DIVE INTO BREAKERS

Evening Star, Issue 22451, 23 September 1936, Page 9

DIVE INTO BREAKERS

MODEL AEROPLANE'S FLIGHT FIRST POWER DRIVEN TEST MADE A flight from the Chisholm Park golf links to St. Kilda was made by the first power-driven model aeroplane conn structed in Dunedm on Sunday. After circling towards Lawyer’s Head, the model flew down the coast, and, when the petrol supply was exhausted, glided down into the third line of breakers, from where it was retrieved with damaged wings. The model was built by Mr W. Angus, of Hunt street, Anderson’s Bay, in his spare time. It has a wing span of five feet, and the propeller is swung by a miniature petrol engine, developing about 4,000 revolutions a minute with its i horse-power. The little motor was also made by Mr Angus, who is an enthusiastic member of the Dunedin Model Engineering Club. On Sunday the plane was given its first flight. Two ounces of petrol were poured into the tank, the rudder was adjusted by the builder, and the engine was started up. The machine raced along the ground at the golf links for a distance of 15yds, and then soared into the air. On reaching an elevation of 200 ft it headed towards Lawyer’s Head, and then travelled towards St. Kilda at a speed of between 20 and 25 miles an hour. Weta, as the plane is named, was followed by an enthusiast friend of the builder, who arrived on the St. Kilda beach to see the model gliding neatly inshore. It failed, however, to reach the sand and dropped into the breakers. The wings were damaged when the model was being washed ashore, but the fuselage and the engine were intact. The success of the flight under power has aroused wide interest among the army of model aeroplane builders. 11l was'in the nature of a test journey, and the observations made by Mr Angus will enable him to make adjustment! to the wings to give a still better performance when the machine is nexl flown.