THREE DAYS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 106, 1 November 1933, Page 9

THREE DAYS

LONDON TO SYDNEY

AIR EXPERTS' VIEWS

KINCSFORD SMITH'S PLANS

(From "The Past's" Representative.) SYDNEY, October 26.. . With the completion of Mr. C. P. T« Ulm's remarkable flight from London to Wyndhain, and with the memory of Sir Charles Kingsforcl Smith's record still fresh in their minds, people are wondering what the ffcturc holds ia store. Keferring to the time likely t« be taken by \the winner of ■ the cen« tenary air race to Melbourne next year, the Chief of the Ah- Staff^ir-Conimo-dore S. J. Goble, said: "I think two and a half to three days will win the race." Sir Charles Kingsf ord Smith, said ho though the route could) be covered in three and a half days. "With aeroplane enginps iri _ theif present state of development it is possible for the flight from London to Sydney to be made within three days, allowing for night flying and rflief. pilots," said Flight-Lieutenant S., J. Moir, president of the New South Wales Aero Club. "The aerial distance between London and Sydney is about 12,000 miles, according to flight reckoning. There are already several reliable makes of aeroplanes which ara consistently cruising at 250 miles an hour and are capable of up to 280 and 290 miles under favourable weather conditions. With relief pilots and with ample provision for fuelling on the journey, it wouldbe possible for 22 hours daily to be flown, which would give a daily distance of from 5500 to 6000 miles according to the. weather and wind conditions. With favourable conditions and ordinary pilot's luck the journey to Sydney could be accomplished within from 48 to 50 hours from London. This is not a fantastical estimate, as these fast times are being maintained over established routes at the present time. Pour years ago I stated that a schedule easy of accomplishment would, be seven days from London to Sydney, The recent flights of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr. Ulm have shown how easily such a service could b9 established now. There will almost certainly be a four days' flight from-. London to Sydney-in the ue'ar future.": A SPEEDY MACHINE. The announcement that Sir CharlesKingsf ord Smith will definitely compete in the race has given Australia^ a first-class chance of winning the event with an Australian crew. Sir Charles lias received generous offers of financial support, and it is said that he will now be in a position to. obtain a machine which will at least compete with the best in the world on more or less equal terms. The machine, he says, has. not been definitely decided upon. It is recognised that flying ability and. knowledge of .the route will be important factors in the bid for success, and that in these directions the qualifications of Sir Charles Kingsf ord Smith are of the highest. Besides Sir Charles there will ba only one other occupant of the machine, and it will be his duty to serve as co-pilot and navigator. Tins partner, who has not yet been selected, will play a most important role in getting the machine through the long stages in the shortest possible time. Sir Charles, has decided that his co-pilot shall bo an Australian. Although he has several experienced men in mind, it is not. likely that he will look beyond- Cap, tain P. G. Taylor* who was his teammate and navigator in his last flight in. the Southern Cross from Sydney to New Zealand; Captain Taylor is 37 ; years of age, and was born in Sydney. He is a member of. the. crew of the "Faith in Australia," in which Mr. C. T. P. Ulm made a record flight from London to Wyndham. '