MOTORDOM

Southland Times, Issue 21097, 31 May 1930, Page 16

MOTORDOM

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OF GENERAL INTEREST.

The Riley Motor Club which was founded in 1925 is the largest “one-car” club in the world.

The Daimler “thirty-five” it is claimed, is the largest and most luxurious sixcylinder private car produced.

Chrysler Corporation’s income during 1929 amounted to 21,902,168 dollars compared with 30,991,475 dollars in 1928.

The smartest looking car in the list of 1930 new models pictorially presented by The Motor, undoubtedly is the new Rover 20 h.p. Meteor sportsman's saloon.

Winner of the Indianapolis 500-mile race in 1914, Rene Thomas, although 55 years of age, is trying to complete negotiations whereby he will participate in this year’s event.

This month Lord De Clifford is going over to America with a number of speed model Lagondas in order to show what fine sport cars England is capable of building.

In Germany an excellent system is in force whereby tourists are met outside several of the principal cities, and for a Small fee can have their car driven to any place in the town by licensed drivers.

An entirely new motor spirit, to be known as racing shell has been placed on the English market. The new spirit contains no dope or deleterious matter, and its anti-knock properties are simliar to that of pure benzole.

The England—lndian Air Mail Service which was established on March 30, 1929, has proved to be very popular. During the first month in which it was operated the number of letters carried averaged 12,000 weekly. The number steadily increased and in December 1929, the average weekly load was 40,000 letters.

His Highness, the Maharajah of Jodhpur State, India, is an enthusiastic motorist. He owns no less than 105 cars and keeps them all in one great garage, which is equipped with repair shop, paint shop, spare parts depot, and modern servicing equipment of all kinds.

It seems to me that we are losing our common sense. How we as lawyers have managed to evolve this network of rubbish out of the simplest possible matter I am at a loss to understand. Mr Justice Horridge speaking in cases relating to motor accidents.

First place at the forthcoming New York Automobile Show has again been awarded to Chevrolet. The award is given to the company doing the largest annual volume of business- and is one of the most coveted honours that the automobile industry can bestow on an individual automobile owner.

In America the Austin Seven is being heralded as the bantam car that will run 40 miles on a gallon of petrol, 1000 miles on a filling of oil, 20,000 miles to 40,000 miles on a set of tyres, and 10,000 miles on 56 dollars worth of petrol and oil. The selling price is to be under £9O.

Three world’s records for light aircraft were set up recently. Two of them weresecured by an Italian pilot, who flew a distance of about 1865 miles in a closed circuit. A Fiat “A 8.1. type two-seater aeroplane was used, by Commander Donati, the pilot responsible for the records. The third light aircraft record was for altitude and was secured by M. Abbot, a French aeronautical engineer, who succeeded in attaining a height of 26,250 feet.

Plans to construct 250,000 miles of highway throughout the Soviet Union withit the next five years have been completed by the Commissioniat of communications. The enterprise will cost 5,000,000,000 rubles. , To carry out this enormous plan Russia will require 400,000,000 rubles worth of modern roadbuilding machinery besides 8,000 engineers, 13,000 technicians and 44,000 road-layers.

Hot air sprayed out in front of an automobile by an attachment on the exhaust, has been found effective in clearing away London’s fog. The rising current of heated air created by the device lifts the fog about 10 feet in front of the front wheels, and does it smart enough to permit a forward speed of 15 miles an hour being observed. The fog-lifter can be attached to any car’s exhaust and is much simpler than the ordinary windshield wiper.

I do not know what was most enjoyable: the visit to Captain Birken’s works at Welwyn or the journey there and back with the Earl of March in his speed six Bently. What a car it is! The sort of car enthusiasts dream about, .swift and silent in movement, as light as a feather to control! I have had to do several thousand miles in saloon cars since Christmas, so this swift rush up the Great North road was a sheer delight.—A writer in an English Motor Journal.

