Air Links of Empire

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 247, 9 January 1928, Page 1

Air Links of Empire

SERVICE OF GIANT SHIPS Great Britain and Australia

By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright Received 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Sundav. FILL of optimism the Air Mission, headed by Group Captain P. F. M. Fellowes, has returned from Australia and jjew Zealand. The Air Ministry has decided to go ahead at the earliest possible moment with demonstration flights, immediately two airships are available.

T j, expected that the first machine I . rs iiable will be the giant RIOO, Mrh I® belDg bUilt by contract by *“ Burneys Company, and which “5. probab y be ready late in 1929. in view ot the fact that the engines J oetrol-di-iven, the Ministry prefers .demonstration under normal and equable climatic and atmospheric decided that the ,‘ t demonstration to Canada will probably be in the Canadian autumn 01 Uter that there will be another de_'„,tration to India. °The second airship, RlOl, which is huildlng at the Air Ministry’s works it Cardington, will probably be ready “ ly 1930. This airship is fuelled with heavy oil, and is, therefore, better suited for the cold, sub-tropical, or tropical climates encountered between Britain and the Cape. The first tr.p ot the RlOl will be limited to the C»pe, and the second to Perth, via the %s proposed to moke the trip when

favourable winds enable the airship to utilise only two out of the five engines between the Cape and Australia. It is also . proposed to return via Ceylon, when there are favouring winds over the Indian Ocean to Ceylon and Egypt, which the Air Ministry prophesies will probably become one of the worlds greatest air-ports.—A. and N.Z.