Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-25
BLERlOT MAKES
RECORD FLIGHT
CONQUEROR OF CHANNEL WINS
AT RHEIMS MEET
MAKES I-5 MILES IN e:4 2-5
IN HIS MoNoPLANE
French President and His Cabinet
Watch Maneuvers, and Bunau-
VariIa Reaches 4oo-Foot
LBy Associated Press.l

BETHENY AVIATION FIELD,
RHEIMS, France, Aug. Pan. Bleriot
covered a lap in his monoplane this
afternoon in 8 minutes 2-5 seconds.
The distance is 1-5 miles.
The best record heretofore was that
made yesterday by Curtiss, minutes
80 2-5 seconds.
A marvellous prolonged high flight
of thirty kilometers, QS 1-2 miles), IN
a twenty-knot breeze by Paulham and
the establishment of a new worlds
record for ten kilometers at the rate
Of As miles an hour by Bleriot, were
the features of the aerial race meeting
today.
Owing to the high wind, there would
have been no flights except for the
visit of President Fallieres and his
cabinet.
Young BunauV Varilla, with his ma
chine plunging like ship in stormy
sea, managed to navigate the turbulent
air currents for one round. Then Paul
ham began his thrilling flight. He
made the first two rounds at an alti-
tude of 250 feet, but as ne entered the
third circuit, he reached a height Of
between four and five hundred feet.
At Dangerous Angle
The bi-plane struck what seemed a
dangerous angle. 1t swayed in the
wind but each time righted itself
Paulham completed his exploit with a
wonderful exhibition of maneuvering.
His flight has made him the hero of
the meeting,
"Why did you venture out in such a
wind?" he was asked.
1.-THE president of the republic was
there. 1t was necessary to fly"
why did you go so high?"
Because in height lay security. The
h IrrtnA Tho Co.. ii 4.
wind, though strong, was more reg
ular."
Paulham had nothing to gain by the
risks he took, as his flight was not
counted in the endurance test. His
time was six minutes slower than yes
terday's for thirty kilometers.
5leriot Makes Record
Bleriot's record making lap was ac-
complished with his eight-horsepower
machine at a low level. He made the
circuit of six and one-fifth miles in
8 minutes 4 2-5 seconds. The best
previous record was made yesterday
by Glenn H. Curtiss, the American
aviator, in s minutes 80 rs seconds.
Latham put two machines out of
commission in an attempt to start.
Finally just at dusk, he got away and
made a superb flight of three rounds
at an average height of 300 feet
Many interesting questions have been
raised by this new sport of racing in
the air. The fact that there have been
no serious breakdoWns or accidents
when the machines were flying in
wind of twenty-six miles an hour, and
encountering big eddies of air, is re-
garded as ample proof that the aero
plane already is a practical machine
whose further development is only a
question of time and money.
The experts differ as to the respec-
tive merits of bi-plane and mono-plane,
and the various types of machines in
each class, but it is unanimously held
that the future of aviation depends
upon the perfection of the moter.
Bunau-VariIla Wins Applause
The Gnome, a revolving, self-cooling
motor, developing so horsepower, and
weighing only $50 pounds, employed
by M Bunau-Varilla, attracted much
favorable attention. The experts agree
that the bi-planes thus far have demon
strated marked superiority, stability
and possibilities of control in a wind
as compared to the mono-plane.
No mono-planes have ventured out
except in absolutely calm weather.
An unfortunate misunderstanding
arose yesterday after Curtiss had com
pleted his fight. The committee de-
cided to penalize him one-twentieth of
his time in the Prix de Vilasse for
failure to qualify on Sunday. Curtiss
and Cortlandt Field Bishop, the repre-
sentative of the Aero club of America,
protested energetically They claimed
it had been distinctly agreed that Cur
tiss could qualify any day Further
more, they pointed out that the rule
cited penalized also those pilots who
qualified. but failed to complete three
rounds, and that this penalty had not
been applied to Bleriot and the other
French aviators.
Word of Honor Accepted
The committee thereupon reconsid-
cred it's decision, and after receiving
Curtiss' word of honor regarding his