FRENCH AEROPLANE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1929, Page 2

FRENCH AEROPLANE

TO' VISIT SOCKBUEN. . AUCKLAND, Aug. 7. Unfortunately owing to a badly poisoned foot which he cut while walking along a coral, reef at Noumea, Lieut. J, G. M. Bellando wa§. confined to his room aboard” the cruiser Tourville during the whole stay at Auckland. As a Result Aucklanders iiad no opportunity of seeing the cruiser’s two ’planes in flight, Lieut. Bellando being the only pilot on the vessel. No one;-’was !• more sorry than the cheerful;, little lieutenant himself, for he told a Reporter that he was anxious to try out the t big 0.A.M.6. amphibian and smaller F.B.E. seaplane on Auckland’s fine harbour. Captain Abrial was equally disappointed, and stated that he had hoped the pilot would have made a flight from Auckland to Wellington, arriving the day before the I Tourville. It will he the good : fortune of Wellington and Christchurch residents to see these two eyes of the cruiser in flight. Yesterday Lieutenant Bellando said that his foot should be quite well by the time the Tourville reached Wellington. Early next week he planned to leave Wellington in thp C.A.M.S. amphibian, accompanied by an officer and a mechanician, and fly to Christchurch. He is very anxious to visit the Wigram military . prodrome at Sockburn, Christchurch,'and hopes to stay there for two days, during which time he will leave the big machine in. the hangars for overhaul. “I would like to he able to do this,” he added, “because the C.A.M.S. as never been under cover since the ship left France.”

The C.A.M.S. is fitted with a 450 h.p. Loraine Deitrich, engine giving it a top speed of 100 miles per hour and a cruising speed of 90 miles with a range of six hours. This machine can take off and land on either land or sea. The F.B.E. seaplane is fitted with a 180 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine.