"WINDMILL" PLANES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 148, 10 July 1937, Page 5

"WINDMILL" PLANES

-Own Correspondent)i

British Air Miflistrf'i Order

(By Air Mail-

LONDON, June 16. The Air Ministry have ordeffed ■ number of the new direct take«off autd« gyros from the Gierva Autogio Coriu pany of Hanworth Airpark, Felthanri They are to be used by the Army and Navy and will be the first "windririll aeroplanes' ' built specially for jnilitAr y| and naval duties. The direct take-off model is able to start from a standstill pqsition withont any forward run. * Senor Juan de 1a Cieerva, the Spanish inventor, made tha first public demonstration of his per* fected autogyro, incorporating thfe direct take-off, some months before ho "perished in an air liner disaster. In the demonstration given a year agd the direct take-off type was able to risfe 20 feet into the air from a stariding position. At 20 feet the pilot was able to commence level flight, dropping jrist a little in the change from tho Tapid initial elimb to forward movement. Thfe ^ vcrtieal parachute-like descent, always a quality of the autogyro? then brought the aeroplanc down. Dircct take-off and direct doseent had been aehifeycd in tho one vehicle and hclicopter flight was praetically assured. During the past 12 months the principle has been adapted to autogyrosi ready for the market. The first of th§ new types will have engines of abfeut 180 h.p. radial air-cooled. Top spfeed will be over 100 m.h.p. and controlled speed without stalling down to 15 m.p.h. will give the widest speed range yet secured. The ability of an aircraft to fly slowly is just a achievemerit as the pursuit of high speed, but far fliore difficukj; to attain. Tho new direct take-off types will enable the Navy to tave a "f lying crow's nest" on every battlfeship without havittg to rely on attendant aircraft carriers or catapulfc* ing. In the case of the Army, generals and staff officers will be able td visit frorit lirie positions, using any land of surfattfe for alighting and for the take-off;