AN AUCKLAND BIPLANE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14841, 5 December 1913, Page 3

AN AUCKLAND BIPLANE.

THE MACHINE WRECKED. (rjIKSS -SSOCTATIOK TK__GBA_t.) _ „ __ A _^ C , KL ,. AND . December 4. AviS,;™ 1 fl '? ht , TO made at t 7 !T le , t thl . m °™ me h ? Mr Sandford two in which Sj itf-li a ™ to re—Messrs Sandford for some time. Tho planes of the machine had been considerably eoaked by the recent heavy rains, and they were consequently very heavy, but Mr bandford decided to test the fry-in" capacity of the machine under such conditions. . At about half past eight this morning he took_his seat and started the engine, and the machine went up gracefully. Mr Sandford took tho plane up to a considerable height, encircled tho racecourse, and then set out in the direction of New Lynn.' He found however taat the soaked planes made the machine's movements heavy, and after traversing about a mile ho decided to descend. He made the descent without mishap. Later in the day Mr Sandford went to take the machine out of a paddock, but he failed to clear a fence, which he -truck when going close upon sixty miles an hour.. The machine was wrecked except the engine, and the aviator was thrown a distance of thirty or forty feet. The extent of his injuries is not yet known.