SEEKING NEW RECORD

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 941, 7 April 1930, Page 9

SEEKING NEW RECORD

FLYING DUCHESS TO FLY TO CAPETOWN RETURN TRiP IN 19 DAYS United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 5.1 a.m. LONDON, Sunday. The Duchess of Bedford, “The Flying Duchess,” is to begin another daring air adventure in the coming week, when, piloted by Captain Barnard, with R. Little as relief, she will attempt a record flight from London to Capetown and back. She will use the now historic Fokker named “Spider,” in which her record flight to India and back was attempted last year. The Duchess hopes to make the double journey in 19 days.

The Duchess of Bedford, called “The Flying Duchess,” is herself able to pilot a machine, and flies her own small airplane. She, with Captain Barnard and Flying-Officer E. H. Alliott, attempted to make a record flight to India last June in the airplane Princess Xenia, but a slight accident at Busliire ’detained them for some days. Captain Barnard and Flying-Officer Alliott flew back from Karachi to Crt>ydon, arriving on September 26, after a record for the journey from India to England, four arid a-half days. The Princess Xenia—which is probably the machine now used by the Duchess, as she was in negotiation for its purchase m May last, when it was being prepared for a long flight—was hired last year by the Duchess. It is a Fokker monoplane, with a 500 h.p. Bristol Jupiter engine. In this airplane Captain Mclntosh attempted to fly the Atlantic from Ireland, and it was also used by Captain Mclntosh and Mr. Bert Hinkler on a flight to India, which ended in their being driven down in a storm In Poland.