FLYING WITHOUT MOTORS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 11, 14 January 1936, Page 10

FLYING WITHOUT MOTORS

German National Sport

Q.LIDING has bv-oi..e a national interest in Gen ny under the National Socialist regime, and a group of gliders is bring attached to the air sport centres of the various divisions of the Keich. Ah that concerns it is now under the energetic direction ami control of General Hermann Goerii.g, Keich Minis ter of Aviation, and the annual competition is conducted under the rules and regulations of ins department The sixteentli competition was held from July 22 to August I. and the popularity’ that gliding has gained has been evidenced by the presence ar th, chief events of many thousands of spectators. The Wasserkuppe, a hili about 3100 feet high among the Rhon Mountains, in the very centre of Germany, which has been found to be an ideal spot for gliding experiments, was again the starting point for the competition. The weather was favourable; sixty-one gliding machines partieijmted, and records wore achieved that were not dreamed of even five years ago.

. The greatest height attained in the competition was 11,800 feet, and the | longest Hight, 31 I miles. There were 140 plights of more than 37 miles, 113 of more than 62 miles, 30 of more than 93 ; miles, 41 of more than 125 miles, and ‘ tour widely-known glider pilots, Rudolf i Oeltzschner, Nteinholl, Heinemann and Brautigam, accomplished the flight to (Brunn, in Czechoslovakia, a distance ot | 31 t miles. ■ One of the best developed types of ] gliders is the Rhonsperber (Rhoni sparrowhawk, 1935 , on which Ludwig ' Hofmann, who was the first during this i ’ competition to improve the world re- . |cord, glided to Olesnice, in Czechoslo- , Ivakin, a distance of 3124 miles. The machine has a span of 51 feet and is • 20 feet long. For training purposes gliders are now provided with a special wireless ser- ; vice, which permits communication be- : tween the teacher on the ground and • the student in the machine.