In the air

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 396, 3 July 1928, Page 7

In the air

AN AUSTRALIAN HELICOPTER ‘‘While improvements in the ordinary type of plane are being made almost daily, the development of a satisfactory helicopter machine is still in the embryo stage. W. R. Oldfield, a 29-year-old Carnegie man, however, is working on an invention of his own, which he hopes will prove successful. His plane, he claims, will be capable of rising perpendicularly at a speed of 80 miles an hour, and of landing in space of 15 yards square. The plane will probably be ready in August, and Major H. Turner Shaw, a well-known aviator, has promised to carry out the trial flights. Of improved auto-gyro type, the machine has revolving wings which open and shut like a telescopic cup; the tapered sections fold one into another. The inventor believes that three wings will be sufficient for experimental purposes. The wings will be made of spruce and mahogany, but later on they will be constructed of metal, thus lowering the cost. Oldfield says that planes could be manufactured in England at a cost of £4OO each. * * * EUROPEAN NIGHT SERVICE Air service during the night from Paris to Rome and from Rome to Berlin is soon to be inaugurated. A “Mid-night-Midday Express” from Paris to Casabianca, Spain, is also to be put in operation. This service, which is to be non-stop, derives its name from the 12 hours schedule planned for the trip. Each of the twin-engined planes under construction for this line will have 10 berths. KINGSFORD SMITH’S TRIBUTE At a dinner given to the trans-Paci-fic aviators by the proprietors of the Melbourne “Herald,” Captain Kingsford Smith, according to a private cablegram from Melbourne, said that the flight could not have taken place without help in the early stages of their career from the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary, Limited, and he told his hearers during the afternoon, that th e Vacuum Oil Company, Proprietary, Limited, gave them a donation of £4,500. CHASING THE BUSINESS Planes hired on the mileage basis leave London for anywhere at a few minutes’ notice. How helpful this form of transport can sometimes be was illustrated the other day when the head of a firm interested in ship salvage,

hearing at Lloyd’s that a ship had gone ashore at Brest, flew thither by air taxi from London. As he feared. ! the representatives of a French firm had been there before him, had seen the ship and left for Paris with an offer to salvage it. However, he flew straight on to Paris, and. arriving before his competitors, got the contract, which was a very big one. ★ * * PICKING UP MAILS IN MID-AIR An airplane swooping down at 80 miles an hour picked up message bags suspended between two posts at Green Hills, Liverpool, near Sydney, recently. The plane was a DH9. and in it were Flying-Officers J. Moir and J. Waters. The demonstration was given before military officers from all over the Commonwealth, among those present being the State Commandant (Brig-adier-General T. H. Dodds) and MajorGeneral W. A. Coxon. Four times the plane swooped, and on the fifth attempt it came within 30ft of the ground, 20ft above the message bags. The grappling iron picked them up, and with a triumphant cock-a-doodle-doo from the horn of the plane and an extra roar from the engine the machine regained its customary altitude. THE REGULATION SAYS— The Australian authorities rigidly enforce the regulation regarding the need for their air certificate. In fact, when Captain Lancaster arrived in Sydney a few weeks ago, after flying from England with Mrs. Miller, he had to undergo the whole set of tests as though he were only a tyro. OFF TO THE ANTARCTIC The number of aerial expeditions scheduled to leave for the Antarctic at the end of the year has now grown to three. Following in the wake of Sir George Wilkins and Commander Richard Byrd, Commander Douglas George Jeffrey, a retired British banker, and a member of one of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions, has announced that he will head an Antarctic expedition, with 35 men and two planes, leaving in September, and returning in May of next year. Commander Jeffrey said. “While our men may fly over the South Pole, the real purpose of our voyage is to define the boundaries of Graham’s Land South and toward the Ross Sea, and h'arn whether a big continent exists there, or, actually, two or more bodies of land. Arthur Argles, who will pilot Miss , Mabel Ballan on her Atlantic flight, i has been invited to join the expedition. ANSWERS TO QUERIES G.E.B.—Dimensions of Ross and Keith Smith’s Vickers Vi my are; Wing i span, 67ft; length, 42ft; height, 18ft Gin. Bozo (Newton).—Sir Keith Smith

and Bennett, his mechanic, were killed together in a crash at Brooklands (England) in April. 1922 RECORDS BY AUSTRALIANS Australians are making a bold effort, to put their country “on the map” as far as aviation is concerned. The following are the records made in the last 12 months alone: Williams and Mclntyre (seaplane), Melbourne to Bismarck Island and return, 7,235 September 28 to December 7. 1927. Kingsford Smith and Ulm (airplane), round Australia, 8,075 miles. Juhe 19-29, 3927. Anderson (airplane). round Australia, 8,130 miles, June 27 to July 9. 1927. Lancaster and Mrs. Miller (airplane), London to Darwin, 10,600 miles. October 15, 1927, to March 19. 1928. Hinkler and Mackintosh (airplane). Upavon to Lemberg, November 15. 1927. Hinkler (airplane). London to Darwin. 10,400 miles. February 7-22. 1928. Wilkins (airplane). Point Barrow (Alaska) to Spitzbergen. over North Pole. 2,300 miles, six daye, April 21. 1928. * * Kingsford Smith and Elm (airplane), San Francisco to Brisbane, 6,963 miles, three and a-half days’ flying time, .Tune, 1928. PLANE V. MOTOR-BOAT To demonstrate the ease and rapidity with which a fast motor-boat may be handled, Mr. Arthur Bray, a well known British marine motoring enthusiast, has challenged the driver of a light plane. With both craft travelling at speed, a Moth, piloted by Captain Barnard, will endeavour to “bomb” the boat with flour bags. Mr. Bray will demonstrate the turning capabilities of the modern fast motor craft in avoiding these. The event is to take place on the occasion of the first outboard motor regatta of the British Motorboat club at the Welsh Harp Hendon in July. For the main racing event, the Duchess of York hae presented a cup. DUCK-SCARING It is certain that during his stay in the United States Captain Kingsford Smith linked up with some old friends at Hollywood. Shortly after the war. “Kingy” did some stunt flying at the headquarters of filmdom. and made quite a name for him«elf as a trick flyer. But it was in another part of California that the Australian had his strangest job up aloft. Rice-growing was being carried out in a certain valley, and the growers suffered heavily from the depredations of flocks of mallard ducks. As a last protective resort, planes were hired to ]>atrol the rice fields, and thus scare away the hungry ducks. Kingsford Smith was on this strange patrol. He was paid so much an acre. However, although I The pay was high, he has not bet n i keen on ducks ever since.