FLYING ACROSS THE CHANNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 59

FLYING ACROSS THE CHANN EL.

HOW MOTORING HAS HELPED. Everybody will recognise that without' (he rapid " advancement in perfection of the motor engine, the petrol-driven or in- . ternal combustion piece of mechanism, the. possible chance of flying in the air on » monoplane, or any type of aeroplane, would^ still be numbered amongst the list of future events »says the Athletic News). Th* study of aviation has been rendered in no inconsiderable measure a simple one by tha ! progress made in the motor world in re- ! cent years. 1 The fame and honour achieved by Louis Bleriot in his sensational crossing of the English Channel on an aeroplane will go doun to posterity as all his own, yet when an analysis of the fact is made it will readily be observed that the maker of the engine played a part that cannot be looked upon even as secondary. — Anzani, the Engine-maker. — M. Anzani, the maker of Bleriot's engine, is an Italian resident in Paris whoss name and figure is familiar where motor cycles abound. Arzani, who is now 3C years of ag~, arrived in Paris some If years ago, and spent some time as a eycllj lacer on the Parisian tracks. He did nof >. rise very high as an athlete; his mini was bent upon mechanics, and particularly the then coming industry of motoring. H# becam© interested in motor-cycling in it 4 earliest days, and for a time raced with' conspicuous success on the road and path. He then turned his attention to the game of motor-pacing, and spent considerable time and money in pursuing that calling. From a pacer ho became a maker o£ motor cycle-engines, and, possessing muchinventive genius, he soon established himself as an authority on this particular branch of motoring. Truly it may be said that what Anzani does not know about a motor cycle is not worth consideration. For several years h* has had almost a monopoly of the moto* cycle business as applied to path-pacing , machines in France, and to show to what extent his fame has reached one has only to remark that his machines are in use all over Europe, and even in America. His temperament" is one that suits this exciting business, and anyone who has visited tha tracks on tha Continent will have seen not cmhi his handiwork, but the man himself.

His bright and lively disposition suits the men and the game which is played so effectually and brilliantly. Success has not spoiled the man-. He is so engrossed in his work that ne has little time for anything else; his work is his pleasure, and amongst his associates he will now be sharing part of the honour that has accrued to Bleriot in the feat so recently performed. — The Close Connection. — To make a successful aeroplane one of the component parts was motive power, and obviously to the mechanical mind there was nothing so suitable as the engine used by the powerful motor cycles. The successful motor engine and cycle was the one that could be relied upon to go long enough to allow a man. to risk his life, following it at a terrific rate of speed at anything about 60 miles per hour. Anzani solved all the problems that presented themsehes so often in the early days, and, therefore, what was found perfection for the track was thought good enough for an aeroplane. The connection between the two requirements are closer than may appeal to the lay mind, but it existed, nevertheless, and aviators know it better than anyone else. The trouble of aviators seems to be that of motive power, and by the success of Bleriot it has been made apparent that much of it is a thing of the past. Improvement will no doubt be effected in the near future, but whatever is done will as suredly rest with motor engineers like Anzani, and' so one of the greatest feats ever performed by man flying has been helped by another sport and industry ;which only a few years ago might be said to have been in its infancy.