The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6,1909. AEROPLANE TESTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2599, 6 September 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6,1909. AEROPLANE TESTS.

The cables of the past week have provided ample evidence of the rapid progress of air-flight. The aeroplane meeting at ltheims, at which there were nine aeroplanes simultaneously in the air, is in itself conclusive evidence that aviation has passed beyond the experimental stage. Probably all these machines were of different makes, and amongst them they illustrated, no doubt, two or three distinct principles of construction. The significance of this is that tho successful conquest of the air is not to be the prerogative of any one inventor. On the contrary, it will not he long before there are ns many rival aeroplanes as there are motor cars, and perhaps the choice between them will be as difficult as it is in the latter case. There is no secrecy or concealment long possible with regard to an aeroplane. Any expert who sees one fly can tell liow it flies. The question thus becomes in the main one .of reliability, and we shall soon hear of reliability trials for aeroplanes as we now do for motors. Tho Rheirns meeting has produced some noteworthy results, fairly divided, it seems, between the adherents of biplane and monoplane. For short journeys such experts as 31. Bleriot and Mr Latham have been able to travel up to 30 or 40 miles per hour, while M. Farman covered 112 miles in just over three hours. The object-lesson of the meeting will hardly have been thrown away on Mr Lloyd-George, and though at present France easily has the lead in aviation as an organised sport, we may expect that lead to he soon challenged in Great Britain. One tribute to the mechanical success of tho new flyers is tlie remarkable immunity from serious accident so far enjoyed. It is hardly to be hoped that fatalities will- be avoided in the early stages of flight as a common recreation; but, at any rate, it has been proved that an aeroplane is not more dangerous; even now, than a motor car. These successes of the aeroplaue, demonstrating its swiftness and its sureness, still further discount the "type of dirigible balloon of which tho German air fleet is composed. This fleet looks formidable on paper; and, as a matter of fact, no other‘Power has at this moment the means of combating it in the air, But tho rapid advance of the aeroplane means the inevitable superseding of the dirigible, and the Germans will not he long before they find their air fleet hopelessly out of The unlucky experiences of Mr. Wellman, who for several years past has been trying to reach the North Pole in a dirigible, throw another suggestive sidelight on the deficiencies of this type of airship. Germany, however, has full faith in the Zeppelin, and it is' said that several foreign orders for these balloons have been refused, including one from the Turkish Government. At the same time German inventors of aeroplanes are not to V * v' *V,

be neglected, as several of them have done exceedingly well* An interesting development is the beginning of aviation classes in technical schools in Germany and France, and also in England. In Germany headway is so far being made with the proposed airship passenger lines between important centres that negotiations are proceeding for the enlargement of railway stations,, so that they may ho used also as airship terminals. An undeniable advantage of the airship, so far, is that it can accommodate a number of passengers, whereas the aeroplane does. not take more than one or two at most.