HONOLULU CLIPPER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24416, 30 September 1940, Page 6

HONOLULU CLIPPER

MACHINE PUTS BACK SLIGHT ENGINE DEFECT TESTS MADE IN FLIGHT (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept. 28. The Pan-American Airways Honolulu Clipper took off at 7.49 this morning from the company's base at Mechanics' Bay on the return flight to America. Twenty minutes later, when in the vicinity of Whangarei Heads, she turned back for Auckland, as a slight defect was discovered in the No. 3 engine. The Clipper was carrying 12 passengers and about 3001 b of New Zealand mail and 1451 b of New Zealand freight, as well as a quantity of through mail and freight from Australia. The dat§ of the departure of the Clipper has not been definitely determined. Mechanics were working on the machine at the week-end, and it was thought to-day that a new engine would be fitted and the machine testflown in time for her to leave on Wednesday or Thursday morning. The Clipper was in the vicinity of Whangarei Heads when a slight roughness in one engine became apparent. Tests were made in flight and one of the safety features made possible by the great size of the aircraft was put into operation. To avoid any further damage being caused, the engine was shut off and the blades of the fullfeathering air ,screw were turned so that the propeller would not continue to revolve. The engineers then walked along the passage-way provided inside the wing and made routine tests before it was decided to return. Using three engines, which are capable of maintaining the machine in flight with a comfortable margin, the Clipper returned to Auckland without difficulty.