MID-AIR HALT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 26 November 1927, Page 15

MID-AIR HALT

AEROPLANE FEAT. DEFYING GRAVITY. London, Oct 22. F. Hendley Paige, airplane builder, demonstrated a new device this Afternoon. Spectators were amazed to see an airpiano, equipped with this in ventiou, come almost to a standstill iu midair. Then the pilot stalled it. The tail dropped and it appeared the plane was certain to spin to a crash, but it seemed to defy all flight laws' It hung in the air under perfect lateral control, merely drooping its nose a little in regaining flying speed. The device is a miniature curved plane, which, when not in operation, lies snugly along the front of the main wing in front of the rear ailerons on movabl e balance planes. Opera tion is automatic. In normal flying it doesn’t function, but as soon as tho plane becomes inclined at such an angle as to make it lose normal lift action, air pressure on thawing causes this extension plane to move out automatically on metal projections increasing tho size of th e wings m* giving them a a rip on air otherwise unobtainable, preventing uneontroll able spins.