FLYING FLEA TESTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19135, 2 October 1936, Page 3

FLYING FLEA TESTS

SERIOUS PARIS DOUBTS

WARNINCI OF DANGERS

(Elcc. Tel. Copyrfßlit-—TJnilcd Press Assn.) PARIS.. Oct. 1.

The French Air Ministry's report on the Flying Flea is based on full-scale tests in, n large wind tunnel. It says that, even with a fairly powerful engine, it: has a performance only jusi satistytng rapiiremrnis for a certificate of navigability.

The report adds that a. ICO per cent Mignct machine has a centre pressure ot nver 45 per cent slernwa.rds. It, is dangerous because the mncliine cannot bo righted when longitudinal instability causes it to dive. The Flying Flea also suffers from lateral instability and poolhandling qualities.

Last, winter it was estimated thai nearly 10GC amateur constructors were making Flving Fleas in Urcat Britain, but (lie fatal accidents induced Hie Air League to appeal to the Air Ministry to impose a temporary ban on the (lying ot the machines nnti'l the tests bad been made.

Referring to the British tests in a fullsized wind tunnel at Farnborough, -Mr. C. K. Mercer, a motor engineer, ot Lewisham, whose machine was selected by the Air League, told a representative of the Daily Telegraph las! month that no fault could be found with it. It was constructed very closely to the specifications of the French inventor, M. Mignct. II was therefore reasonable to assume that a machine so made would not go into the uncontrolled dive which bad caused fatal accidents both in Britain and abroad, added Ibo Daily 'telegraph correspondent. Mr. Mercer said that the tests showed that his machine had sufficient incidence in the main wing to cause the tail In go down when flattening out, thus preventing such a dive. It had been the theory of Air League officials that, if the cause of Ihe dive could be discovered, there would be un need for further anxiety, as praeticaMy all the accidents were due to this trouble. Ii was known thai some amateur constructors had not strictly adhered to the specifications of the inventor.