The following are the Brooklands 1930 fixtures — Monday, June 9—B.A.R.C. Whitsun Open

Meeting. Saturday, June 21—B-M.C.R.C. Motor Cycle

Meeting. Saturday, June 28 —Kenly’s Rally. Saturday, July S—J.C.C. Members’ Day. Saturday, July 12—8.M.C.R.C. Motor Cycle

Meeting. Saturday, July 19—Lagonda Rally. Saturday, July 26—Light Car Club Mem-

bers’ Day. Monday, Aug. 4—B.A.R.C. August Open

Meeting. Saturday, Aug. 16—8.M.C.R.C. Motor cycle

Meeting. Saturday, Sept. 6—Brighton and Hove

M.C. Members’ Day. Saturday, Sept. 13 —B.M.C.R.C. Motor Cycle

Meeting. Saturday, Sept. 20—8.A.R.C. Six Hours’

Race. Saturday, Sept. 27—M.C.C. High Speed

Trial. Saturday, Oct. 4 —B.R.D.C. 500 Miles Race. Saturday, Oct. 11—B.M.C.R.C. Motor Cycle

Meeting. Saturday, Oct, 25 —B.M.C.R.C. Motor Cycle Meeting.

When the main fuel tank of a car fitted with a Vacuum feed runs dry, it may happen that a supply of fuel poured into the float chamber will be insufficient to run the engine long enough to draw fuel into the vacuum tank from the replenished main tank. The difficulty can be overcome by removing the vacuum pipe between the tank and the induction manifold and sucking the fuel through with the mouth, the lips being applied, of course, to the end of the vacuum pipe. The construction of the vacuum tank makes it impossible for the operator to draw petrol into his mouth, but it will be found that the tank can be rapidly filled in this, manner.

LATEST MODELS.

BRITISH AND AMERICAN CARS. THE RItEY FOURTEEN. Recently the heads of the Riley firm, one of the oldest in the industry, were paid an unusual compliment: they were the guests at a lunch given by their London distributors to mark the fact that £1,000,000 worth of Rileys were sold last year. For that achievement the little Nine was altogether responsible; now it has a six-cylinder Brother of which equally, great things are expected, says an English motor critic. Few single models have ever scored such a meteoric success as the Riley Nine. It set tso new fashions—the “silent third” and the sporting type of saloon body; it took its makers the best part of two years to catch up with the d'eriiand for it, and it boasts a curiously enthusiastic army of owners. So great, indeed, was its success that production of the 14. h.p. Six introduced at the 1928 Olympia Show was held up for a year, and has only now started in earnest.

Smoothness and Vigour. All the features of the Nine are repeated in the Fourteen, and the engine of the latter is to all intents that of the four plus two more cylinders. Its vigour for 13.5 rated horse-power is as amazing as that of the nine horse-power, and it has all the extra smoothness that one expects from extra cylinders. There is not a trace of vibration or valve bounce, even when it is driven all out, which fact, I am afraid, will tempt its owners to keep the pedal well down at every opportunity. I can testify that it will maintain a steady fifty against a very high wind without pressing and with never a sign of flagging, and at that speed it is perfectly delightful to drive. There is a curious drumming—from the exhaust —at just forty miles per hour, but it disappears at all other speeds above and below, and a low hum is the engine’s sole note. The “silent third” is really silent up to forty. The car is lively, a good climber, sticks to the road like a leech, and can apparently be driven for ever without fatigue; springs, steering, and brakes being all first-class. Riley steering has always been exceptionally good. Its mileage per gallon is 18-23. The fabric saloon body, which I tried, is a few inches longer and a good deal wider than that of the Nine, and my rear passengers were thoroughly comfortable. 'Die car is very low-hung. I think no running boards and cycle-type wings would be an improvement.

TRANSPORT BILL.

NOW BEFORE N.S.W. LEGISLATIVE. Among the different clauses embodied in the Transport Bill now before the New South Wales Legislature, to control motoromnibus services in that State, there is inserted a clause providing for insurance against third-party risk, to the effect that everv vehicle is to be insured for a sum of £5,000. In a recent address delivered by Mr W. A. Holman K.C. in the Legislative Council on the bill, he pointed out that the largest bus company in Sydney—the Metropolitan Omnibus Co.—operating 90 vehicles, would, under the provisions of the bill, if it. becomes law, have to secure insurance tor £450,000 at £5,000 per vehicle; and claims against the company during the last two years for both persons and property have totalled but £687 or £343 10/- per annum. To cover that loss of £343 10/- per annum it would be necessary, if the bill becomes law, for that company to obtain insurance amounting to £450,000.

A second company is the Comfort Coach Co., which is at present working 40 vehicles. Its necessary insurance under the provisions of the bill would be £200,000. During the past two years it has expended in settlement of claims £336 for injuries done to persons faced by the present day automobile enage each year of £lBB. This works out—for the 130 vehicles of the two companies—at out new devices for measuring and correctof claims under third-party risk—a ridic-« ulous discrepancy between what has been the actual experience of these companies, and the provision which is suggested in the biU.

