Ross Smith's Fly.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 April 1922, Page 3

Ross Smith's Fly.

iI'STRA A \ At-11 N.Z. rAIM.F. ASSOCIATION

LONDON. April 12. 'Hu. -‘Daily Telegraph” inten iowpcl Sir i?':ss Smith, who starts his world flight on Apiil -7n». accompanied by Mr Keith Smith, and Limit. Bennett, on ;i Vickcrs-Yiking Amphibian machine:. made by the same workmen as the Vickers-\ imy ol their Australian llie;ht. The machine is boat-like in construction, surmounted by a biplane of 4f>o h.p. Napier engine, meunted high between the wings. The driving; propeller behind the wings has been tested for endurance, temperatures, and exposed for long periods to immersion in salt water. The landing wheels can he lowered in DO seconds A feature of the machine is the tail skids, which also act as a water rudder, being filled with compressed air under a pressure of 200 pounds. The equipment includes a Ucid control indicator, which informs the pilot when the machine is listing; also Alears glow lamps, which can he used in a fog. The wireless set has been tested to and from the Eiffel Tower, Paris. The aerial, which is between the wings for receiving, is dropped for sending messages. A certain number of spare parts are carried and a spare • engine will be available at Tokio. f + n-ill 4 o 1-A TOO fl viiiif ImilPe 4

It will take 120 flying hours to reach Tokio, hut Sir Boss Smith hopes the first engine will carry them to the border of Cauda. Forty-seven petrol depots have, been organised. Each airman has one suit of clothes, and eight pounds of luggage. They will he able to smoke, thanks to a special cigarette bolder on tbe principle of the Davy Lam]). It is expected the journey of 240 (lying hours will be finished in three months. The aviators are confident. and are look in a forward eheerluily to their arduous experience. The route will be by I*'ranee, Italy, Egypt, Mesopotamia, India,. Burma. China. Japan. Aleutian Islands. Alaska, Canadian Lakes. New Aoi k. St Joints. Azores and home.

Shock hi ir nixfistor.

SIR ROSS SMITH \\!) LIEUT BENNETT.

BOTH KILLED. II.'TRAi.IAN 'M> N.Z. 0,1C1.E Am-OCtAI 10,N ißeceived This Day at 8 n.m.) LONDON, April 13. S'ir Ross Smith and Lieut Hemieit were killed, while testing their machine. Later.—Sir Ross Smith and Lieu; Bennett rose at 12.15 i:i order to test their machine at Brookland. Keith Smith did not participate in the trial. The (lying conditions were nms. favorable. The machine Hew perfectly for a quarter of an hour and then developed a spin an I crashed and nose (lived, falling on an iron fence surrounding the racing track. Sir Ross Smith was killed instantaneously and Bonneti died two minutes later. Tile defect in the machine which earned the accident is unexplainable at present.

THE FATAL FLIGHT. j (Received This Day ..t 83U a.m J LONDON, April 13. i Half an hour before the fatal flight, j (’apt. Cockeri!! of Vickers Coy. bad successfully Ih'wn the machine for Ihirtv minutes, then handing it over to Sir ! Ross Smith. Keith Smith intended I joining in the trial flight hut arrived | at the aerodrome too iale to partici-j pate, lie however was present to wit-, ness the crash. When th machine fell, j Keith was one of .the liist to arrive ! and saw bis brother removed from the j machine to the track. \ motor ambu-; lance removed the bodies to the mor- j tunry. '

DETAILS OF DISASTER. (Received This Dav at 8.30 a. in A LONDON April 13

An eye witness of the accident declares the machine climled gracefully tmd powerfully to a height- ol three thousand feet and then mviing to a vertical position, on wing lipping. Then she began to spin slowly in a downwards nose to earth. The spectators first thought Sir Russ Smith w-'w stunting in order to test the wings, but speed

and spinning accelerated, and it was ‘ soon apparent the machine was beyond control, and finally crashed ldO yards; from | be tern lied spe-ctamrs. Sir Ross j Smith was found dead in ilie reat of tho i machine which was a heap of wreckage. I Bennett wa s so severely inji red that he expired immediately after extrica- 1 lion from the wreckage. No (ire broke out. The aeroplane was until it j reached the earth. Hon. Guest telegraphed to Keith Smith “On behalf of the Air Council '(.lid self please accept sincerest condol. cnees on the tragic death of Sir Ross Smith and Lieut. Benintt on the eve of your round the world (light.” ‘Mr Guest lias written to Sir J. Cool; requesting him to convey to deceased’s relatives the Air Connell’s profound sympathy at the tragic accident, which billed two distinguished pioneers in aviation, on the eve of l-lieir projected world’s flight, which tlm Council had hoped would not only eclipse the historic flight to Australia, but would also have been a- further step in the linking up liv air of many countries of the world, as well as different, parts of the (Empire. The sudden endin" of two such promising lives would K> every where felt- as an irreparble loss. The Air Ministry will hold an enquiry in a few days. Fifteen hundred of Vi 'tors employees Svho were liberated tar the trial witnessed the fatal flight. One member of tile yiekei’s testing staff, in a fitatae

ment said [ ascended another machine accompanied by cinematographers who were photographing the Ross Smith machine named tile ‘"Vickers.” AY hen under Cockerill’s charge she behaved splendidly. When Sir Rrss Smith took over the machine she had a beautiful take off and ran well. Then Sir Ross Smith shut off the engine and was making for the aerodrome. He pulled her nose \i]) and stalled, and that is all. She Logan to spin downwards from a height of two thousand- feet which 'was not enough to permit Smith to rectify it. TTo added that nobody will ever know exactly what happened. Keith Smith was overcome with grief when hi l saw the crash nul flung himself across bis brother’s body.