HOME MADE FLYING BOAT

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 8

HOME MADE FLYING BOAT

INVENTION OF ELTHAM BOYS

TRIAL GLIDE ON LAKE ROTOKARH,

ENGINE DEVELOPS GOOD SPEED.

Lake Rotokare, Eltham, was the scen<s of great activity and unusual happen-, ings last Sunday, when the fruits of the inventive genius of two Eltham boys in the shape of a powerful hydro--plane took the water for the first time. The machine skimmed across the water at a high rate of speed, to the great, delight of a number of youthful on-, lookers.

The power boat is the work of Masters Rowe and Ted Maslin, of Eltham, who have toiled for many weeks to bring the machine to completion. In the first place, a motor-cycle engine was commissioned to provide the power, but it proved unsatisfactory. The boat was then equipped with the engine of an old motor-car, which has proved to be capable of developing a very high speed. Sunday was a red letter day for the two young inventors, who, with about a dozen admiring followers each armed with a spanner or screw wrench, tinkered away at the engine prior to the trial spin. The activity caused much delight amongst a number of picnic par-, ties at the lake.

Success was not achieved until after considerable trouble, for the engine and boat had to be transported to the lake in sections, and then assembled again. The propellor, which was fashioned by the boys from a piece of birchwood, and would be. a credit to any experienced woodworker, has a span of over six feet. The boats itself is flat bottomed, and was built by the youths during their school holidays. It does not fly in the air, but skims over the water at. a great rate, driven by the big propellor mounted on top.