SLOTTED WINGS PROVED SUCCESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18419, 22 March 1928, Page 10

SLOTTED WINGS PROVED SUCCESS.

DARING PILOT DEMONSTRATES LATEST AVIATION INVENTION. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. RUGBY. March 20. Some daring tests were made yesterday by Captain Geoffrey de Haviland, An aeroplane designer and a director of the de Haviland works. He used a Moth aeroplane to demonstrate the remarkable efficiency of the new slotted wings, through which spinning dives, which have so often proved disastrous, can be avoided. The slots are automatic and open when the air speed falls below forty miles an hour, which is the speed at which a Moth not fitted with slotted wings becomes out of control. When the slots are open the flow of air round the wings is so altered that the ailerons become effective again and the pilot can correct the machine at will. At the first test the Moth was put up to a stalling position at eighty feet, but the slots opened and at once checked it. This was repeated three times. The nose of the Moth was then pulled up until all forward speed was lost. After a short drift the machine gradually recovered its flying speed. Demonstrations were also given of the Moth's ability with a special undercarriage to correct the pilot's misjudgxnent in landing before flattening out. During the final flight, in which the shock-taking under carriage was again being demonstrated by an almost vertical landing from 200 feet, the machine in its descent dipped slightly, owing to the pilot avoiding a landing in a neighbouring field. As a result the Moth, although it fell square, struck the ground with sufficient velocity to damage the machine, but the pilot was uninjured throughout the whole series of intentional “crashes.” This alone was not wholly successful, but a rearrangement of the ballast would have obviated the slight mishap which occurred.—British Official Wireless.