Richard William Pears
Richard William Pearse spent much of his lifetime building
light, powerful aero-engines and constructing aircraft for his numerous
attempts at powered flight. His most spectacular flights were those
made after the turn of the century using a horizontally opposed, twin-cylinder
engine fitted
PEARSE - OGILVIE - SCHAEF
At the turn of the century, many far sighted men in different
parts of the world were trying to achieve powered flight, not the least
of these efforts were being made in New Zealand. Several successful
gliders had been
Engines
Richard Pearse constructed several internal combustion
engines: three of these are still in existence, the earliest one probably
being the most interesting. It is also suggested that he built one
multi-cylinderi- engine for farm use, but no trace
Research
Wild and inaccurate statements have been publicised from
time to time concerning Richard Pearse's achievements in the field of aviation.
However. no responsible researcher has ever claimed that he achieved fully
controlled flight before the Wright brothers, or indeed at any time.
To attain fully controlled flight a pilot would have to be able to get
his plane into the air, fly it on a chosen course and land it at a predetermined
destination. Obviously Pearse's short "hops" or "flights",
THE WALSH BROTHERS
The next appearance on the aviation scene, was
one of the most notable in our aviation history. In 1910, two
Auckland brothers, Leo and Vivian Walsh, backed by an enthusiastic
syndicate, imported a Howard Wright Farman biplane in kitset form.
For the considerable sum of $1530, |