FENG RU Page 2.

FENG RU from China Radio International

 

CHINESE AVIATOR MAKES LONG FLIGHT OAKLAND ENQUIRER, Sept. 23, 1909 Collection of Oakland History Room/Oakland Public Library      For 20 minutes Fung Joe Guey, a young Chinese inventor and aviator, circled through the air in the hills back of Piedmont Tuesday afternoon in a biplane of his own manufacture, embodying his own ideas in aeroplane construction. He was able to demonstrate their advantages and to show that he had perfected a machine that could be kept under perfect control while in flight. He flew in a wide circle, despite a strong wind.      He met with an accident to the propeller that brought his flight to an end before he had tried high flying. The bolt holding the propeller to the shaft snapped after he had been in the air 20 minutes and the machine came to the ground. Fung Joe Guey was bruised in the fall.      He made his flight near the old Dingee residence, back of Piedmont, about 6 o'clock Tuesday night. Chung Doo Nam, a Chinese restaurant keeper of 367 Ninth street, who is one of his backers, assisted him in putting the aeroplane together and was with him at the time he rose. A young Chinese disciple of the aviator and a few farmers of the neighborhood were the other spectators. The aeroplane rose from the ground, but never reached a height of more than 10 or 12 feet, as Fung Joe Guey did not wish to venture higher until he had fully tested its dirigibility. He followed the rise and fall of the hilly ground without trouble, the aeroplane responding well in this respect.      The aeroplane consists of two planes 25 feet long and 6 feet 3 inches broad. placed one above the other, like other planes. It was driven yesterday by a six horse-power engine. The improvement that the inventor claims for his own consists of an extra plane between the large ones, stationed hear the rudder of the machine. He says that this extra plane catches a current of air that the rudder can use.      Fung Joe Guey says he will fly again. He plans to constRUct another aeroplane on the same lines a the old one, but stronger. It is to be built of steel tubing and silk and will be driven by a more powerful engine. Submitted through the courtesy of Steven Lavoie, 12-3-04

 

CHINESE AVIATOR FIRST TO FLY ON COAST Fung Joe Guey Local Machinist Makes Successful Flight in Bi-Plane MOTOR AND AEROPLANE ARE OF HIS OWN BUILD Accident to Propeller Causes Machine to Plunge to the Ground OAKLAND ENQUIRER, Sept. 23, 1909 Collection of Oakland History Room/Oakland Public Library      China has come to the fore in the rank of nations striving for successful aeroplane navigation, in the person of Fung Joe Guey, a resident of the Celestial quarters in this city, who has achieved no little note as a mechanical genius. Guey, who has invented a bi-plane very much on the same model as the Wright macnine, made his first successful flight in the contrivance last night, and though the machinery met with a mishap after he had gone a few hundred yards, he demostrated that his theory is a practical one. ACCIDENT TO PROPELLER      With no other spectators than his three Chinese helpers, Fung made his flight in the dim light of early evening. The big bi-plane, with its four starting wheels tucked beneath it like the talons of a bird, sailed slowly in an elliptical course around the crest of the hill nearly back to the starting point.      Fung was preparing to make another turn when a sudden stoppage of the propellor and a quick drop of the stern of the craft threw the machine heavily to the earth. Fung was thrown out uninjured.      The screws holding the driving wheel on the propeller shaft had broken under the strain. The failure of the propeller had let the bi-plane drop astern foremost to the ground. The rear starting wheels were bent and twisted but the impact. TO BUILD NEW FLYER      Believing that he had evolved a successful type of aeroplane, the Chinese early yesterday morning unshipped the motor, and taking the machine apart, packed it back to his shop in Oakland. He declares that now he will proceed to build a stronger and more powerful craft with which he plans to show the Cantonese of his native China a real Celestial flyer.      The Chinese aviator has been working on his machine since last May in his little shop at 359 East Ninth street, Oakland. He had it hauled to the lonely spot in the Piedmont hills last Thursday with the aid of three other Chinese enthusiast he reassembled the parts and prepared for flight. Submitted through the courtesy of Steven Lavoie, 12-3-04

 

CHINESE AVIATOR TO FLY AT HOME Fung Guey to Leave for China, There to "Show the Natives." OAKLAND Tribune, Feb. 20, 1911 Collection of Oakland History Room/Oakland Public Library      The natives of Hongkong and Canton are to given an opportunity to see a birdman of their own race perform exhibitions of arial skill, for Fung Guey, the Chinese inventor and aviator, is to leave on the steamship China Tuesday for his native land to introduce the airship there.      A Curtiss biplane, in which the Chinese has made experimental flights at Elmhurst, will be shipped on the steamre. The ship as constructed by Fung Guey himself and is 29 1/2 feet long.      Fung Guey goes to China endorsed by the Chinese consul of San Francisco and by leading merchants and although the Chinese government has nothing to do with his experiments in aviation, it is to be a close observer of what he can do. ASSISTANTS WITH HIM.      Gee Lim, Gee Wei, So Ho Yi, Tom Yew, Jung Nam and Wong Kee will go with him. They are interested financially in the enterprise and will assist also at the aviation meets that will be held. There was some friction between the last-named three and the aviator, due to a dispute as to how great their share was in the Canton mechanical company, which owns the machine and is the financial backer of the enterprise. They subscribed $750 between them three years ago when Fung Guey first turned his mind toward airships. The rest of the money, amounting to several thousand dollars, was subscribed by others. Recently a 20 per cent assessment was levied, to which Tom Yew, Jung Nam and Wong Kee took exception, and when the time to go to China came, jealousy developed as to who would have control of the expedition. It was settled today with the understanding that each man should pay his own expenses to China and be reimbursed if the affair proves a success.      A good part of Chinatown attended the farewell banquet given recently in a Chinese restaurant. Submitted through the courtesy of Steven Lavoie, 12-3-04

 

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