TASMAN FLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1928, Page 3

TASMAN FLIGHT

AVIATION.

NO TRACE. V (By Telegraph—Per Press Association. WANGANUI, Jan. 11. No trace of tlie missing plane was seen by the coastal steamers inaha, Breeze, and Kapiti, which arrived here tms morning, or the Arapawa from Oilehuiign. A FRIEND’S VIEWS. DUNEDIN, Jan. 11. Victor Cariiiille, a friend of M.oncrieff, with whom he tried to organise ii flight over two years ago, is at present. here. He expresses the opinion ]iw*l lilt the aviators have flown past New A gainful which would take only 30 ' In I mites to pass over: If the weather was cloudy rockets and flares would pi'olinbly not he seen by the aviators. X’urniine, who is a wireless expert, exthe need for aii expert operator in such ventures. Had the A-Ote-Roa carried one there would have been no danger of going astray, because they would have been able to determine pretty well tlie distance from the various stations,

/' CAt'TAIN BUCKLEY LEAVES. V f CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 11. Captain Blicklcy loft Wigi •am aorodrome at 1.20 in a DH piano foi- Trehilinni to search for tlio airfneh. ARAHURA CAPTAIN’S REPORT. NELSON, January 11. Captain Wildman of the Arahura reports the weather was very hazy from Wellington to Stephens Island, especially overhead, and he is certain no aeroplane was seen from his vessel. From Stephen Isdand to Nelson all was very clear. There were two officers on the bridge and two look-out men and not m'’ one saw any signs of the aeroplane. J v Wildman says the. visibility was not good at ail through the straits. Some stewards and passengers reported seeing nil aeroplane when the vessel was founding Jackson Head about 11 p.m. but these were ridiculed by all the (leek hands. The site Wilt'd who first thought be saw tin aeroplane stated this morning that it was low down between the atld Jacksons Head and was passing quickly eastward. The captain states this was obviously the ii{»ht of a scow passing at the tirrie; add was never reported ns anything else by himself, his officers or S any deck hand:

-... THE SEARCH BEGUN. NO INDICATION OF WHEREABOUTS. WELLINGTON, Jan. 1.1. The aeroplane to search for the airmen has a flying power of 41* hours, hut carries no wireless and will have to come hack and report if it sees anything. The Harbour Board’s tug Toia which carries wireless is being sent out to assist in the search. The Telegraph Department is communicating with outlying settlers in the South Island to search beaches suitable for landing, in case the aviators were v driven out of their course and have landed in some remote spot. Tlie Telegraph Department says it is notable that in all big flights wireless fades as tlie destination was c preached, and therefore the fact that, no late signals were observed docs not necessarily mean anything. No indication can he given as to where the men were, even when the last wireless was received at 5.22 vesk terday, hut as they had been up 12) * hours, it is estimated they must have bffn somewhere about three hundred miles from the dearest point, of New Zealand.

AtllSHlP VENTURE. LONDON, Jan. 10. Airship 111 00 is to be sold to a company which Lord Burney, M.P., is organising for experimental trans-Atlan-tic flights, prior to forming a seven million sterling company to run a regular service between .Britain, Canada, and the United States, crossing from England to North America in 48 hours, - —and hack in 38. Burney explains tlm' airships mail surcharges will be fid pelounce for letters and 2s per pound for parcels. Passengers fares will be £l2O sterling in a single berth, £IOO in a two berth. There will be eight fourberth cabins, if HlOO’s freights succeed it is proposed to build new vessels of a larger and faster type with a maximum speed of one hundred and a cruising speed of ninety-live miles per hour. The cruising endurance will he (>,-100 miles, carrying IGB passengers. HELTCOUUIE. AEROPLANE THAT HOVERS.

LONDON, Nov. 30. Plans of a remarkable man-carrying machine called the “lielicogyre” Jia've l>eeu acquired by the Air Ministry (says the correspondent of the “Daily Chronicle”). One of the chief leatures claimed for it is that it will be able to hover .motionless in mid-air. Its inventor is an Italian engineer, Signor Bittprio Isncoo, who' has devoted many years to the study of vertical flight, and who co-operated with the Spanish scientist, Raoul de Pescara, in a series of experiments with helicopters. The basis of the machine which Signor Isacco has now evolved is a system of ix>wer-driven rotating wings. Bound a central metal column are arranged a series of curved sustaining surfaces which have tiny engines and air-screws mounted on them. These miniature power plants, when they are set going, cause the lifting wings to which they are attached to spin round and round the shaft. SAFE DESCENT. As a result a vertical pull is exercised which draws the machine and its occupant straight up into the air. The speed of rotation of the wings can he governed by the pilot, and lie • mn adjust them so that he conies to iv standstill and hovers at any point in the air. t A separate and more powerful engine, coupled to an ordinary aeroplane propellor provides the means for rapid horizontal movement. An advantage y of this “lielicogyre” system is. it is claimed, that in the case of the failure of any one of the small engines driving the supporting vanes, the other little power plants, still functioning, would maintain rotation and prevent any risk of an abrupt descent.