FLYING BY MUSCLE POWER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18192, 13 September 1933, Page 9

FLYING BY MUSCLE POWER

A GERMAN COMPETITION CONQUEST OF THE AIR FRANKFURT, July 2S. Apart from Captain Goring’s dosiro for a police air force, Germans arc being urged literally to strain every muscle in the conquest of the air. The Polytechnic Society at Frankfurt lias published the offer ol a prize of 5000 marks for tho first German who, between Beptemucr 3. ]<)33, and September 2, 1034, flics more than 500 metres in a machine exclusively driven by' the pilot’s muscular strength. No other sources of power may be used. Competitors have the right to ‘'store their muscular power” in the machine within 30 minutes immediately preceding tho start, under the control of a technical committee - that is, they must tako tho stored energy with them during the flight, and the mechanical appliance, operated by their muscular power, must be installed! inside the machine.

The provision is the most important point of the terms of tho competition, as it aims at giving -a wido scope to inventors. For’ instance, compressorpumps may bo invented, which are operated by the pilot by means of foot pedals and create compressed air for driving the propeller of the machine; or the propeller may he driven by tho twisting of'thick rubber bands, after the style of the small toy aeroplanes, or by some other mechanical device, which the pilot must operate with his muscles.

As a large number of are oxpeeted to bo submitted, all machines will be tested before entering the competition, in order to eliminate tiiehriically impossible consfriK'tious and inventions. Workable inventions, it is believed, will bo a valuable help to gliders at times when suitable air currents are lacking. The competition is open to all members of the German community, and tho flights must be made on the Frankfurt aerodrome.