LONG-DISTANCE FLYING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1950, 11 March 1919, Page 4

LONG-DISTANCE FLYING.

NEW TYPE OF ENGINE. NEW ZEALAND INVENTION. REDUCED PETROL CONSUMPTION. There has been considerable speculation in Europe and America as to the possibility of making a non-slop trans-Atlantic (light by aeroplane. Leading niamifactiirex's of aex-oplanes have expressed the opinion that none of the present machines could make the direct flight, mainly because they could not carry sufficient petrol for the journey, and while it might appear that the seaplane, by alighting on the sea and replenishing supplies from an attendant vessel, would solve the difficulty, it has been generally agreed that no seaplane could stand (lie Atlantic rollers. Discussing this subject in London some weeks ago, Mr Holt Thomas, director of the Aircx-aft Manufacturing Company, said that an important development would be an air-cooled engine to replace the present water-cooled motor, which had proved faulty in (he tropics, where water boiled, and in (he Polar x’Cgions where water froze. An important development on the linos suggested has been devised by Mr Garnet Holmes, a young New Zealand inventor, at present in Auckland. Several years ago Mr Holmes experimented with a type of engine valve, which was to make possible the completion of an ly new style of engine, producing Iwo explosions in each cylinder at every revolution, as against one explosion at every second revolution in the ordinary type of engine. Mr Holmes, in describing (his new departure, explains (hat it gives the engine four limes the horse-power now available, in that the engine is only one-quarter the weight of the engines at present in use. During the tests it was discovered, however, that there was (rouble in operating the (wo parts of the otherwise simple valve in opposite directions when the engine was working at high speed. He claims that this disability lias now been effectively overcome by making one part of the valve rotate while the other travels up and down. It is considered that an aeroplane fitted .with such an engine would he able to 11 y from London to New York in 24 hours, consuming only ahont 150 gallons of petrol, whereas the present engines would require 600 gallons. Six hundred gallons of petrol would weigh about fi,o()()ih., which is much beyond the carrying capacity of the machine. It is also stated that this double-acting petrol motor has such pai'fcct torque that the need for elaborate gear boxes is considerably reduced, while the principle of‘construction so provides against heat losses that .water cooling is unnecessary, the passage through (lie air being sufficient to prevent overheating, This lias been ]moved by actual lest. The engine is suitable on all kinds of vehicles, and as its working parts are few the cost of manufacture will be considerable reduced.

Mr Holmes, who has had nearly ten years’ experience in England and America as a motor car designer and engineer, will shortly proceed abroad at the request of one of the world’s largest aeroplane manufacturing concerns for the purpose of placing his invention on th« market, negotiations having.alx’eady been entered into for the manufacture of the engine for aeroplane purposes.