FORTY MILES AN HOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9132, 3 July 1908, Page 3

FORTY MILES AN HOUR.

UNIQUE PERFORMANCE BY AMERICAN AEROPLANE.

The Wright Brothers, of America, who have already experimented with great success with aeroplanes, have accomplished a unique feat at Manteo, in South Carolina. Ascending to an altitude of I,oooft, they sneered their machine fifteen miles out to sea and back, one way being against the wind, with a velocity of between ten and fifteen miles. Lesser flights were made, the airship rising or falling exactly as the operator wished, and from the somewhat restricted reports from those who witnessed the flight it would appear that the machine is a perfect success. It as declared that in some of the flights the airship maintaind a speed of forty miles an hour, and that as long as the supply of gasolene holds but (and this is sufficient for several hundred miles' flight), the machine "an stay in air. Longer flights are arranged for under Government supervision, but no official report can be made until the tests are complete. By their latest feat the Wright brothers have easily beaten all previous records in airship flight. Hitherto the best performance has been that recently accomplished by ■ths French aeronaut, M. Delagrange, &) succeeded in flying about six ffliles, though the fact that his machine came on two occasions in contact with the ground made his official record for an uninterrupted flight considerably less. Mr rienry Farman, who was the first to achieve a flight of a circular kilometer, and so to win the DeutcshArchdeacon prize, is, of course, still farther out-dis,tanced. The Wright brothers have previously been credited with remarkable performances in the domain of aviation, buu in the absence of official verification a good deal of mystery and doubt has surrounded them. Soma tima ago it was stated that they had entered into a contract with the United States military authorities, and the flight now reported is understood to be a practice trip in viaw of coming official trials of a severe character. The new holders of the airship record were formerly cycle makers at ■ Dayton, Ohio, but thsy have long devoted themselves to experiments in aerial flight. The machine which they have finally evolved is described as being, shaped like a long box, 40ft long and Bft wide, with a buoying surface of 640 square feet. The front half is of canvas, closely woven, and inclined up* ards like the breast of a bird. The engine, which i 3 placed in the centre of,the machine, is of 20 horsepower. The propellors are of wood, !

each with two blades, and the rudder extends back between them. In front is another box-shaped construction to regulate the elevation. Wilbur Wright, eldest of the brothers, was questioned by interviewers, says the London "Telegraph," regarding tha alleged world's record. He said "We are not afraid that anyone can steal our secret. Tnere are no drawings of our airship. /There is no workman alive who can say he did more than build for uh an occasionaly bit of bracing, or rounded out u bolt, or drew a nut. We pro tecyj. ourselves in that way. Perhap^r,hundred men have build different parts of our machine, but no one -of them could say what his part could beujedfor. We thought it better, t> do that than to reiort to the Patent Office. You know a patent does not xeally protect." "But you .will patent your machines when you place them on the market?" "Oh, perhaps we might patent a form of propeller or a particular strut, or form of wing, hue wa couldn't protect the principle <on which our machine is built.. The moment that is shown before practical arialists or intelligent mechanics, everyone would be able to leave our shop and go away and practically duplicate uur machine. It i 3 so simple you see." The brothers were exceedingly reticent. To learn to fly, they declared, was, very much like learning to swim. They had to proceed, step by step. They were ■confident they had completely succeeded in producing a successful airship.