AIR FORCE PAGEANT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 1 July 1924, Page 7

AIR FORCE PAGEANT.

Brilliant Display at Hendon.

THRILLING STUNTS WITNESSED

By Cable —Press Association —Copyright. LONDON, June 29.

The Air Force pageant took place in fine weather, and attracted 100,000 to Hendon to see the evolutions of 200 of the latest military aeroplanes ranging from 20 to 100 horsepower, including air hospital machines. . The various events were designed to demonstrate the actual work of the Air Force, but spectacular features were included. . It was the first time French Air Force men assisted in a display. The array of aeroplanes at Hendonwas amazing in variety. The most popular was a toylike monoplane, named Pixie, only elbow high. The midget flitted about amongst scouts, bombers and huge triplanes. The last named is experimental. It has two propellers and gear drives from the central engine.

One of the surprises of the programme was the picking up of messages from the ground. These were affixed to a cord suspended between sticks. The aeroplane swooped, trailing a grapple, whereon the cord was entangled and then drawn into the cockpit. The attack on a raiding steamer was spectacular. A giant amphibian wirelessly called up flycatcher scouts, and these machine-gunned and cleared the raider’s decks and then five torpedo carriers nose-dived and dropped dummy charges. The raider, constructed of timber and canvas, went up in a sheet of flame and smoke. '

In stunts British and French aces were hair-raising, the former losing nothing in comparison. ,