Evening star., 1925-08-11
INVENTOR BRINGING.
FREAK PLANE PLAN
Austrian'S Rotor Airship Is
Given Tests in Models
by British.
BY JOHN GUNTHER.
Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
DallY News.

Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News.
LONDON, England, July 2S.-
Sailing to America is young Charles
Gligorin, an Austrian inventor, who
carries with him plans for the strang-
est-looking airplane since Langley and
Wright made their first experiments
a rotor airplane.
In an exclusive interview with this
correspondent of The Star and the
Daily News on the eve OF his depar-
ture for the United States Mr.. Gill
gorin explained his invention and
demonstrated his tiny models
Copies of his plans and his models
are in possession of the British air
ministry, which is subjecting them to
exhaustive tests. Gligorin's invention
looks grotesque. but British air Off
Cials have seen great things rise from
freakier models.
I'VE are very serious in investigat-
ing Mr. Gngorins claim for his ma
chine" said an official of the air min
istry. There is perhaps one chance
in fifty that it will work. But if that
one chance comes through we shall
be satisfied"
Mr.. Gligorin grows impatient on
hearing such talk as 'one chance in
fifty" His invention is a sure thing,
he asserts.
Wind-PropelIed Cylinders.
What I have tried to do" he ex-
planned. rs to apply to heavier-than-
air machines the principle of rotating
wings instead of stationary wings. l
found quickly that rotating wings
were impracticable. But then came
along the rotor ship with wind-pro-
PEELED cylinders as the motive force.
I have applied such cylinders to air
craft"
Mr.. Gligorin speaks little English
and an interpreter helped him along
On the tablecloth in a restaurant he
diagrammed his apparatus, a curious
looking affair
The fuselage is much like that of
an ordinary airplane-rudders, con
trolls and seating arrangements are
the same. So are the engines. The
difference comes at the wings The
Gltgorin airship has no wings In
stead it has cylinders projecting from
the body of the ship-cylinders that
rotate with the wind. These cylin-
ders, made of some secret composition
or Gligorln $ invention, provide mo-
tive power for the ship.
800 Miles an Hour.
MY ship will fly 800 miles an hour.
about three times as fast as the fast
est plane OF similar size now in exist
ence," asserted Ghgorin. MY ship
can rise almost vertically from the
ground, like a helicopter. and. much
more important. 1t can land anywhere
My ship will carry a regular 24O-
horsepower engine at the axis of the
rotating cylinders, but this engine will
operate one-third cheaper than en-
gines used for propellers
MY ship does not depend on wind
but utlliZPS atom of wind II nd
and by its speed creates it's own mo-
tive power.
My ship will bring America With
in u hours of Europe"
These are Glicorin's ambitious
claims. While the air ministry inves.
tigates them here. he is going to
America to try to interest either the
Government or private operators.
From London TO America in 1o
hours. That is young GHgorin's
dream.
L am poor and must travel by a
cheap boat and it will take Il days"
he said. But when l return-if l
can market my invention-I shall re-
turn not in Il days but in y hours"
Would Make Landing Easy.
The British air ministry says one
chance in fifty. But air ministry of
tictals are working hard to realize
that one chance and to give Gligorfn
every encouragement while they
work.
Especially they are interested in
Gligorin's claims that his plane can
rise vertically. That, of course, would
solve the problem of flights and land
ings in large cities
I can land in Piccadilly Circus,
start up again in three minutes and
climb 1000 feet in a minute more"
said Gligorin.
The inventor has had an excellent
education in engineering and seven
years of experience in flying. He was
an aviator during the World War and
has worked on his rotor plane parts
for four years.
Copyright. 1925 by Chicago Daily News Coz