AERONAUTICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2518, 3 June 1909, Page 4

AERONAUTICS.

CABLE NEWS.

MORE GERMAN SUCCESSES.

MAJOR PARSEVAL’S DIRIGIBLES

United Press Association—Copyright (Received June 2, 10.55 p.m.)

BERLIN, June 2

New dirigibles of the semi-rigid and non-rigid types, designed in Germany by Major Parsev-al, attained a sliced of 24 per hour.

(Received June 2. 10.55 p.m.)

LONDON, June 2

Bidmead clung for 90 minutes to a wooden ring attached to the cording of tho balloon. He was nearly exhausted when tlie balloon gradually dropped, and • he alighted safely. [A similar accident, but with a tragic result, occurred about eight or nine years ago in New Zealand,. A parachutist, known as Captain (Lorraine, lost his parachute when ascending from Lancaster Park, Christchurch. He sat on a trapeze attached to his balloon, which was carried over the Banks Peninsula hills and out to sea. It was seen to descend into the water near Lyttelton Heads, whence a boat put out to his rescue. Before he could he reached, the. balloon sank, and no trace of it or of the unfortunate aeronaut wsjls ever discovered.] PROGRESS OF AEROPLANING. The more the progress of the aeroplane is studied the. more marvellous does it seem, and tho more certain does it appear that the ultimate development will be something far greater than at present is suspected by mankind. Here is the latest compiled table : Date. Name. Mile. Yd. M S

(with passenger) Doc. 16 AY. Wright Record of Height of 250 feet. To the above has to he added the information that another flight of Wilbur AVright (later than Dec. 16) covered ninety-five miles in the fast time of 114 minutes. This is the highest record attained up to the date, as well as the longest, for the machine soared up to 400 feet. The direct pecuniary result was the winning of tho £4O prize offered by the Sartlie Aero Club for the highest fiight. ' . . . The official distance was only sixtytwo miles, that being the shortest distance between points: But the machine flew far outside the track, the officials of the club estimating the distance as 95 miles as aforesaid. The long roundis a disadvantage, perhaps, showing the need for a very wide turning space tor the Wright aeroplanes. But the fact remains that the distance has been covered of- 95 miles. During the trial there was a wind of twenty-one miles swift and the going regular. As lie completed the forty-fifth round Mr Wright’s petrol feed tap closed accidentally, and he decided to come down. On landing lie told an interviewer, “But for this little accident I should not have come down, for I nad set out to remain three hours m tlie air, and to cover 120 miles.” , After lunch Air AVright carefully overhauled his machine, and at 5.48 p m rose again to compete for the fiarthe Club height .prize. The wind had increased in violence since the morning, and as Air AVright shot up taining a height of 100 it. the aeroplane swayed about in aii higWy dangerous manner. But Air YVri o m> managed the machine, as though lie were driving some mettlesome horse, and shot up higher and higher towards the line of small captive balloons which marked the height of 300 ft., and which were tossed about by the high wind. Presently the aeroplane came to the level of the balloons, but Air AA right did not stop.- He went higher and higher, until he soared a full 100 ft. above tho balloons, and seemed like some huge bird. Then, with a splendid circular swoop, he camo lower, and after _gomg once round the camp alighted at 4.10 just outside his shed, ainul a roar of applause from the crowd that had witnessed this marvellous feat.

1905. Sept, 2S Wriglvt Bros. 11 125 18 8 Sept. 29 Wright Bros. 12 ... 19 35 Oct. 3 Wright Bros. 15 25 26 5 Oct. 4 Wright Bros. 20 75 33 17 Oct. 5 Wright Bros. 24 20 30 13 1906. Nov. 11 1907. M. Santos Dumont. 230 21 81 Oct. S Herr Wells 350ft, Nov. 7 H. Farman 1300 Mar. 22. H. Farman 2 1540 May 14 Wright Bros. 6 ... 9 "o Juno 23 M. Delagrange 10 1105 IS 30 July 6 H. Farman 11 ... 20 10 Sept. 5 M. Delagrange 151 30 0 Sept. 5 W. Wright lGi 15 50 Sept. 9 O. Wright 5H 56 0 Sept. 10 O. Wright 45 65 42 Sept. 12 O. Wright 74 20 Sept. 11 O. Wright 70 30 Sept, 21 W. Wright 56 91 25 Sept. 30 H. Farman 24 ... 36 0 Oct. 6 W. Wright 42 ... 64 29