The Secretary of State for Air and others witnessed on
Monday, at Farnborough, a performance and tests of the newly invented Cierva " Auto-Giro," which promises a considerable advance in aeronautics. An aeroplane of a well-known type, with its engine and propeller, rudder and elevators as usual, bore, instead of the broad wings to which we are accustomed, a vertical pole from which radiated four narrow horizontal planes, somewhat like elongated propeller blades. These are set at such an angle that during flight they revolve automatically and support the machine in the air. The most valuable im- provement demonstrated seems to be that the Auto- Giro succeeds better than the helicopter in allowing a gentle vertical descent which should abolish half the dangers of landings, forced or desired.
* * *
Previous page
