AFRICAN AIR SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1932, Page 8

AFRICAN AIR SERVICE

ELEVEN DAYS TO CAPE TOWN

FAST MONOPLANES

LONDON, November 26

Oil January 20th the first outward air mail from England to South Africa will leave the London Air Station. Eleven days later the mail’s, carried on the way in live different types of aei op lanes, will he delivered in Cape Town. The liist homeward mail is scheduled to depart from Cape Town on January 25th and to reach London on February sth. Th-ncefonvard the mails, and after ,a trial period passengers as well, will be carried once each week in eithe-' direction.

'I liese dates for tha opening of the bn'.rest Empire airway (pending completion of the England-Austral;;, line) are officially approved. l’oi months past- the arduous work of preparing aerodromes and rest-houses along ihe length of Africa has engaged hundreds of men. The present African service, ending at the Great Lakes, ha; triumphantly surmounted early troubles and provided much valuable data for future operation Machines detailed to operate' sections of the new route are moving to their appointed stations according to plan. Weather information stations, aided by elaborate wirt'ess receiving and trausinitt’tig plant, are ready right along the 6000 miles from Caiio to the Cape. Tin* far-sighted arrangements made by Imperial Airways will ensure that every detail' of the organisation l.s ready to begin work a fortnight before the opening of the service. The re-shuffling of the imperial Airways Fleer necessitated by the approaching inauguration of the new service. is going on rapidly. Two of the immense Handley Page Type 42 biplanes are at present operating between ■Cairo and Delhi for service in Africa, and the first of these older machines to he diverted to the African route actually left Cairo yesterday for (Jape Town. In addition to the operating crew il carried Flight-Lieutenant Durrani I wireless exp l rl attached to the Signals Branch of the Air Ministry) and Major 11. (1. Brackley (Air Superintendent of Imperial Airways), who are seizing the opportunity to inspect (lie new organisation in the eour.se of a I ism el v flight south.

NEW MONOPLANE AIK-UNKRN. 1 i!iport:■ lit iici'iMiTjii i'ni nl thi' .servin’ is ijiliimicil for next simnnrr, when ii lli'cl hi pie lit exceptionally List inoiio-pl.-i ii air-liners Mill !i • pilin' I ill eomim iss ion. These machines, tin" liuililiny' ;it lie.' .A rinst I <>m> Wlii t. wort Ii In rInrv, hit desit'tied tu i-niise nt linin’ limn 120 miles nil linni' ;I ml to iv.'leh ;i in;: \ i ill mu speed ni' l-Tfi m.p.11. nil the power of lour .VIG li.p. air-cooled radial minors, Olin* lII.' aerodromes almi.ii • lie route ni'i' tlinrniii'li'y <1 inihim! work v. liirli should In' I'umpli’leil "'.thill tie' next few months—the nr" moiioplaii-s v, ih he e||trusted wnii op ration of the airway from Cairo to I lie Capo, superseding ;!i(■ older and slower <• i.i t! wliudi "ill c.inv mads and pass 'liecl r ill tie' early months. 'I In. enmpanC oxpi C.s denial that I 1)0 ini indue! 101 l "I I lie lie" maeliile's oi,l, pos-aldv. adoption ol liiidit il\ 111!.’, di aja eio tall) see t ions ol the roll e, "ill ■.■ di.i ;• Oil- l ime nee 1- d lot the ■m ; ;, ; Ip- ail ,oi'l I'iC’V imli.t'.-n

and the South African terminus from eleven days to nine. This ace-derated service will outstrip the swiftest man steamer to Cape Town by eight days. And the farther inland the destination the griatei will he the time saved by air travel, up to three weeks and m ire in the heart of the Continent. Each of the new monoplanes, eolleet i vtily sly led tin. tlaiita' class, can be equipped to carry up to seventeen passengers, and the fuselage is s< > planned that each travell-r wirl he allotted more space than in any previous air line era ft-. So roomy is the eaiiin that the airway officials contemplated providing each passenger with a deck lounge chair and foot-r-st. The srheme of furnishing dually adopted will allow ai leasi equivalent space and eoinlori. Travel.ing in the heat, ol the tropics can he an almost unbearable ordeal unless the passeiig r has plenty ol air and room: the airway, with B-s new equipment, should 'prove by tar the most com fort able minus ol travel.