AUCKLAND AEROPLANE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 239, 15 February 1911, Page 2

AUCKLAND AEROPLANE

SUCCESSFUL TRIAL OF THE " FLYING BIRD." By Telegraph. —Press Association. Auckland, Monday. A successful aeroplane flight by an Auckland resident on a machine planned and built in Auckland took place on Friday at Papakura. For some months past keen interest in aviation has been displayed by a number of Auckland residents, and Mr. Leo Walsh, who, with several assistants, was the first to complete the construction of an aeroplane, has crowned bis efforts with success. About a fortnight ago the finishing touches were put to the machine, and for a number of mornings "rolling" practice —running the machine along the ground—was held. Last week the budding aeronauts were satisfied, and arrangements were made for the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) to christen the first aeroplane in the Dominion. The ceremony was duly performed, and the name "Manurewa" (meaning "Flying Bird") was given to the machine. Everything was now in readiness for an aerial flight, and confident that the machine was capable of flying, the enterprising airmen made preparations for a long flight. Long before the inhabitants of the district were about, Mr. Walsh and his party had the machine out in a suitable open space. It was thoroughly inspected, and Mr. V. Walsh, a brother of Mr. Leo Walsh, mounted the seat. A few minutes and the aeroplane was proceeding slowly along the ground preparatory to rising. Then a shout from the spectators indicated that the flight had commenced. Mr. Walsh rose over 20 feet from the ground. The distance' covered was some 300 or 400 yards, the machine reaching the ground well under the aeronaut's control. There are no brakes on aeroplanes, and the only means of bringing them to a standstill is to allow them to run along the ground until they stop. Mr. Walsh had not left sufficient clear ground for this, and soon after the machine descended it ran into a fence, but practically no damage resulted. Mr. Walsh's machine is "a biplane very similar to that in which Farman flew from London to Brussels. The parts were mostly imported from Home but the aeroplane was put together in Auckland under the .supervision of Mr. Walsh. The machine was designed bv Howard Wright, an English "aviator, whose specialty is designing. As the word biplane implies, there are twj planes, a front elevator and a tail. When flic structure is completed it stands on two skids, to which wheels are attached, the rubber tyres beinu; "springy," so as to facilitate landing.' The other many details of the aeroplane are all for compactness and strength. A particularly strong feature of the machine is the engine, which is capable of producing from , to so horse-power, and has eight cylinders. It. is of English design, and was made in England. The chief respect in which Mr. Walsh's machine, differs from he I'arman is that it has a monoplane !'! , onp 8Ur f faro >- in*™* of a biplane tail (two surfaces).