FLYING BOATS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1928, Page 1

FLYING BOATS

BRITISH PROGRESS. No more convincing proof of the capabilities and the suitability of British developed aircraft of the amphibian type could be wished for than the impressive performances lately given by planes of this design. In addition to tho arrival at Broome, in tho Northern Territory of Australia, on June Ist of the R.A.F'. Squadron on their flight from Plymouth (England) via Singapore, Sir Alan Cobham, accompanied by Lady Cobham and a crew of four, on Thursday concluded a 23,030 miles aerial survey of the coast and interior lakes of Africa in a flying boat. Both these ventures were taken on scientific and experimental grounds, with a view to studying the qualifications of amphibian craft, under 'actual conditions, Tor playing a part in linking up the distant parts of Empire by speedy and reliable means of communication.

Of special interest from an Empire point of view is llli) pi'osent cruise of a squadron of Supermarine “’Southampton” flying boats from Plymouth to Singapore and Australia and back to Singapro, which is to be the base l'(fr this division. This type of twinengined flying boat, which appeared for the first time in tho early part of 1925, is now the standard twin-en-gined reconnaissance living boat of tho British Royal Air Force, and large numbers have been ordered for duty with tho Naval Co-operation Squadrons. The “Southampton” is of very clean Resign and is fitted with n monoplane tail with three cantilever fins about it. 'flic advantage of this type of tail, which is one of the many novel features of the machine, is that the machine-guns with which it is armed have an unrestricted field of fire to the rear. The design lias proved that a flying boat can defend itself most efficiently, a fact that has revolutionised all previous ideas on this matter.

The “Southampton” has a wing spitn of 75ft, is 19ft Sin in length, and ISft “in in height. Its weight when fully loaded is 14,30'11b5, and weight unladen 89031b5. Its maximum speed is 108 miles per hour, landing sliced 52 miles per hour, and it is able to climb to 5000 ft in ten minutes. ’ON ROUGHEST SEAS. The machine is extremely seaworthy, and will ride out the roughest seas under which conditions it can be taken off or landed with speed. Usually a crew of five is carried. 'llie Napier “Lion” engine lias not given tbo slightest trouble throughout the many thousands of hours that these machines live been in the air. It. is: interesting n know that although the machine is fitted with two engines it has been flown continually on one rn<t|ii'\ and can be manoeuvred and turned without difficulty with only one engin ’ working. \ successful cruise around the British Isles was made bv lour ol these machines in 1925. and a, flight was made from England to Egypt and hack in 1923. In the former cruise the total distance covered was over 1 0.0'10 miles, and although the wvainer was Uol the original programme was carried out. On occasions the bo.ats were successfully refuelled at sea: on one oeeasion during a li av> gale. On the flight to Egypt and back the total mileage covered was GOOD sen miles (nearly 7030 land miles) and the machine miles flown were twice that figure.

A ROMANCE OF INDUSTRY. One of the greatest romances of the British aircraft industry has been the development of the Jupiter engine, and it is an interesting fact that at the big French aero show last year 50 tier cent of the machines shown were fitted with the Britishdesigned Bristol Jupiter engine, made under license by the Gnome* et Rhone Company. (Phis remarkable preponderance of Jupiter engines in a show organised by a country noted for engineering skill is best explained (by reference to a speech made in 1 he trench Chamber of Deputies by the Minister of War, who, after placing large orders for Jupiter engines for French military machines, was called upon to defend his action. In the course of his remarks he said that 50 per cent of the fighting units of the British R.A.F. were fitted with air-cooled engines. whereas the only really effi U '~rn

dent engine of that type manufactured in France was the Jupiter, made under British license. Another interesting fact which illustrates the 'international value of flying-boat construction is that the new German “llocco” flying boat, built for the Deutsche Luft-Hansq air line, which has been commissioned for the Stettin-Oslo route,, has two Rolls-Royce Condor engines. These develop 1300 h.p., and the ’plane will carry ten passengers and 45011) of luggage. AYlien we remember that the British Empire has been built up by the sea wo must realise the vast potentialities of the seaplane both for the development of commerce and for purposes of defence. It is well that the Empire is in the vanguard of progress in this type of construction.