Getting Flying Boats Back On Job Again

Chronicle (Levin), 30 March 1948, Page 5

Getting Flying Boats Back On Job Again

' _ _ AUUKLAXD, March 29. CJratifving result s were reported following tesl fiights made today and on Sunday in tlie Tasman Empire Airways fiving boat R.M.A. Xew Zealand. The airc'raft is one on which the companv's engineers, headed by Mr. (>. B. Boft, have been working for some weeks and on which the staff cohcentrated throughout the Easter holidavs in an effort to ineorporate tnodificatiohs to Mr. Bolt's design, intended to reduce c.vlinder head pressures in certaiif conIditions of fiiglit. ,X o official statement. has yet .been issued bv the company. ft is understood, however, that, following further air tests tomorrow, the resnlts will be reported to the civii aviation braneh of the Air Department. with a view to certiiieates of airworthiness for the company 's four Tasman class aircraft being reissued. All air tests since the engineers' research passed from' N|e design and work bencli stage, have' been dorie with the X'ew Zealand. Hhe is now fitted with four reconditioned , Pratt and Whitney engines and certain modificatioiis have been incorporated, Tests have incliuled flying and elimbing on tliree engines at their rated power. All the air tests have been nfade by Captain A. V. Jury who has . been aceomparried by ground engineers. Particular interest has been shown in the engineering work and its results by three prominent British aircrafi experts who reached Auckland last week. Thev are -Mr. R. II. Warde, a representative of the Air Kegistration , Board of (treat Britain, ^Ir. B. (f. Mar shall, senior fiiglit technician einploved by Bhort artd Harland Ltd., of Belfast, and Mr. E. J. Crow-son, fechnicai olficer of British Overseas Airways Horporafion. Cases of other aircrafi similat to the Tasman tvpe liaviog run uriduly hot. under certain eonditions, have been reported from abroad and there is intei'est in the possibifitv that the probleni eneountered by engineers in diffe.rent eountries may Itave been fihally solved by the engineering staff of Tasman Airways, I