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This pre-war U.S. Army Air Corps film presents footage of experimental planes and flying contraptions from the 1920’s through the 1930’s. The collection was assembled by the US Army Air Corps (:17) and Paramount News presents the first newsreel (:37). Vehicles are seen riding down a public highway in Coatesville, Pennsylvania (:41). A glider type craft swoops in through the crowds and cars (:44). It is then seen in a field with it’s turntable wings spun by the inventor (:58). Pathe News presents D. T. Granville demonstrating his tail first plane in Springfield, Massachusetts (1:46). The craft is driven by automobile controls (1:57). The wheel is adjusted to show how it controls the rudders and ailerons (2:05). The plane takes off and flies with it’s tail facing forward (2:14). A Universal Newspaper Newsreel (2:34) brings the film to Orangeburg, New York. A windmill type flying craft is seen (2:41) invented by Johnathan Caldwell. The craft, named Gray Goose (3:09), is unable to take off from the ground. Harvest Metrotone News presents a tubular plane (3:25). It is shown in Milan and it’s rudders are viewed from the back of the cylindrical plane with long flat wings (3:32). Another craft presented by Harvest is the C. L. Synder plane in South Bend, Indiana (4:05). The craft is shown to be fairly similar to more modern air planes except for the long wing extensions which make it appear to represent a butterfly (4:26). Due to its shape, in the event of motor failure, it could be flown as a glider (4:35). Paramount News (4:58) shows a spindle plane invented by C. Popper (5:14). Popper gives an explanation as to how the spindles work (8:23). It is wingless and the larger spindles are the main lifting lifters (5:32). The spindles are shown to be revolving and creating a lifting vacuum above (5:48). A Universal Newspaper Newsreel shows a craft known as the “potato bug” (6:16) which is seen flying low over a crop field (6:27). The pilot waves and steps from the cockpit at (6:51). In Greenville, Illinois a plane with a large circular top mount heads down a runway for take off (7:05). It moves over the country side (7:14) and lowers smoothly due to the flat circular top side (7:23). A tailless plane is seen in Glendale, California (7:41) with only a cockpit and wings. The craft takes off (7:58). A device on the wingtips controls the craft’s direction (8:13). In Czechoslovakia, Unzez Chalupsky is seen with his model plane (8:22). The contraption is seen flapping it’s wings (8:36) and taking off (8:44). A self-flying plane is presented by Pathe News in Glendale California (8:56). It’s stabilizers are pointed to (9:04). The pilot is viewed as he steps from the cockpit (9:13). The automatic controls are seen in action (9:18). The pilot stands on the fuselage (9:24). Another Universal Newsreel shows an aero-bike (9:41). In Baltimore, the pilot pedals to move the wings (9:46). The craft is unable to take off (10:03). In Paris, France a pilot climbs into an elliptical plane (10:25). The tail is shown to stick up from the middle (10:30). Willard E. Blain conducts tests on his ornithopter in New London, Connecticut (11:10). Willard addresses the camera with the invention on his back as he believed it would enable him to fly as a bird (11:26). He jumps from a bridge over water (11:43) and drops straight into the waterway (11:47). He tests it again as he runs to jump from a rock, though he comically lands on his frontside (12:11). W. P. Kindree and his ‘sky car’ are presented by Hearst in Detroit (12:14). The inventor and machine follow (12:29). As the craft is started up, it simply jostles violently up and down without taking off (13:41). A butcher is shown in Van Nuys, California demonstrating his rocket device (14:37). The device blows (14:40) and the butcher’s bicycle glider is then shown at the Metropolitan airport (14:50). A dog collar is attached around his neck which was supposed to enable him to help the wings flap (15:11). As his helpers run behind him and light the power plant (15:27), the bike tips over and the butcher’s pants catch fire (15:57).
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