FLIGHT TASMAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 270, 4 February 1928, Page 1

FLIGHT TASMAN

DE HAVILLAND’S ADVICE EXPENSE UNWARRANTED Mr. Philip Bailey, of Hamilton, who h.is been in communication with Major de Haviliand. of Melbourne in regard to the possibility cf securing a machine suitable for effecting a trans-Tasman flight, has received a reply to the effect that an endeavour to carry out the project with a single-en-gined machine is out of the question. fpHIS would be natural to unde?' sttftid, after reading of the rigid decision of the Australian Government on these projects, following the ill-fated attempt by Captain Hood and Lieutenant Moncrieff. While Major de Haviliand can recommend one of his machine as quite capable for the needs of a Tasman flight, he does not consider that the undertaking would be warranted on the score of expense. The machine favourably recommended is the D.H. Hercules, which is fitted with three Jupiter engines. This type of machine has given effective service on the Basra-Cairo and other commercial routes. It i« acknowledged by the experts to h« quite safe. It is equipped with internal floating gear, in the case of a compulsory drop into the sea. H oo« engine went out of commission two would adequately suffice, while satisfying progress could be made It tt should happen that only one engine should remain effective. As Major de Haviliand points out, and with which view Mr. Bailey concurs, the expense (£5.000 or £6.000>, of procuring a machine of the essential kind, purely for a solitary Tasman flight, would not be warranted. As a commercial proposition the matter would be placed on a different, basis altogether. The D.H. Hercules has proved its efficiency in this connection. It has a range of approximately 2,000 miles, so that a Tasman crossing in a machine of that type would appear quite a ready accomplishment.