LONG-DISTANCE FLYING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19178, 8 December 1927, Page 9

LONG-DISTANCE FLYING.

VENTURE.

A FURTHER DELAY.

(bt cablx—pmss association—coptbioht.) (ACSTHALIAH AND H.Z CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

(Received December 7th, 8.20 p.m.)

SAN FRANCISCO, December 6

A delay of some days is likely before Captain Kingsford-Smith makes another attempt at an endurance record flight. The tail flutter which terminated the two previous efforts is being thoroughly investigated. Captain Kingsford-Smith and Lieutenant Pond attribute it to air conditions, but some engineers say the shifts are directly attributable to the load, which is nearly 16,000 pounds. The elevators and the rudder are now being removed from the aeroplane, and will be structurally revised. It is not certain whether this will delay the projected flight to Australia. Some of Captain Kingsford-Smith]s advisers counsel him strongly to await better weather over the Pacific before beginning his journey to Australia unless he can get away with the December full moon or at most within a day or so after this. This means before December 10th or 12th at the latest.

It is understood that since Captain Kingsford-Smith's arrangement with his backers called for an endurance flight before the flight across the Pacific, he may not be able, to make the longer journey until the moon has waned considerably, thus adding to the period of total darkness through which he must fly.