven by a 30 h.p. Ileuth-Henderson engine of four cylinders. It is guaranteed to clfi 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 after the trial that the machine flew very well, and its power of manoeuvring was also good.