VISIT OF LOCKHEED ELECTRA

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 209, 19 July 1939, Page 2

VISIT OF LOCKHEED ELECTRA

FAST iTlijg TO oiSPOKNK ; : ..Ftasewsa 'J IMP JJOjNli 20 ( MIN FTFB The .1 .ockheed v| tjKiectra- 'uumopJan which visited >sixbi“iki •• tno lust, time on 3louday,i./ik, claimed :to he one ol the wo rid’ »-}' i attest-, commeiii.il planes. 811 hstittttthe de iiavi Ila ini' 80 j-VhlipJj.Ailca , ma Ily operatf-.s the' service. the Lockheed ' wifi aHrcquenc visitor to Opotiki for. about a month, while the <ithe r j plane undergoes annual overhaul. ' 'b;;. .. The Lockheed tfjrfCp. -will ahead of schedule- tiiiW-'aF each of its intermediate steps and it -covered.t 1 1 «• airline distance of 65 ndjes from Oputiki to Oisborne in 20 minutes at- a, speed of 195 miles pea* hoJlKmii -. j :F : ;’ Commander 0. \^liitbt"'ksenidfi' • pilot on the ser\dt-e,>^^i^ : val at Gisborne that under favourable conditions that prevailed, oil Monday, morning the machine could have covered the distance comfortably in 15 minutes, at a speed 'of 20.1 miles per hour. Commander While, was accompanied cm the flight by -Mr. T. 11. - Pike; as. co-pilot-, and the plane carried . a large fconlplement : senders. . arriv’a(Apt. Opbtiki the. plane was ! greeted. Ijy ad unexpected--' jy iafge "huinbej*‘'of.'3l : aqa’is; ; vi’lio poured over 'the'flying field' front-the Torere pair, where "aTiangi had been ul progress.' 1 ........ t.-.

Tlie plane carried. ” another lioavy load of--passengers from Gisborne yesterday morning. including two small children, who appeared to ho thorougihly enjoying their experience. The visiting plane differs in many characteristics from the service planes familiar to travellers on the •GisbornoAucldand and (jiisborne-Falmerstoh. routes. The machine has an all-metal, fuselage and has an unusually sleek appearance in flight with the ‘ undercarriage retracted. .Equipped with two 400 liorstspower engines, the plane weighs nearly live* tons, takes off in 15 .seccndis. climbs with full load to an altitude of 2-1.(.'(ill ft and maintains a cruising speed of 1(55 to 185 miles per hour. It is built of high tensil eduralumm and seamless steel tubing, and is equipped with the latest aids to- aerial navigation . The machine presents a striking picture on the ground. with t.rr whole of the hotly, wings and tail highly burnished, the whole, looking almost as if it- had been electro-plat-ed. The wheels of the retractable undercarriage have tyres of great width, but the wheels are not very high. When the machine lauded at Opotiki yesterday morning, it pulled up in an. amazingly short distance, this being in a great measure due to the wheel-brakes. The machine presents a thrilling sight, as it takes olid the engines fairly screaming as the* machine quickly gathers speed, and the air absolutely vibrates from the concussion as the machine streaks by. The machine hardly appears to booff the ground before the retractablewheels move up into the wings. This helps the machine to a considerable degree to climb rapidly after the takeoff.