THE AEROPLANE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19477, 21 December 1925, Page 10

THE AEROPLANE

WRIGHT’S FIRST FLIGHT IMMENSE POSSIBILITIES FORESEEN. PLANE AS PEACE FACTOR NEW YORK, Dec. .18. A telegram from Dayton (Ohio) says that Messrs Orville and Wilbur "Wright made their airplane flight at Kitty hawk (North Carolina), twentytwo years ago to-day, the flight lasting fifty-nine seconds. Air. Orville Wright, commenting on the flight, said: “Wo learned la great deal in that first flight. We figured that a straight flight at six or seven feet would show us tho strength of our machine and at the same time bo tho safest. Like most persons learning to drive an automobillo wo over controlled. Another thing, wo did not realise that there were air currents. “Wo felt very little bump on the ground. Sometimes tho plane was many feet in tho liir at others within inches of tho ground. Really tho flight was almost equivalent to one in a rolling coaster. Government reports showed that it had been made in a twenty-seven-milo wind. Tho full significance of the airplane was not foreseen by us at tho time. We could foresee many of the things tho plane has been used for, but nfany others were beyond our comprehension. Wo expected it to do much more in a sporting way. “"We realised that a successful plane would be a big war feature, as one alono would bo worth thousands of cavalry in scouting work, but we could not dream of using them in great quantities as was tho ctaso in tho late war. Our belief was that tho plane, bringing the war scourge homo at heart, would prove a big peace factor. Wo realised that bombing in small ways would be possible, but not such a use as tho directing of gunfire, photography, etc. Wo did not realise the possibilities in commercial work or mail service, and the next decade will see developments more startling and important in both military and commercial aviation.”