TOP OVERHAUL FOR SOUTHERN CROSS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 412, 21 July 1928, Page 10

TOP OVERHAUL FOR SOUTHERN CROSS

MAIDMENT THE MAGICIAN WIZARD IN OVERALLS Additional information came to hand last mail in regard to the preparations for the flight of the Southern Cross to New Zealand. A correspondent writes from Sydney : Tlie townspeople of Richmond straggle in twos and threes across the fields, and stop at the mouth of the great hangar which temporarily has swallowed the Southern Cross. They gaze into the grey gloom of its interior, and watch a little man with steady blue eyes tenderly fiddling with the vitals of the machine that has already carried Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and Flight-Lieutenant Ulm across the Pacific. When the little man, whose name is C. C. Maidment, has finished his work, the machine will carry the two airmen to Western Australia. and after that in one hop to New Zealand and then to—nobody is quite sure at present. Within the hangar the Southern Cross stretches its stiff wings almost from wall to wall. - Over the wings, young men in blue overalls crawl painfully, polishing every inch of their surface with sandpaper, as a preliminary to revarnishing. Underneath the left wing rests a dingy old packing case, measuring about four feet by three. That old box may once have held groceries, or biscuits, or beer. What it held does not matter; on it rests from clay to day the vitals of the Southern Cross, and over them gleam the steady blue eyes of C. C. Maidment, and the eager glances of the young mechanic allotted to him as assistant. Carefully they examine rings, plungers, valves, springs, innumerable little lumps of queerly-sliaped steel. As one watches the deft fingers of Maidment the magician “taking down” and reassembling the engine of the famous monoplane, one is filled with confidence that comes from seeing an expert at work. Three weeks will he spent by Maidmen in “top overhauling” the three engines, and one knows beyond doubt that when the time comes for the flight to New Zealand, the transpacific aviators will step into an airplane whose machinery is in perfect condition. Officers in smart blue uniforms hurry in and out of the hangar. There is great activity at Richmond this week, for Big Boss (as they call Air Marshal Sir John Salmond) is due at the airdrome next Saturday. But it is worth noticing that no matter how great their hurry, these officers never fail to pause at the old box. Each bends over the array of steel for a few moments to watch the movements of the fingers of the English mechanic from America. Recently Mr. Maidment, who works

in canvas overalls, labelled back and front with the word “Wright,” glanced up with narrowing eyes from liis work and snapped: “Are you another of them?” “Another of what?” was the counter-question. “Another of these chaps with a new idea, in engines,” was the reply. Assured that he was wrong, Mr. Maidment explained that he had had to give up much precious time to considering the plans of quaint visitors who wished to interest him and Kingsford and Ulm in plans of airengines that would make all other airengines appear antiquated. “Some of them may be all right,” he said, “but. darn it all, I can’t do half a dozen jobs at once.” “This is not a general overhaul 1 am doing for Smithy and Ulm,” continued Mr. Maidment. “It is only a top overhaul. The three engines are in wonderful shape, considering that they have done 13,00 miles without being touched. That means close on 300 hours without any overhaul for these Wright Whirlwind engines. T am going to stay in Australia until the boys have done their New Zealand hop and returned. “1 shall stay and overhaul the engine again for their Western Australian flight. Maybe I shall have to stay and prepare for a still longer flight. When you come to think of it, it is pretty marvellous to think that except for a little carbon there is nothing wrong with the engines since they left Oaklands, California.” And with that the wizard in the overalls returned to the beatified box.