AVIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 352, 1 April 1910, Page 3

AVIATION.

"LIKE A BIRD." i | POUDLNTS .SUCCESSFUL FLIGHTS'. Successful aerial flights wore accomplished on the illuming of February 18 th ' at Diggers' Rest- by Iloudini, the "Handcuff King, 1 who has been making experiments iu that direction lor sonic tune. Three flights were mude, in the presence oi a group of interested spectators, who have subscribed their names to the statement, so that the achievement niav not be challenged. Houdini owns a Hying inwhine of his own, and for the past five weeks has .been assiduously practising wtoli it in a .paddock a mile square on the property of Mr. Cook, who farms in the Diggers' Kest district. The machine is a; Voisiit biphuie, weighing 14001b, with its pilot. It is driven by a petrol engine weighing 2401b and of 60-S0 h.p. At. 5 a.m. Houdini reached the paddock from Melbourne by motor car. Six of the gentlemen present hung on to the biplane while the engine was started, and it dragged them some distance, thus proving its great .power. Houdini climbed into the pilot seat and set the machinery in motion. At first the engine snorted and roared, creating a perfect pandemonium of sound as the whirring aluminium propeller cleft the 1 breeze. Then it careered along the ground for a distance of fifty yards. Suddenly it jerked to the left and made straight'for the trunk of a tree. The daring pilot placed both hands on the lever operating the .elevating plane, and. at the same time tugged at the steering ; wheel. The machine then rose like a bird, and, just missing the tree, sailed fairly into the air. The speed was fifty miles an hour. The paddock was circled in a little over a minute, the machine being 40ft above the ground a t the time. Slowly it came back to the starting point, and settled without jar or shor 1- . The spectators rushed over to congrnl,ilate Houdini on his success. Among the first to do so was Mr. Ralph C. Banks, who has been experimenting with the . Wright aeroplane near the spot. i After a few moment's rest. Houdini again took possession of the machine, and opened the throttle wide. The biplane again rose into the air, after a preliminary sprint of fifty yards across the field. This timC l a height of 100 ft was attained. The machine remained in the air for three minutes, and made a circuit and a half of the paddock; then | it glided gracefuliv to earth, A third trial was then entered upon, and again Houdini rose into the air. The biplane swung round the paddock, and then Houdini, boldly tilting the upper plane, made a sensational flight I over the tree-tops. In all three circuits I of the paddock were made, the three odd j miles being left behind in a little over four minutes. As in the previous'flights, the machine rode to earth in grace!, undulations, and Houdini, gasping with excitement and emotion, clambered out of the pilot seat, to be received with renewed congratulations and cheers 'by the spectators. Houdini says he hopes, if weather conditions are favorable, to shortly make ! a flight over Melbourne, and possibly flv across the bay from Port Melbourne to Williamstown. He added: "T am the first man to have flown i» Australia, 1 and I have fulfilled my greatest, ambitions. I shall never forget my sublime and enthralling sensations, and T. onlv hone that my success will encourage other aviators to persevere and conquer the air. They will find aviation a | pastime providing new and wonderful j sensations, such as no other pastime can affoTd."