GLIDING THE CHANNEL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17035, 8 May 1923, Page 1

GLIDING THE CHANNEL.

BARBOT AT LAST SUCCESSFUL. SIXTY-ONE MINUTES FROM TAKE-OFF TO LANDING. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn. (Received May 8, 8 a.m.) LONDON, May 7. Georges Barbot successfully crossed the Channel in a g-lider. He left St. Inglevert at 5.20 and landed at Lympne at 6.21. Ha made a good passage despite contrary winds. Barbot recently established a remarkable performance by flying from Francazal to Toulouse, forty-soven miles in an hour in an avietto glider, with a seven-horse-power motor-cycle engine. His present attempts to : glide the Channel were) at first unsuccessful. Ascending at Saint Inglevert, for Lympne (Kent), with a fifteen-horse-power engine, the small supply of petrol allowed carried him 2000 feet up. Crowds at Cape Gris Nez watched Barbot hovering. Two seaplanes which were) expected to accompany the glider failed to appear, and Barbot was forced to make a descent, but his long hovering in the air was in itseM a good feat Later Barbot glided) back to St. Inglevert in forty-four minutes. Burbot’s double passage across the Channel was not strictly gliding. It was really an effort to wi "Le Matin’s ’’ prize of twenty-five thousand francs for demonstrating the possibilities of cheap flying. The monoplane is light enough to be picked up by the tall and pushed along single-handed. It is equipped with a flfteen-hor3e-power engine. Barbot used only four litres of petrol on the journey, chiefly for climbing and seeking favourable wmd currents. The monoplane was really an air yacht. The aviator sat m the hull with fixed, birdlike wings on each side. Barbot commenced rising to five thousand feet when, he found the wind. He switched) off the engine and sailed through the air. When he lost the wind he switched on the motor and sought a breeze. .At times he got along with only four-horse-power, which is about that of a motor-cycle.