TO FLY THE TASMAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 235, 23 December 1927, Page 1

TO FLY THE TASMAN

New Zealanders Prepare MACHINE SAME AS LINDBERGH'S Press Association. DANNEVIRKE, To-day. TWO New Zealand airmen, Lieutenant J. R. Moncrieff, Wellington; and Captain <J. Hood, Masterton, quietly left Wellington by the Maunganui on December 9 with the object of flying the Tasman.

TJOTH men are approved by the ■*“* Director of Air Service as qualified pilots. They were accompanied by Captain L. Right, Dannevirke, who has been closely associated with the scheme and was largely responsible for its initiation.

Money for the venture has been privately subscribed throughout New Zealand, Mr. J. McCrorie, Dunedin, uncle of Lieutenant Moncrieff, being the principal backer. The machine, which has been landed at Melbourne, is similar to the one in which Lindbergh flew the Atlantic, and has been furnished by the Ryan Air Line, U.S.A. It is equipped with a Wright Whirlwind J 5 engine and carries 200 gallons of gasolene. The distance across the Tasman is estimated at 1,430 land miles, and it is estimated the flight will be accomplished in 14 hours, although the men will have cruising power for 20. The plane carries a rubber raft, earth inductor, compass and wireless. The Australian Government has promised every assistance to licensed pilots, this assurance having been obtained through the New Zealand Government from the Rt. Hon. Stanley Bruce.

A trial flight will be made from Melbourne to Sydney and the aviators propose to hop off for New Zealand as soon as meteorological indications are favourable.

Mr. A. McNicol, managing editor of the Dannevirke “Evening News,” and Mr. R. J. Macdonald, the wellknown Hawke’s Bay sheepfarmer, are trustees ofi the fund and have been responsible) for the business arrangements. 4

AUSTRALIAN’S PLANS

AVRO AVIAN IMPORTED SUCCESSFUL TRIALS (From Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Another aspirant for the honour of being the first to fly the Tasman is Captain E. W. Percival, of Sydney, who has been experimenting with a new type of machine. ■ Writing to friends here he informs them that he has imported a machine known as the Avro Avian, and ouiit at the Avro works under the supervision of the British Air Ministry. All sorts of air “stunts” were carried out by Captain Percival in order to test how the machine answered its controls in varying positions and styles of flight. The normal cruising speed is 90 miles an hour, but the engine can develop up to 105 miles an hour. The wings can be folded, so that the machine can be housed in a space Bft 6in high by 9ft 6in wide.