ATLANTIC FLIGHTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 217, 13 August 1937, Page 7

ATLANTIC FLIGHTS

USE OF COMPONENT ’F'LANES. ONE TO LAUNCH THE OTHER. PREPARING FOR TJRIALS. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received August 13, 11.55 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 12. Four more double North Atlantic journeys are to be flown by the Caledonia and Cambria before the winter ice at Newfoundland closes the route. Meanwhile, the interest temporarily centres on the Short-Mayo composite aircraft, which has been designed to overcome the difficulty of launching long-range aircraft with the maximum load and which is now ready lor its trials. The first experimental flights will be made with the lower compon* ent, a large four-engined flying-boat similar to the standard Empire boat except for the mechanism by which the upper component, a four-engined float aeroplane, will he attached, lhe lower component is powered by four Bnstol-Pegasus engines of 950 horsepower each. until both components have satisfactorily passed their trials will the critical experiment of a joint flight with the launching of the upper component at a height of about 10,000 feet, be carried out. The Short-Mayo composite aircraftis one of three lines ot attack on the problem of commercial trans-Atlantic lights, the other two being the Empire flying-boats which have already been on trial and De Havilland Albatross monoplanes; the date for the experimental flights with them have not yet been fixed.