To compel these companies to carry such a burdensome amount of insurance per vehicle, i.e. £5,000, would seem quite disproportionate to the need which actual working has disclosed to exist. Needless ,to say," the omnibus companies axe taking strong exception to part of the bill.

A project to build in New Zealand a sixcylinder motor car which will sell at about £220 has been launched by the New Zealand Motor Manufacturing Company Ltd., of Gisborne. The company’s engineer, Mr George Birch, has already built two fourcylinder cars entirely in New Zealand, the only imported parts used being the disc wheels. The two cars, while purely experimental, have given complete satisfaction in teste, and the fact that they have been successful would indicate that there is every ppsaibility of up-to-date cars being constructed commercially in New Zealand. The type of car which it is proposed to put into construction is a six-cylinder, with a special front-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes. It is planned to concentrate on one model at the outset, a four-door sedan, and if such a car can be built to sell at £220, there is no doubt that it will find a ready sale both in the Dominion and elsewhere. The company first proposes to raise £7OOO to purchase certain equipment and patent rights and later to float a company with a capital of £250,000 to manufacture the cars on a large scale within the Dominion.

The total value of motor imports for the three months ended March 31 was nearly £750,000. The following table shows details of the. imports, the values given representing the current domestic values in the countries of export, plus 10 per cent.: —

SOUTHLAND MOTOR CYCLE CLUB.

RELIABILITY TRIAL. COMPETITORS’ PLACES. Excellent entries have again been received for the club’s annual reliability trial to be held next Tuesday. Competitors are timed to ride at one-minute intervals. The following is the result of the draw for places:— SOLO.

TEAMS. Ariel Team: W. G. Jones, A. Lodge, and R. E. Hormann. Ducks Team: W. Knuckey, W. McDowell, and W. Ritchie. Mangapiri Team: H., J. and R. McLees. Mud Revellers Team: G. J. Winton, E. F. Wallis, and H. S. Jones. Wrightson Team: L. W. W. Shave, E. J. McDonald, and S. W. Stephenson. A limited number of entries at late entry fee can still be taken. Team entries also have not yet closed, and teams may be made up until 9.30 a.m. on the morning of the trial. All competitors must check in at the Crescent before 9.15 a.m. for examination of machines. The first rider leaves at 9.46 a.m. Competitors will be coming into Invercargill for the dinner check from 11.53 a.m. onwards. and will be leaving again at oneminute intervals from 12.53 p.m. The first man is due to finish in Spey Street at 3.2 p.m. REPORT ON THE ROUTE. The route will not be announced until competitors reach the starting point on Tuesday morning. However, the latest report on the worst sections which were inspected following heavy rain disclose the fact, that competitors have nothing to fear. Unless the weather is very unfavourable mud will be practically unknown. The only difficulty likely to be experienced will be keeping up the required average speed of 24 miles per hour. It is estimated that bad surfaces comprise only 27 per cent of the ro'ute. The present state of various points on the course are as follows.

Upzan Downs: Early on the round, this is probably the most difficult point on the whole course, especially for the sidecar entry. Wheelspin was experienced a few days ago with a solo machine, and this could only be overcome by rushing the ascent. Sidecars may need chains. This stretch, which is very short, will be observed. Hittastump Lane: At present consists of a succession of miniature lakes, but a feet-up transit is possible.

Willusink Inn: A very special discovery which has been causing the officials a good deal of anxiety, The recent rain, however, has brought it down to standard, and the moving pictures to be taken here may show some thrilling episodes. Isle Gate Pasture: Somewhat greasy near the middle. Another observed section.

Didditlye Down: The only stretch of real mud on the course; fairly short. The 51-mile course is all within easy distance of Invercargill. One piece of rough which may cause a fair amount of bother is actually inside the City boundary. This will undoubtedly prove popular for those" spectators who are not able to visit some of the other difficult pieces a few miles out. The. official opinion on the course is that it will prove much easier than last year, but if heavy rain sets in this opinion may have to be modified.

CIVIL AVIATION.

