Aeroplanes of the Future.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVLI, Issue 10, 6 September 1911, Page 56

Aeroplanes of the Future.

CRAFT 'TO CARRY 4000 ACROSS THK ATLANTIC. INTERVIEW WITH MR. GRAHAMEWHITE. LONDON. July 21. There is probably, save the King an.l members of the Royal Family, no mori widely photographed an individual than Mr. Claude Grahame-White, Hie famous aviator. Those who take any interest in flying will know him as a tall welldeveloped young man. dark, clean-shaven, and looking, in his air rig-out, rather like a jockey, sinve he often favours, as they say in men’s fashion-articles, clothes of check tweed. The writer is an associate of the Women’s Aerial League, and while waiting a few evenings ago in the flying grounds at Hendon for a high wind to subside and allow a flight in a trim 97 miles-an-hour biplane, had an opportunity of asking Mr Grahame White his i leas and ideals concerning the aeroplane of the future. The wind, it may be remarked, remained obstinately boisterous or this article might never have been written. On the other hand it might have been much more interesting than I can make it now. ‘’Flying you think will he a regular method of travel in the future?” I asked the young expert. "Oh, without a doubt,” he replied. "In another twenty' years’ time I shall bo surprised if we don’t have air vessels capable of carrying four thousand passengers flying over the Atlantic. "Of course there will be endless alterations and improvements made in all sorts of flying craft 'before then. “I predict that the aeroplane of the future will be a very different style of machine from that of to-day. It will probably' have only tiny wings, will be made of steel and will be a much heavier concern altogether. Wings such as these,” he pointed to the biplane beside us with wings some thirty-four feet long, ‘‘will become quite obsolete.” “What about speed?” I queried. “Will that increase?’’

Two Hundred Miles An Hour. The aviator smiled. “Oh, certainly, yea I think within a short time we shall be able to travel at 150 to 200 miles an hour without any difficulty. “The improvement needed most urgently and the one that will lessen the danger of many of the accidents that now befall airmen concerns the wings. We are still far removed from the ideal in those, and the fact that a flying man must assume high speed directly he starts, and descend at that same high speed is a thing that badly wants remedying if only some one could do it. tt e want wings on the principle of birds, that will expand and contract so that we can regulate our speed as we -want it.” Here, to make amends for a flight that

undoubtedly would not come off that day. Mr Grahame White had a baby hiplane wheeled from the aerodome out into the field, and there kind'y gave a demonstration of how such \ machine is worked. It was first firmly secured with rope, to sturdy-posts, and, after the l ou „ aviator had clambered into his seat auf disappeared from view in the body 'if •his “bird,” some nine men stood neir ready to hang on grimly when the order was given. Flight Demonstrated. The tail was first elevated and the working of the 'blades of the great propeller shown, a demonstration that speedify gave on e 'an idea of the damage p, M . srble if such an affair ran amok. Willi the raising of the back of the biplane the wings in front lay low and Mr Grahame White’s head came into view. It was then easily seen why aviator-, are not attacked with giddiness. The nreiit wings spread out in front make an eil'eetual platform, and only beyond that .m what is below be viewed. Its a totally different sensation trim looking down a sheer cliff or a -.-. , wall,” Mr Grahame White said in acknowledging that both those experiences made him giddy instantly. “Once you begin to rise you lose the idea of exact distance, and whether an object is 90 900 or 9000 feet below you would make little difference when you were livin'-, “All flying men love flying high, and dread hugging the ground for the .-uno reason that the sailor dislikes geu.in« too near shore. You know the ma rulers’ saying: ‘There are no rocks at u Now with an injunction to the mechanicians “Hold tight and don’t let go,” the motors were set in motion, and for five minutes the. onlookers might have been in a hurricane such was the result. The nine men hung on for dear life, the muscles on their arms and hands ■standing out stiffly after half a minute’s experience, their hair on end like grass with the draught. I ventured into line -with the front of the machine, and was instantly nearly knocked down with the force of the air. A short conversation on risks followed, in which Mr Grahame Wlwte gave it as his opinion that some of the conditions attached to large prizes offered to airmen recently are nothing short of criminal. Then, as we said good-bye, Mr Grahame White, in reply to a query, shook his head decisively. “I assure you we do not fly lot pleasure,” lie said.