ROBOT PILOTS AEROPLANE

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1929, Page 11

ROBOT PILOTS AEROPLANE

AMAZING MEANS OF CONTROL -ri--ADOPTION BY FRENCH AIR FORCE. BETTER THAN HUMAN PILOT By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright London, Nov. 20. The Daily News aviation correspondent describes an amazing piece of aerial mechanism, the so-called pilot's assister, which is practically a robot air pilot, and will form a regular part of the Air Force equipment. A scientist devoted several years to perfecting the device, which controls a flying aeroplane better than a human pilot. It has steered a two-seater, day bombers with twin-engines, night bombers and big flying boats for hours in ail weathers for hundreds of miles, while the crews carried out other duties. The contrivance consists of a gyroscope driven by compressed air which controls pistons linked up to the elevators and rudder,., distantly detecting fractional deviations. It weighs 1091 b. The Air Force is. considering its adoption. i PRACTICAL USES OF ROBOT. > —rTT-.'- • ' • MAINTAINS ACCURATE COURSE. British Wireless. . Rugby, Nov. 20. .The "pilot’s assister” aviation invention does not eliminate tlte need for a human pilot, but it can be put into operation while ; lie-is otherwise engaged and will maintain, the aircraft on a set course with absolute accuracy. It is understood th.a.t as a preliminary to more general application, one squadron of machines has already been fully equipped with the device. Its practical uses are obviously great and have been demonstrated in all kinds of weather, including fog. On one test it maintained the machine on a dead true course in gusty conditions .for 300 miles, the human pilot merely taking over to land the .machine when the destination was reached. In addition to ensuring accuracy of course the robot relieves the pilot of much of the strain involved in taking the machine on a long flight, and in many ways reduces the risks of flying in bad weather. It vyill in due course be adapted to large civil passengercarrying machines. .