ÆRIAL NAVIGATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 380, 4 May 1910, Page 5

ÆRIAL NAVIGATION

GIFT TO AN ARMY SCHOOL. By Cable —Press Association-—Copyright. London, May 2. The Hon. C. S. Rolla, the aviator, has presented his Wright aeroplane to the Army School of Ballooning at Aldershot. THE DAILY MAIL PRIZES. Received May 4, 0.25 a.m. London, May 3. The Daily Mail's second £IO,OOO is divided into two prizes. One flight is to take place in England, the other between Paris and London. Both contests are open to aeronauts of all nationalities.

That the New Zealanrter is determined not to be far behind in the race lor the conquest of the air seems to be evidenced" by the fact that already several applications have been made for patents regarding improvements to aeroplanes and models which have been constructed, and it is' even stated that an airship lias been designed. No New Zealander has yet actually succeeded in flying, in the accepted Wright or Bleriot styles, although it is on record that one has hopped off a hill top in. a crude air-craft, which was unable to resist the laws of gravitation, and thus gradually came to terra firma in parachute style. Some enterprising Australians have imported aeroplanes, and exhibitions of flying are now being given in Melbourne, but apparently the residents of the Dominion intend to rely on their own "contraptions."

Their efforts are praiseworthy when the distance from the scientific and me-| cbanical centres of the world is considered. A letter received during the week from Wellington ihy a resident of Auckland contains some interesting particulars of the coming aviators of the Dominion. There have been several gathered in the Empire City during the past few weeks, and Mr. Beach, an inventor of a bi-plane, seems to have been the most successful. His machine is said to have some good points, and to lie very elaborate in style. The particularly effective portion of the invention has not been made known, but it is understood that the machine has room for a motor and passengers in the centre between the planes. Wellington people are apparently getting interested in aeroplanes, and Mr. Beach id said to have sailed for Australia with big intentions and plenty of nionev. A mechanic employed at Cable's Foundry. Wellington, has "milt a machine which has been tested. Mr. Ferguson, of Napier, is another aspiring aeronaut, and photoflrn.nhs of the machine nave been sent to Wellington. The idea is an automatic lateral balance, onerated at the end of a bi-plane. which is in form like a shutter, the bin?* 1 at the rear of the main plane havinsr a front opening, lifting up and do"-'!, a weicrht bem!* responsible for the halß"iep. It is said that this may interfere'with liipib su"ed. Another enlightened m"rh.iniV from rhristehurch has been in Wellington with aeroplane designs. Auckland lips not beer behind in + !iis

"■nt>er, and there is at nrespnt in Wellington a model bv an Auckland inventor (Mr. - T . A. Kins:), a working engineer.' Demi's of Mr. Kind's machine have already been published in the TTer--"hl. Tt is the inventor's intention to ffwrn a STulioafp. and to 'hnvri the. toehince constructed in Npw Zealand. TTis '■• lea is the most patriotic vet "iven out. TTe claims that all the -material necessary can be mrocurod in the Domin'oi. and ftrlflc tiid.t si iiipr drawback rn aeronlnne bliildW is that the models are out o" nropnrt'on. owine- to the pxcs="'" WPi>bt for nowpr. Tbe r e ar n seven! other local inventors who have taken out patent ripdi+s for improvements in neronlapes. and it is stateri flint n e-pn-ineer has alrend-"- drafted the designs and plans for an airship.