NEW TYPE OF MACHINE. • SELLS AT ABOUT £395. We in New Zealand have no idea of the usefulness of the single-seater civilian aeroplane. These machines which have been described as “motor cycles of the air” are designed to sell at the very moderate price of £395, while they have been manufactured with a view to making landings in fields smaller and rougher than the grounds of regular aerodromes. An English publication states that single-seater aircraft are invaluable for. aero club work, especially when a limited number of dual instruction machines are available, for in them novices may make their earlier solo flights and thus leave training machines free for other purposes. In addition their low price places these light aeroplanes within the reach of airmen of moderate means who wish to complete the specified number of flying hours to obtain their “B” or commercial licence.

At the present time only four single-seater light aeroplanes are produced by British firms. They are as follows: Name Maker. "Robin”—A.B.C. Motors Ltd. "Swift” —Comper Aircraft Co., Ltd. "'Martlet”—Southern Aircraft Ltd. "Gadfly”—Glenny and Henderson Ltd. Three of these machines are monoplanes, the Southern "Martlet” being the only biplane. Perhaps the most interesting of these British single-seater light aeroplanes is the A.B.C. “Robin.” This machine is equipped with a totally enclosed cabin enabling the owner to make long flights without wearing a flying outfit. The cabin is fitted with adjustable sliding windows and a V-shaped front screen. A compartment at the rear of the cabin enables all luggage necessary for personal requirements to be carried. The engine of the “Robin” is the A.B.C. "Scorpion” mark II engine. This is of the twin-cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled type. The engine incorporates several novel and useful features one of them being that the whole cylinder unit, complete with induction pipe, may be lifted away in one piece after removing the nuts of the cylinder foot studs and those fixing the induction pipe to the crankcase.

WINTER HINTS. <.

FIT NJEW HEAD LAMP BULBS,

MAINTAIN THE TYRES AT THE LOW-

EST PRESSURE.

There was a time when the main function of the accumulator was to provide electricity for the lamptt now many motorists may consider that its chief duty is to start the engine. It is necessary therefore states The Autocar, that the battery should always be at, the top of its . form during the winter months, when the oil in the engine becomes thick and gummy. There are many occasions on which the work of the battery can be saved; for example, there is no need to use a dash lamp when the car - is parked, nor for the head lights when travelling through well-lighted streets. It is essential that the acid level of the battery shall be maintained at its proper level; in fact, it should be “topped<up” at least once a month or as required. Any garage will do this for a few. pence. The strain on the battery can also be lessened by depressing the clutch at the same time as the starter is used. Th* s obviates the need of turning the driving shaft gears, which have to- turn, • with the engine, in cold and congealed gear oil or grease offering a considerable resistance. The advantage can be ascertained by letting in the clutch when the engine has just started; an appreciable change of note will be noticed. •

If it becomes necessary to set the screenwiper in operation, it is time well spent to stop and wipe the screen; otherwise the screen will be smeared by the rain drops mixed with dust. If passengers are to enjoy motoring on cold days it is necessary to provide for their comfort by means of good rugs and cushions. There are many foot-warmers and foot-muffs available, and are much appreciated by ladies and especially by elderly people. If the owner-driver will, for once, become a back seat passenger in his own car he will, perhaps, discover little things to make,the passengers really comfortable, not least being the distance he may lower his side window, when driving, without causing a draught. When all windows are closed, smoking should be reduced to a minimum.

If it becomes necessary to set the screenwiper in operation, it is time well spent to etop and wipe the screen; otherwise the screen will be smeared by the rain, drops mixed with dust.

If passengers are to enjoy motoring on really cold days it is necessary to provide for their comfort by means of good rugs and cushions. There are many foot-warm-ers and foot-muffs available, and are much appreciated by ladies and especially by elderly people. If the owner-driver will, for once, become a back-seat passenger in his own car he will, perhaps, discover little things to make the passengers really comfortable, not least being the distance he may lower his side window, when driving, without causing a draught. When ail windows are closed, smoking should be reduced to a minimum.

