SURVEY FLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1931, Page 6

SURVEY FLIGHT

SIR A. - COBHAM’S PLANS. LONDON, July 10. One of the most important survey flights of recent years—a journey of 12,000 miles from England into the heart of Africa—is about to begin. Flying with a crew of five" in a big monoplane on floats, which is the largest marine aircraft of this type yet built, Sir Alan Oobham has planned to follow a route via the Mediterranean and Nile valley to the great high altitude lakes of Central Africa. This may in the future constitute the essential link in a big new system of trans-continental airways. In addition to his survey work, Sir Alan ig commissioned to test thoroughly the Short Valetta seaplane, which is an experimental machine, desigued to provide a comparison with a flying boat of equal power and size. The unusual importance of the flight lies an the fact that should vSir Alan find satisfactory conditions all the way to th 0 most southerly point of his voyage, the picturesque IJake Kivu located in the mountains 5000 feet above sea level, he would establish the immediate possibility of operating flying machines regularly right across Africa from east to west. Such a route would provide for air-borne goods coming from India, , the Far East, and Australia and New Zealand, an alternative to the Mediterranean and tb e Straits of Gibraltar, hut up to the present the essential connection stages between the Belgian Congo and East Africa along the line of the

high altitude lakes has never been thoroughly surveyed by air. The lakes are also a magnificent tourist centre, a natural playground unsurpassed in the world for everchanging beauty and variety of wild life. . There is undoubted scope here for local seaplane services, which would enable the region to. he reached in a fraction of. the time taken by ground transport. Further, there seems likely to be immense potential traffic waiting for the* establishment of links with air services already operating in the Belgian Congo. TEN-TON MONOPLANE.

The Valetta is a big monoplane craft, measuring no less than 107 feet from wing-tip to wing-tip. and weighing when fully laden more than ten tons. On the water it moves on two immense floats, each of which is nearly '4O feet long. In normal use 1 the big saloon cabin has luxurious accommodation for sixteen passengers and their baggage. Power is derived from three 490 h.p. Bristol Jupiter aircooled radial motors. Those give the ibio; aeroplane a maximum speed of 135 m.p.li., a cruising speed of 110, and carry it with full load on board to a “ceiling” of 16,000 feet. Sufficient fuel js carried normally for a flight non-stop of 520 miles. An exceptionally powerful wireless transmitter and receiver and elaborate navigational equipment are carried in the crew’s cabin. Rudders on each of the floats enable the pilot to manoeuvre

the ten tons of seaplane on the water with the ease and certainty of a small speed-boat.