ATLANTIC AIR LINE PROSPECTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 83, 24 April 1937, Page 13

ATLANTIC AIR LINE PROSPECTS

Tests May Take Two Years

gZPEEIMENTS NOW IN PKOGRESS in England in North Atlantic flying, with a view to the establishment of a regular Bxitisli service, are expected to be prolonged far into nest year, On the first flight, Rynanna, Co. Clare, which is to be a port of call, will oot be used. It is probable that th.e large mimber Of pioncer North Atlantic flights that have been made have giveix rise to a belief tbat the difficulties in the way of a regular service are no longer very Cormidable. But an analysis of those flights throws light on ihe nature oi tlxe problem.

No flighte have been made in November, December, January, Eebruary, or March, and with only three exceptions all the successful flights were made in May to September period. This is evidence of the existence of a very difficultseason of the year.* On the west to east direct crossing there have been 22 successes and 13 failures, t>ut -on the east to west crossing, with the same mimber of failures, there have been only 10 successes. This is evidence of the special difficulty of the east to west journey. All the pioneer flights have been catried out without regard for the commereial considerations which. must govern & regular service. These realities, however, only serve to illuminate the confidence, due to new aircraft designs and improved engines. with which the coming experiments will be faced. There is abundaht reason for astonishment at the progress in the technique of flying and of the flying machine which has been made since Aleoek and Whitten Brown made the flrst direct North Atlantic crossing by air only 13 years ago. A regular air service across the North 'Atlantic is now assured. The nations are resolved npon it; and, indeed, there has aiready been seasonal operatio^ with the aid of a half-way ship. •For the experiments Great Britain is making consjderable preparfK^ofls, and will try out more than one operational method. It is not impossibll' that one of these methods may justify its adoption, and that a regular service may not have to await the development Of a new type of aircraft, say, a 50ton flying boat. But, even if we posseesed such a craffc to-day, it would stil! be necessary to carry out many experiments. Th'e meteorological study of the conditions has been going on for the past two yeaTS, and the Air Ministry is setting np a* permanent organisation. Much data was handed down from the work done in connection with the British airship programme, abandoned with the

toes of the B101 after it had born fruit in the Atlantic crossing by E100, the second British airship Atlantic laurel, B34 having blazed the trail in 1919. Experiments will be made by two of the new Empire flying boats which have been specially tanked for long-range work, and by the De Haviland ' ' Albatross" four-engined land aeroplane, a type embodying several remarkable but at present secret featuree. This new type may on a greater scale repeat the British design triumph won by the "Comet" of England-Melbourne race fame. ' The "Albatross" is a 14-seatet of a cruising speed probably exceeding 200 m.p.h., and a range of some 3000 milps.

Also the Mayo Composite aircraft, by which a heavily loaded high-speed machine will be launched from the back of a big flying boat during flight, thus t'aking* independent flight at a inuch greater, speed than would be possible directly on water or land, will be tried. An alternative tp this method of enabling a machine to carry extra fuel or freight will be ^rovided by refuelling in the air, for which Imperiai Airways has provided some of the meane for another experiment. There is then the prospect of much interestlng and important flying this year. The possible adoption of a land aeroplane for Atlantic crossings is considered because of the difficulties in ti. way of a flying boat service which would have a terminus in Canada or Newfoundland, where the * waterways ere ice-bound in winter, or if they are not frozen over the cold is often so intense that spray1- made dufihg a-fly: ing boat 's manoeuvres on the water freezes over the machine. The direct .flying boat service;, however, with co-operation between Imprial Airways and P,an-American Airways, will use Baltimore as the American terminus. Before the direct crossing experiments a Bermuda-New York service, in which an Imperiai Airways flying boat will take'part, will begin.- One of the Empire flying boats, the Cavalier, is aiready in Bermuda. As regards the South Atlantic, the report of the Warren Fisher Committee on international air communications, expected within the next few days, will probably recommend that a proposal put forward by a group of shipping companies shall be accepted.