Few modern innovations have been better appreciated than the sliding roof. Many motorists like the open car for the fresh air that it gives, but nevertheless, they buy a saloon for the reason that they desire a warm and waterproof vehicle for the winter months. The sliding roof is the ideal of many lovers of fresh air, and there are very few makes of cars on which this refinement is not obtainable. The sliding portions of certain of these roofs are held in place by small bolts fitted at either side. When the roof is closed by the driver, with the car in it very often happens that he will secure only one side of the roof and leave the other side, to reach which he would have to stretch his arm, until the journey is completed or until the next stop. This is an upnwise thing to do, for it may strain the roof, with the result that in course of time it begins to rattle. It sometimes happens that the roof will stick and become hard to open after continual use. This can be very easily overcome with the aid of a smear of oil; it is well to note that here is an extra point which requires attention when the car is being lubricated. Every motorist has heard of the advantages of maintaining the tyres at ths correct pressures, yet comparatively few, perhaps, pay any attention to these warnings. The value of the correct air pressure cannot be over-estimated, and, quite apart from the extra tyre-life obtained, greater comfort and easier steering accrue from having tyres working under the pressure at which they have been designed to operate. If the tyres are too hard the car will be shaken about unduly, and very often in such circumstances the driver will tell his passengers that the roads are becoming worse and worse. If the pressure is too low the steering will become extremely hard, and a longish journey will be very tiring to the driver without there being any apparent reason. Before undertaking a long journey test each tyre.

Everybody is fond of fresh air, but nobody likes draughts. A surprising amount of draught can penetrate into the car through a badly closed windscreen; as very few windscreens are opened during the winter it adds greatly to comfort if the screen is fastened firmly. Added convenience can be obtained by taking up the floor mats and lining the bottom of the car with felt. This increases the softness of the floor, and if the operation is done wtih care it will prevent draughts from coming through cracks in the floor boards and the slots through which the pedal levers work, and it will also prevent water from a thoroughly 'wet road being shot into the interior. It sometimes happens that cars fitted with sliding windows are draughty in cold weather. It is obvious that the draught comes between the two panes of glass; this can be stopped by pieces of rubber draughtbeading such as is used for.doqrs and windows in old houses. The beading should be “packed” between the panes of glass. It will not fall out unless the gap is.usually wide. Now that the cold weather is here many owner-driver-mechanics will be working in the garage, and, as most have little daytime available, the car must receive its care and attention at night by the aid of artificial light. The light can be doubled or trebled in brilliance if the walls of the garage are whitewashed.

The springs of many cars are exposed to the elements and during the wet. winter months they will tend to become rusty, unsightly, and to squeak' This can.be avoided if a litle oil is poured into a jam jar and the springs painted with it. Gaiters may be obtained for enclosing the springs. Should the water be drained from the radiator in the event of a frost it is well to place a label to that effect on the starting handle, or any other conspicuous place. Alternately the radiator cap should be placed on the driver’s seat as a reminder.

If the , car has been garaged in an . open garage for the night the water level should be examined. Garages have a habit of emptying radiators and keeping all knowledge of the good de'-d to themselves. Not every motoris' ./fakes any special advantage pf the oil companies’ special winter grades of lubricant., these not only give better running, and a freer engine in cold weather, but do not gum up as do the “summer” oils, thus their use tends to give easier starting on chilly mornings. During dark nights the best possible lamps are required. Xamp bulbs grow‘old in due course and may give a dim yellow light where a new bulb would provide a'bright white beam.,- With the coming of winter, drivers should discard old bulbs, and fit new ones. The expenditure of a few shillings will be rewarded. If the glass of a bulb is discoloured in any way it may be taken 4or granted that it has passed its first flush of youth, although it may be kept as a spare and will in all probability give many hours of useful, though inferior illumination. With the popularity of wind-up windows on saloon cars it. is very surprising that so few people give any attention to the channels in which the windows slide. A few spots of thin oil will often work marvels if the windows are stiff to wind up or down. On cold mornings a • tremendous amount of battery energy can be saved if the engine is turned over a few times by hand. This is done in order to break the film of oil which “gums’’ the piston to the walls of the cylinders. *

STAINLESS STEEL AND - CHROMIUM PLATING.

RELATIVE ADVANTAGES.

ALTERNATIVE’ METHODS FOR SECURING A BRIGHT SURFACE. T

In these progressive times invention follows invention with such rapidity that no sooner has the public become: acquainted with one novelty and its advantages than another springs up in ■ competition, writes The Motor. Rather a striking example of this can be found in the finish and materials employed for the bright parts of motor cars. For many years’the majority of motorists were content’with nickel' plating, while a few were willing to pay for the luxury of silver or gold. Nickel plating, if carried out properly with a deposit of reasonable thickness, proves durable and has an attractive colour, but, of. course, nickel is a relatively soft metal which tarnishes fairly readily, and so- must be cleaned a frequent intervals in order to retain the lustre. It was this need for regular attention which sealed the doom of nickel plating for, at any rate, all cars selling at moderate prices, because owner-drivers are naturally disinclined to spend half an hour every couple of days with polishing cloths. The successor to nickel was chromium, which, after an experimental period, came into its own last autumn, as exemplified by the 1930 models shown at Olympia last October. It is applied by special electro-plat-ing methods, the evolution of which would make a story of its own, owing to the very great technical difficulties which had to be overcome. A Hard Plated Surface. These problems certainly appear to have been satisfactorily solved, the result being a plated surface'of extreme hardness, which is untarnishable, to all practical purposes, and from which gritty mud can be wiped with a wet cloth without fear of producing scratches. A large number of elaborate and costly chromium-plating plants has been laid down at the principal car factories to cope with the demand.

