AMAZING FLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1933, Page 6

AMAZING FLIGHT

NON-STOP TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

PLANE TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND

LONDON, March .13

Refuelling an aeroplane in flight is to be demonstrated in a manner calculated to prove its utility in commercial air transport by an important flight in a new type of aeroplane, the construction of. which is now complete except ' fo r minor items of equipment. . The Air Ministry, although not bearing the cost of the enterprise, j 6 helping in all other possible ways. One of th e two pilots will be a serving officer in the R.A.F., an officer who is well known beyond service circles. The other pilot will be one of the most famous of the world.

i Th e flight will be one from England to Australia, fib is hoped to complete the distance of about 10,000 miles in five days. The accomplishment of the distance in a non-stop flight would be a world •record, but it would be classed .in the new category of flights refuelled in the air.

Record breaking, however, i,s not the object in view. Th e (flight is intended to prove by demonstration that by means of refuelling >in the air a large paying commercial load can bo carried. Thus success, in this direction would raise the flight far above the ordinary long-distance records, for which there ifi no margin of carrying capacity beyond that needed for tankage. In the coming flight the machine will not.'be a more “flying tank.” Its will be of very moderate capacity, but its. cargo room- will be large.

; iSeveral depots will be established on. ■route. Much thought is being given to the placing of thus-. depots and th n organisation of refuelling points, y> order that daylight horny? may be used for these operations. Machine "Pares w'U be available at- various points, ready for .emergencies. The machine is a, s in»|e-<*-nr-no eaten monoplane with a retractable ■undercarriage. Tts cruising ispeed will be not le.s s than 130 miles an hour. ,Tt is, therefore, faster than most British air liners, but not so foot os the class of 'high-speed American air mail aero-

planes. After, its • Australian flight. th a machine will- proceed to N G w Zealand and to other countrj.es, .