EMPIRE AIR SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1926, Page 7

EMPIRE AIR SERVICE

THE AUSTRALIAN ROUTE SHIPS ALOFT NEXT YEAR EXTENSION TO DOMINION Bv Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received Nov. 18, 8.15 p.m. London, Nov. 17. The Dominion delegates to the Imperial' Conference visited Cardington, England's chief airship base, when, in addition to an inspection of the gigantic “hush hush” airship RlOl, at present in the constructional stage, arrangements were made for a trial flight of the nine-year-old veteran R 33. The visit was made amidst rain squalls and lowering clouds. Inspection was made of the steel mooring mast. This‘whs of particular interest to Australia, because it is the basis of the [hype which will be necessary there in connection with the projected airship service. . * •>; "i The mast is 200 feet high and at the top is a movable steel receiving arm; projecting vertically, but capable of swinging to an angle of thirty degrees from the vertical. A steel rope passes through this and lies on the ground. Another steel rope, dropped from the airship, is coupled to it, and the line then pulled in by means of powerful machinery. “Remarkable,” said Mr. Bruce. “I had visions of an airship dashing for a mast and trying to couple up.” Later in the day R 33 was drawn out from the gigantic hangar, 300 men hanging on to the guy ropes. When at a height of 500 feet, however, the airship was totally obscured by the clouds and it was impossible to launch aeroplanes, as had been intended. Though the construction of RlOl is maintained as a close secret, it is* revealed that the ship will have carrying capacity for 100 passengers and ten tons of mail. It will be furnished with sleeping cabins, lounges, smoking room, a dining room capable of seating 50, promenade decks, a kitchen and shower baths. Mr. Bruce was a keen investigator at Cardington, and says he has been assured that the Empire airships would be aloft next year. Mr. Bruce also says he is confident that a mast can be erected in Australia at a cost of £50,000 instead of £70,000, but there is plenty of time to consider its erection with his Cabinet colleagues in Australia. So far all the plans for Empire airship routes are envisaged along a southern line terminating in Australia, but as the result of Mr. Coates’ experience at the present conference, the question of extension of the route to New Zealand, which would entail the provision of mooring masts in the Dominion, is under consideration.

Mr. Coates is closely examining all the possibilities of speeding up mail transit, both by air and by means of faster steamships.