IN THE AIR

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1929, Page 7

IN THE AIR

AEROPLANES FOR AUSTRALIA

LONDON. Fob. 28,

A new aeroplane for tin* Royal Aus traliau Air Force has been finished al Yeovil, it is the first of what air known as the Westland Wapiti Gener al Purpose aeroplane, and has been built by the Westland Aircraft Works. This company’s faith lias been doubly rewarded, for mil only have they orders from the Rritish Air Ministry for tin re-equipment of the Royal Air Fore* with Wapitis, as well as tin* order foi 28 machines for Australia with furl her orders in pr--.spoof, for other Dominion hut they also demonstrated publicly i new throe-engined cabin monoplane ii tiie medium-power class which is likely to fill a very big gap in the domain for commercial air-craft’ in ill-developed countries where reliability is of groa importance. Only a few days ago tin 7f>th Wapiti was flown, and since tin first of the typo was made it has heel adapted for use as a seaplane by fittinr floats, and for service in frozen land by the substitution of skis. The official christening of the Aus tralian machine was performed by Lad Ryrio. wife of the High Commissionc for Australia. After this (writes “’l’lic Times” correspondent) demonstration) were given of the fine powers o' manoeuvre which the Wapiti possesses and then Lady Ryrio, Mrs Rruoe (th wife of the chairman of the Westland Aircraft Works), Sir Sefton Braneke and Sir Ernest Potter went for a tria ! flight in the New Westland cabin mono plane with its three Cirrus engines of 85 h.p. each. When later I had the chance to make a short flight in this new iive-seater monoplane I was agree ably impressed by the comfort of tin cabin, the quietness of the liiacliim generally, the excellence of the view.

and the scope of manoeuvre, added t< which was the pleasant feeling that the machine would fly and climb on any two engines, and only lose height gradually with the two wing engines euf out.

This is the first machine of its type and, it is worth noting, the only one in the world, in which definite efforts has been made with simple engines ol the Cirrus class to give the commercial operator-of small aircraft the same degree of reliability and safety obtained with the large air-liner that take 10 to 12 passengers,. The pay load at present is not equal to that obtainable with a single engine, hut further development will improvee this, and, in any ease, for colonial operations it may well ho more important L> ensure arrival on time over a deserted route than to risk forced landing by reliance on a single-power unit.