WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 359, 10 May 1911, Page 2

WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

FLYING RACES : SLOW FLYING MOST DIFFICULT. To fly in an aeroplane it is simply necessary to exert, an upward lifting force greater than the downward pull of gravity. The question is how to do this. It has been solved, "Cassier's" points out, by driving a fairly large plane, or nearly plane, surface through the air at such a velocity as to cause the air to exert a pressure on the lower side of the plane equal to the weight to be sustained, or a little in excess of that weight. If a plane surface with a Lilt on the leading edge of, say, 8 rlegrees upward is driven alone; horizontally there will be created such upward pressure by the wedging action of the moving surface, and the plane will try to rise along a line incline- 1 , eight degrees. Eight degrees represents a rise of 1 in 7, so that at a speed of 12 feet per second such a surface would rise six feet in that time apart, from what gravity Aid to pull it down. Gravity should, nominafly, pull it down 16 feet in that time, but the broad expanse of wing appears to prevent the air from escaping latterally at sufficient speed :o allow the plane to fall and the net result is that the plane is sustained. It would appear, therefore, that large machines should fly more easily than small ones, and that slower speeds should be possible with them, and it appears to us that prizes for the slowest flights should he offered rather than for the most rapid flight, for it. is in slow flight that the best value of a machine should be found. A very effective method of making cloth and other fabrics waterproof, and at the same time preventing their destruction by moths, has been described as follows : —lO parts of alum and 10 parts of sugar of lead, dissolved in the necessary quantity of water, are mixed together and the mixture allowed to remain undisturbed until the precipitate of sulphate of lead has settled. The clear fluid which will now contain acetate of alumina, is poured off and mixed with a large quantity of water, in which dissolved isinglass has been stirred. The objects to be protected are immersed in this mixture and left in it for 12 hours, until they are saturated, after which they are allowed to dry and finished by pressing or some other method. Fabrics mad? waterproof in this manner arc not attacked by insects.

The storing of winter clothing must be considered. Recent experiment has shown that carbolic acid is the best thing for fighting moths. For cloth storage use the following mixture 15 parts pure carbolic acid, 30 parts camphor, 30 parts oil of rosemary, 5 parts oil of cloves, and 5 parts of aniline dissolved in 2,500 parts of alcohol. For furriers 20 parts pure carbolic acid, 10 parts oil of cloves, 10 parts oil of lemon peel, 10 parts nitro-benzole, 2i parts aniline dissolved in 1,500 parts of pure alcohol. With this fluid the goods are moderately sprayed with the help of an atomiser. If they are kept in tight packages, one spraying we are assured, will suffice for the season. Cloths in storerooms will require twice spraying.