During the years that plating experts were working on the problem of applying chromium by eleetro-deposition, metallurgists in Sheffield and elsewhere were equally busy in research work upon chromium steels.

As readers, are probably aware, small percentages of nickel and chromium are present in what are known as alloy steels, as these constituents are found to have a very beneficial effect upon the strength and toughness of the material; such alloy steels have been generally employed for a long time for motorcar crankshafts and similar highly stressed parts. More recently it was discovered that a high, proportion of chromium (ranging up to 15 per cent.) together with a small quantity of nickel, will, if added to steel, confer upon it a high degree of resistance to corrosion of all kinds. "Stainless steel," as it is called, has become widely used for cutlery, and is being employed in general engineering to an ever-increasing extent for parts such as pump shafts, which are exposed to the action of water or dilute acids. It has also been used with success for the valves of motorcar engines. The properties of this metal are therefore such as will render it, when polished, parctically untarnishable, and, furthermore, as it is "the same all through,” there is no question of ’using a skin which may or may not continue to adhere to the base as time goes on. • Two ; difficulties appear to have retarded the use of this metal in the past for motorcar bright parts. One of these is the cost of the material and the other is its somewhat intractable nature. Parts such as radiator shells and headlamps, for example, are usually made quite cheaply by means of presses, which stamp them out of sheets of brass, this being an easily worked metal. However, stainless steel can now also be obtained in sheet form, and, although of course it is much stronger than brass, research work has revealed methods of manufacture whereby the steel sheets can be made almost as easy to press out as brass. That these problems seem to be well on the way to a complete solution may be judged by the announcement that an American car manufacturer with a very big output is changing over to stainless steel. We hear, also that the makers of a well-known British car are likely to follow suit, and that the motorcar industry in general has taken a great interest in this development. Stainless Steel Radiator Tested. Some three years ago we inspected a radiator shell made of Staybrite steel in the research laboratories of Thomas Firth and Sons, Ltd., which had been exposed to rain and a corroding atmosphere for a fortnight, and, although the surface was dirty, we found that it could be restored to its original bright appearance simply by rubbing it. with a cloth.

As regards the matter of cost, it is true that the price of stainless steel in sheet form is somewhat higher than that of sheet brass, but; on the other hand, when pressed to the required shape the steel only requires polishing, plating operations being unnecessary. Apart from radiators, lamps and windscreen frames, all of which are obviously suitable applications for stainless steel, there are other bright parts (such- as door handles and interior fittings) to make, which, in steel, would prove a difficult and expensive proposition. ' It would be absurd to suggest that stainless steel will rapidly replace chromium plating. There is room for both these developments to proceed side by side and competition should accelerate progress.

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURE.

THE OPINION OF A BRITISH DESIGNER.

The Bulletin recently, published the following article. It deals with the supposed superiority of the foreign aeroplane and states in a very true and logical .way the chief points of this vital subject.

The Briton at home and abroad is so used to hearing of the immense superiority of the foreigner in aircraft manufacture and commercial aviation that he is apt to let it go at that. If what C. R. Fairey, the famous British aircraft designer, told London recently is true, there is no reason for this attitude.

Just returned from an inspection of American conditions, Fairey said that all the airlines there were working at a Joss, with the result that the Government mail subsidy had to be augmented with a £l,000,000 grant.- Pursuing an investigation of Germany’s activities in one day he saw only three aeroplanes land in the great Ternple-hof-aerodrome at Berlin, the nucleus of the German system of which so much is heard. Only otie of these aeroplanes was German, and it carried one passenger.. Fairey blames the Briton’s dislike of crying his goods in the market-place, a practice which his American and German rivals have ■ exploited to the nth degree. He quotes as an instance the belief sedulously inculcated in every American child __ that hundreds of American airmen in American aeroplanes crossed the lines in France, while unemotional records show that, of the few American air units which saw active service, all wei’e equipped with British or French machines, their own being worthless for military purposes.’’ ' Unfortunately this same propaganda has been broadcast in Australia by a -series of American ■ films purporting to depict ■ the triumps of American airmen.. If there has been any similar glorification of British or French fliers, this country has seen nothing of it.

