Vintage Wings - Pither Monoplane - 1910

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Pither Monoplane - 1910

Bert Pither was born in Reigate, Surrey, in 1871, and since his childhood in Canterbury showed an interest in "anything weird and mechanical".
Around 1906 he started an engineering business in Invercargill, New Zealand, building petrol driven engines for boats and agricultural machinery.
In 1909 Pither was approached by Simon McDonald about constructing an aircraft to his patented design. A suitable shed was leased and construction commenced with a flight planned for early 1910. McDonald was credited with designing the aircraft and both were constructing it.
He drew on his background as a professional cyclist and cycle manufacturer to build the structure of his plane from steel cycle tubing, thus tackling one of the problems of his day: how to achieve a plane strong, but light enough to be lifted by the engine power then available.
The machine was powered by a V4 engine of his own design, capable of deliver around 30 Hp.
According to Pither, on July 5, 1910 he succefully tested the airplane but, due to the lack of eyewitnesses, there is no conclusive proof that the machine actually flew. However this self-report of a one-mile flight has some convincing aspects, including the suggestion the novice pilot got a considerable scare from the unexpectedly different behaviour of the craft once airborne.

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