NATIONAL AIRWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 July 1933, Page 5

NATIONAL AIRWAYS

A N.Z. COMPANY

PLANS FOR ITS FORMATION.

(Per Press Association—Copyright)

WELLINGTON, July 25

Plans for the formation oi' a- National Airways Company in New Zealand are being made, and /Mr Wilfred Kings ford Smith is dne to arrive in :New Zealand about the middle of next month, (hi connection with the flotation of the company. It is quit e probable that Sir 'Charles Kingsford Smith will be interested in the company. Full details of the operations proposed are not yet available, but. the present plans centre around a service between Auckland. ‘Wellington /and Christchurch, the ■North Island part of the route bein# via Now Plymouth It is possible that the Codock monoplane, to be flown across the T.isman' Sea iby Squadron Leader T. W. White in December next, will be used as one of the company’s machines PARTICULARS OF NEW (MACHINE. PLANE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. WELLINGTON, July 25. Work in connection with the manufacture of the machine to be flown across the 'Tasman Sea in December by Squadron Leader T. W, White, is proceeding at Cockatoo Dock, Sydney, according to advice received by Mr R. Shiel, aviation officer of the Vacuum Oil Company. The machine is a •twin) emgined monoplane. It has Ween .designed to maintain heigh* while flying with one engine only. U will carry six passengers, and their •baggage. ,as well as a load of mail at a cruising speed of 125 miles an hour and- a hop speed of 140 miles an hour. It will incorporate one feature that has not hitherto been used in aircraft .confitijuriilon. In place of a heavy extractable undercarriage, the monoplane will /'be fitted with movable wheel 'fairings, commonly known ' as “pants,” which can be lifted when the machine is about to land. Fixed wheel pants have been in fairly general use. They reduce, the drag produced by the wheels in flight, 'and permit a morel even flow of air around them, ‘thereby increasing the spewed of the machine, but it has been found that these fairings may ibe dangerous if mud clogs when landing.

The name of the machine not vet * been chosen, but its type will be known as; the Wackett Genlock. ‘‘Codock” is an abbreviation for the Cockatoo 'Dock, where it is being touilit under the ‘ supervision of Wing-Com-mander L. J. Wackett.

KINGSFORD SMITH’S PLANS

-'SYDNEY, July 25

Sir C- Kingsford iSmith will make a trip to England before his Tasman flight with Lady King&fprd Smith. He will sail from 'Melbourne, for Java early ;in August. A(t Jav :a . he will board a Dutch air liner for England and Lady Kingsford Smith will return to Melbourne. Sir Charles hopes to leave, England some time in September or early in October for Sydney, thus taking advantage of the absence of the moasoonal disturbances that are at present hampering Woods on his flight to England.

MOLLISON DESCRIBES FLIGHT.

CONGRATULATIONS ON EFFORT.

LONDON, July 25,

iMollison’s story shows that the weather was worse than they anticipated. They flew into low clouds and drizzle within two and a half hours of leaving Pendjne Sands, which made the task of following the Southern 'lrish coast hazardous. Once they almost struck a cliff. They were twentytwo hours over the Atlantic. After flying 'blind for a period, they ran into clear weather, and saw many icebergs (and they sighted land at noon, British time. This wa 6 a promontory a few miles north of their intended landfall, and they still were eleven' 1 hundred miles from New York, but their petrol supplies had been used more than they expected in fighting headwinds. Their ifjpeed was 'reduced, but they were forced to land when only a few gallons were left.

Widespread sympathy is expressed for the Mollisons. Confused by lights the exhausted airman vslightly overshot the Bridgeport aerodrome, and ran into the marshy ground, where the “Seafarer” overturned and was wrecked. Lord 'Londonderry (Air (Minister), telegraphed “Much regret to hear of the unfortunate accident to yourself and Mrs Mollison and of the damage to machine, when you had already accomplished so much.” Congratulations on the great 'East to West flight and many sympathetic messages to the disappointed pair have been received 'by the Mollisons from many quarters, . /Mollison wa 6 within half an hour of New York when being uncertain of his .position - he decided to land at Bridgeport.