And still Fairey overlooked one point in favour of British aircraft design, and one that may be commended to the notice of thousands of Hollywood-obsessed Australians It is that many Continental designers engine, their aeroplanes with British machines. The big Fokkers which Kingsford Smith- did so much to make familiar to Australians are so equipped. The giant Dornier passenger aeroplane, largest of its kind in existence, depenjls on six British engines. The country and the race that produced Newcomen, Watt, Symington and Stephenson have not yet gone to the wall in the matter of mechanical genius and scientific attainment.

A NEW PROBLEM.

WHEEL AND AXLE ALIGNMENT.

Automobiles have changed so much in structural detail within the last five years that what was once a minor deficiency has now become a major difficulty. Included in the list of these problems that have to be found by the present day. automobile engineer is wheel and axle alignment which is the cause of rapid tyre.wear. Quite. a number of manufacturers never before interested in this line of construction have brought out new nevices form ensuring and correcting front wheel deficiencies. The two principal changes which have aggrevated this trouble in the modern car are higher speeds and the adoption of four wheel brakes. The reason that higher speeds augment alignment deficiences is quite simple to understand. A slight wobble in the front wheel' that at 20 miles an hour is barely noticeable, becomes a driving hazard at 40 and 5b miles an hour. Road shocks are also many times more severe at the higher speeds, and this tends to throw the wheels out of alignment much more easily. When four-wheel brakes are applied, especially if application is made suddenly; the twisting strain on the front axle is considerable. There is also a strain on.the spindles. Even more serious are the unequal strains caused by badly adjusted brakes, and these are not uncommon, as a good percentage of cars are in a perpetual state of bad brake adjustment. The unequal strains twist one end of the axle and tend to bend it out of line. The Dunlop Perriau Co. in their booklet. “Tyre Mileage—How to Avoid Waste” stress the importance of the fact that a tyre on a misaligned wheel will be subject to a fierce lateral scraping action, since it will drag inslead of roll, which causes serious damage to the cover.

NEW AUTOMOBILE TUNNEL.

INTERESTING AIR CONTROL. Tho world’s first international motor car tunnel, joining Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Canada, will'be opened in October 1930. Costing 25,000,000 dollars the tunnel represents the latest achievement of scientific construction bent to serve automobile travel. Many difficulties had to be overcome before the tunnel could become an established fact. Running under the Detroit river, it is a mile and a quarter long and its lowest point of 45 feet is below the channel water level. A roadway of 22 feet in width, it is estimated will permit 1000 vehicles per hour to pass in either direction. New methods cf ventilation have been introduced and engineers say that the air in each section rtf the tunnel will be entirely free from carbon monoxide gas. In the ventilating towers at each end of the tunnel will be giant fans, six of the blower type, and six of the exhaust type. Fresh air will be pumped into the tunnel and emitted alongside the roadway. at about the level of the ordinary automobile exhaust. Approximately one million cubic feet of air per minute will be required under maximum operating conditions, and a complete change of air will be made every 90 seconds.

RAIL v. MOTOR. THE POSITION IN THE UNITED STATES. The one time hostility to the m’otorbus on the part of the established railway systems in the United States has, now,, in almost every case given way to a strong coordination between these two factors, with the result that to-day the total mileage of motbrbus routes exceeds the total railway mileage by 39,800 miles. The railway organization at the present time are making use of the motor vehicle for the establishment of feeder lines, which open up undeveloped districts where rail services could not be carried on at a profit. An interesting fact is that many rail operators have established motorbus services parallel with, and in competition against their own lines, as they find it an advantage to offer the public a choice between motor and rail service. The manner in which coach travel has de veloped has also amazed the most far sighted. Long-distance motorcoach lines now connect most of the cities and large towns from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast in the U.S.A. As an example of the recognition of the importune of comfort and convenience, special coaches for night travel provided with sleeping compartments, arrangements for cooking and serving meals, and other arrangements comparable with those of Pullman railway trains are offered to the travelling public.

LARGE PNEUMATIC TYRES.

