SAFER FLYING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19139, 24 October 1927, Page 9

SAFER FLYING.

NEW BRITISH DEVICE. SUCCESSFUL TESTS. (eitmsH ornciAL winEL»«s.) RUGBY, October 31. Test* with a new safety device incorporated in tho wings of an aeroplan© have been proceeding for some days at Cricklowood Aerodrome, and were declared yesterday to have proved highly, successful. The experiments were conducted ia the. presence of Government officials and other experts, who. it is stated, were greatly impressed with the effectiveness of the new invention. It is the fruit of years of research, and is said to remove the danger which has been tho cause of 95 per cent, of all aeroplane accidents. The "Daily Mail" says it consists of the development of tue first slotted wing device invented by JJandley Page six years ago. Handlcy Pago regards the device, in the form it has now reached, as the biggest thing in aviation since the first patents of tliw Wright Brothers, in flying's infancy. The applianco has been so simplified that, in the opinion of many experts, it will soon become of universal application. It consists of a small extension plaU attached to the wings, and it works automatically. In normal flying it does not function, but, assuming that the airman stalls his machine, allowing its 'planes to become inclined at encli a steep angle that they lose their normal lift, little front extension 'planes move out automatically on metal projections. The "Daily Mail" says that in official tests an aeroplane with the new device has been deliberately stalled by its pilot.

WIND INDICATOR. (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRBLBSS.) RUGBY, October 31. An automatic wind indicator is be* ing erected above the control tower which dominates Croydon Aerodrome. It will be connected with a number of pens in a room at the base, and these pens i will mark on a graduated chart particulars of the direction and speed of the wind. This chart will be studied ou windy days hy pilots before setting out on their flights to the Continent, and the y ttill be able to tell at a glance how great and how frequent are the wind gusts, and to calculate how these will affect the speed of the nir liners.,