THE NEW VIKING

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1920, Page 1

THE NEW VIKING

Amphibious uircraft have claimed the attention of British designers for some time past, and the recent prize awards of the British Air Ministry for air-land-and-water machines have disclosed a degree of perfection in design that helps to maintain .the distinct supremacy of Britain in aerial progress. The competitions were a practical attempt to encourage civil aviation, which, it is understood, is making sure, if slow progress at Home. So satisfactory were the merits of tho machines in tho amphibious class that tlio committee in awarding the first prize of £IO,OOO to the Vickers Viking, and die second prize to the Superttlarine “Amphibian” recommended that the second prize should he increased to £BOOO as the monetary awards did not represent, the relative standards of merit in the first two machines. Special interest attaches to the amphibious machines in New Zealand, where it is possible, they may make their appearance as commercial aviation is developed. The "Viking” can ho “landed” on water and driven straight on to tho beach or land without any special slipway. Fitted with a 450 lisp. Napier engine, it carries five passengers at a speed of 120 miles an hour. The award to the “Viking” is the fourth big prize won on Vickers machines in air competitions. The others included the “Daily Mail” prize of £IO,OOO for the Atlantic flight, won by the late Sir John AJcoek, and the prize of £IO,OOO won by Sir Ross Smith in his flight from London to Australia. The “Viking” was the result of experimental work which had been carried out by the aviation department of Vickers Ltd., since the armistice. It.was the first machine ot the kind turned out, and therefore its cost far exceeded the amount of the prize. The second prize went to the Supermarine Aviation Works for a

“Supermarine Amphibian,” 'fitted With a Rolls-Royce Eagle engine. The judges considered that the results achieved in the competition showed a considerable advance in machines of the kind.