AN AMERICAN PRODUCTION. It is very probable that some day the world will have use for a standard pneumatic tyre 12 feet in height and 4 feet in' width. Good-year however has built such a tyre. It has just come out of the. factory at Akron, Ohio, U.S.A, after being* in process of production for three mon hs. Something of the size of this giant casing can be gained by the fact that the tyre and wheel weighs 1800 pounds, almost one ton. The tread and wheel weigh 600 pounds each and the inner tube 1251b5. ■ ’ Mounted on a rim four feet in diameter, 30 inches wide, the tyre was built under the combined supervision of the chemical, tyre design and research division of Goodycar’s Development department. It might be mentioned for comparison than an ordinary 30 x 450 tyre such as used on Ford cars weighs 15 pounds. Thus this tyre of the future has about 80 such ordinary tyres in its carcass. The non-skid diamond tre'.’. ’i which outline the huge tyre measure la inches lengthwise from tip to tip. Goodyear are displaying this giant of pneumatic tyres throughout the United States. It has been mounted on a tractor behind a motor vehicle of special design.

MOTOR INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA.

DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS. The sixth International Motor Show now in progress at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, brings before the public the great advance which ' has been .made towards building automobiles in Australia. Owing to the development of local manufacturing the Chamber of Automotive Industry—under whose auspices the show is r-jn—have staged an Australian Automotive Manufacturers’ Court which ' shows how more than 80,000 Australians are employed in .this great industry. It is really astonishing the progress’that has been made in the motor industry in Australia during the last ’ew years. Many people will doubtless be surprised to learn that Australian firms are turning out —besides ’ bodies and tyres—batteries, springs, shock absorbers, spark plugs and other components that go to make up the complete autoiriobile. • All machinery for assembling parts, which includes steam boilers,, steam ovens, waterheating units and. electric motors, besides wood and steam trucking equipment is made in Australia. It is estimated that of 75 per cent, of the cars sold in Australia, from 65 to 90 per cent, of the purchase price stays in the’ Commonwealth by. way of duties, Australian workmen’s wages and Australian bodies.

1 Passenger Vehicles, othe than Buses. Chassis for Passenger Vehicles. Country of Value No. Value Origin. No. in £. in £. U.K 629 121,870 86 12,585 Canada 1452 182,685 58 9,018 U.S.A. 1368 236,319 17 3,546 Belgium .. 1 316 1 446 — — — Total 3450 541,370 162 25,595 Chassis for Lorries, Lorries, Trucks, Trucks, Vans, Buses. Vans, Buses. Country of Value No. Value Origin. No. in £. in £. U.K 2 "224 106 54,902 Canada 172 18,854 355 37,977 U.S.A. 205 44,299 Belgium .. 1 502 France 1 282 ■ 1 ' —— —— 137,962 Totals 174 19,078 668

No. NAME MACHINE 1. J. McLee 497 Ariel 2. N. Hannah 493 B.S.A. 3. D. Holland 349 BB.A. 4. F. Thompson 348 Norton 5. Li. W. W. Shave 349 Chater-Lea 6. A. M. Wyllie 596 s.v. Douglas 7. W. G. Jones 497 Ariel 8. R. McLees 497 Ariel 9. M. Hermann 349s.v. Douglas 10. H. P. Bailey » 349 A.J.S. 11. A. I. Baxter 349 Triumph 12. S. G. Anderson 557 s.v. Ariel 13. W. Knuckey 493 B.S.A. 14. R. Kidd 493 B.S.A. 15. S. McLees 348 o.h.c. Velocette 16. G. J. Winton 498 Triumph J. Swaney 498 Triumph W. Ritchie 498 Triumph 19. W. A. McDowell 493 B.S.A. 20. T. R. Allison 750 Harley 21. R. R. Young 490 Norton 22. S. W. Stephenson 349 A.J.S. 23. E. J. McDonald 349 B.S.A. 24. A. Tapper 25. H. J. Munro 596 s.v. Indian 26. J. M. Webb 744 's.v. Indian 27. R. E. Hermann 497 Ariel 28. H. L. Palmer 348 o.h.c. Velocette 29. D. T. McGill 498 A.J.S. 30. A. Lodge 497 Ariel 31. E. F. Wallis 493 B.S.A. 32. W. Carter 498 s.v. A.J.S. SIDECAR. 33. H. S. Jones 7 989 Harley Sc. 34. H. McLees 1265 i Indian Sc. 35. A. Sutherland 989 Harley Sc. 36. R. McLean 596 Indian Sc.