The Washington herald., 1918-03-21
FRENCH FLYER
DOES STUNTS
WITH BIPLANE
Lieut.. Flachaire GivesThrill-
ing Aerial Exhibition with
Small Flying Machine.

washinSton, which thought It had
seen all that was to be seen about
airplane hying, rubbed its eyes and
looked again whea Lieut.. Flachaire,
French military aviator, who recent
Iy arrived IN this city. ascended yes
terday in "Spad," the latest model
Of French fighting aircraft, for an
exhibition night
WONDERFUL was the comment
upon the night made by Gen. Squier,
head of the American Aviation
Corps, who Witnessed the entire flight
from Potomac Park, where machines
OF the American army. British ayia-
ton mission airs>that Of the French
lieutenant are housed In special tenn
porarY hangarL
Fhes from View York
Lieut.. Flachaire recently new to
washington from Miieola, L l.,
shortly after his arrival in this coun-
Try with his air machine from the
battle front In France. The "Spad'
il q biplane. II Is even smaller than
the American Curtis biplane. in which
the Liberty motor has been tested
in flights over the city by American
oflcers-
It Is q dwarf compared with the
large biplane OF the AVro type
brought here by the British aviation
missiond, and a small infant beside
the giant Caproni. in which italian
military aviators few over Washing
ton several months ago.
Under the wings of the French
plane a large circle Of red is painted
around one of white. the center OF
which is blue. The machine is a
battle plane. When in use over the
battle front in hunting the Boche
airmen a machine gun is placed on
the front and fires between the pro-
peller. As yet America has no air
plane OF its speed. though machines
ara being designed to use the Lib
erty motor which are expected to
surprise the world.
Room for Pilot.
There is only room for the pilot
in the machine. which is armored.
Lieut.. Flachaire entered his ma
chine to the applause OF a crowd
gathered around the end of the
large oval field where the hangers
are situated. Only the aviator's
head is visible when he Is seated.
Twists and turns. looping. nose
diving. the falling leaf. swooping,
volplaning. climbing and straight
away fight, together with stunts"
for which no name is known were
performed by the French aviator
during his flight.
Scores of American officers Of the
Aviation Corps, together with mem
hers Of the French military, war and
aviation missions to this country
witnessed the flights.
Lieut.. Flacnaire was OF with a
rush, the machine hopping over the
ground. Rising in the air he cir
CIed the field twice. flying low. Ris-
ing quickly he darted up, down.
around, made complete turns on an
almost even keel within the length
of his machine. Going higher he
sailed around to the far end Of the
field. and. twisting. turning. this
way and that. sent his machine to-
ward the ground like a broken thing
falling. .f .r u g
When his wheels had almost
touched the earth he started his en-
gine again. and with a roar sailed
into the air again and passed over
the heads of the American, French
and British officers and the crowds
near the hangers so low it almost
seemed as il he could be touched.
Has Great Record.
Sailing away from the field the
Frenchman swooped down near the
Washington Monument and flying on
his side, climbed from close to the
ground, round and round 1t in a spiral
and then darted off over the down,
town section OF the city and back
again.
Lieut.. Constant Soulier, the boyish
French ''Ace," who arrived in Wash
ington a few days ago, witnessed the
flights. Until his own machine, a
monoplane, in which he has promised
to outdo anything Washington has
seen before in flying. arrives here he
cannot talk" He has promised, how
ever, to do every one OF the many
stunts his predecessors have done in
a machine, only he will do them while
flying upwards away from earth.
Although much more difficult to
handle. a monoplane, Lieut.. Soulier
said. was much speedier and lighter
and could be made to do stunts II was
impossible to do in a biplane which
has been used in all the flights over
the city.
With smooth face and healthy pink
cheeks, the youthful hero of the
French aviation corps is scarcely 20
years old and already has accounted
for fifteen Of the Boche airmen. He
has been decorated four times for his
exploits in the air. He speaks Eng
lish well and Judging from those
members OF the fair sex who had op-
portunity to meet him at the field
yesterday. American youths had best
look to their laurels or they will find
themselves displaced in the affections
Of their ladies.
To replace worn heels on shoes an
inventor has patented a separate heel