SAFE IN FRANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1938, Page 7

SAFE IN FRANCE

HOWARD HUGHES LANDS AT LE BOURGET ■ / New York to Paris in 161 Hours “FLYING LABORATORY” SETS NEW RECORD By Telegraph—Press Association. —Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) PARIS, July 11. Howard Hughes landed at Le Bourget at 4.51 p.m. The time from New York to Paris was 16 hours 31 minutes. This time compares with Colonel Lindbergh’s solo flight of 33 hours 30 minutes, the only previous New York to Paris non-stop flight. MESSAGE FROM HALF-WAY. TAIL WIND AND PLANE’S SPEED. NEW YORK, July 11. Contact with the aviator Howard Hughes, who is making an Atlantic crossing, was re-established at 5.25 a.m. Hughes reported that his position was latitude 53.30 north and longitude 33.10 west, which is approximately the half-way mark, 2000 miles from New York and 900 miles from the Irish coast. A 15-mile-an-hour tail wind is aiding the plane’s speed, which at present is 200 miles an hour. Hughes is extremely hopeful of reaching Paris. EARLIER PROGRESS. < • FEARS OF PETROL SHORTAGE. NEW YORK, July 11. At 2.30 a.m. Hughes sent a radio message, when he was 1400 miles out, saying that he seriously doubted his ability to reach Paris because of the heavy petrol consumption. He estimated that at the present rate he would get only three-fourths of the way and he was attempting to reach land. Hughes explained that the unexpectedly heavy fuel consumption was due to the heavy load and the high temperature. Although the plane’s maximum capacity is listed as 17,0001 b Hughes took off with 25,0001 b. His message said: “I am decreasing horse-power gradually. All I can do is to hope to get there.” Flight headquarters here succeeded in making contact with the plane again at 5.01 a.m., but static prevented the reception of any coherent message. Headquarters said that their charts indicated that Hughes was then 600 miles out over the Atlantic, and they were of the opinion that he would reach Paris because of the lightening of the fuel load. Hughes planned to broadcast at 30-minutes intervals his position, progress, and scientific data from the most elaborate radio equipment ever used on such a flight. The instruments include three transmitters and two radio compasses which were built/specially for the flight. Radio operations on most flights are limited to three wavelengths, but Hughes is equipped for the use of either voice or code on 17 wavelengths. The monoplane has a wing span of 65 feet, a capacity of 1732 gallons of petrol and 120 gallons of oil, a speed of 250 miles an hour, and a flying range of 4700 miles. If Hughes proceeds on from Paris he expects to stop at Moscow, two Siberian refuelling points, Fairbanks (Alaska) and Edmonton (Alberta).