IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1918, Page 3

IN THE AIR.

1... LONG AIRSHIP CRUISE. $ h , BY BRITISH VESSEL : . London, Dac- 23. A TiWas correspondent writes that a British airship recently cruised for 01 hours without a stop. It is no longer a secret that the Germans owed their escape at Jutland to Zeppelins, which also enabled the flotilla 'bombarding Scarborough to escape. An airship is already planned with a capacity of ten million cubic feet, or four times as large as the biggest Zep pelin.—-Rcuter. FLYING TRIP TO NORTH PPOLE. New York, Dec. 2?. The Aero Club of America announced to-night that an expedition to. the North Pole will probably be made next June by aeroplane. It is proposed that the expedition shall be headed by Admiral I Peary and Captain IJartlett. —Aus.-N.Z. | Cable Assn

AMERICAN GAINS AND LOSSES. New York, Dec- "23. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times states that the War Department announces that, up to the signing of the armistice, Americana brought down 554 German aeroplanes and 85 balloons The American losses were 271 aeroplanes and 45 balloons.--Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. 'A WOMAN'S DARING PROJECT; j London, Dec. 21. I Katherina Stmson, the American aviatrix, has announced that she will fly from Europe to America. Site is the first of her sex to fly over London. She accomplished the feat on Friday. DAWN OF*! GREAT ERA. London, Dec. 23. Lord Weir (British Air Minister), speaking at Manchester, said that the best interests of civilisation would not be served by keeping civil aviation as a Government monopoly The Government had drafted a scheme for an International Air Board This scheme would be submitted to the Allies, and if approved an international air conference would be held in a few mouths' time to organise international flying. Within five years the navigation of the aeroplane in bad weather ought to be as easy as steering a ship in similar circumstances. Already we had aeroplanes able to climb ten thousand feet, travel a hundred miles per hour, make a non-stop journey of 1200 miles, and alight on the sea and rise again with a full load. A new and tremendous industry was about to be created out of the Royal Air Force, which, trained and developed in war, would put the kssons learnt into practice for tfie purposes of peace and civilisation. The Air Force, included 285 officers and 1553 men in August, 11114, now numbered 30,000 officers, 260,000 men, and 30,000 women and boys. The chief problems for Ihe immediate future would be severe navigational training, the creation of ;ui energetic meteorological service, the adoption of improved wireless and telephony, and the adoption of a firstclass system of day and night land'iigplaees and aerodromes. These tilings would cost a lot of money, but would consummate and justify the work of ilie men who had died. —Aus. and N Cable Assoc.

AIR RIVALRY IN GERMANY. IMMENSE EFFORTS IN TRAIN London, Dec. 23. The, Daily .Express correspondent at Copenhagen states that Germany is making enormous secret preparations to secure the air mastery after the war. "The war factories all over the country," lie says, "are being converted into aircraft factories. Gigantic hangars and aerodromes are being inaugurated in ail the principal towns. The scheme provides for some circuits centring upon Berlin and expanding later into foreign services to the principal capitals, even to New York. Gigantic aeroplanes are being designed, the largest costing nearly £IOO,OOO. Prominent German business men are now saving that Germany's future lies in the air."—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc.