EMPIRE AIR DAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 May 1939, Page 5

EMPIRE AIR DAY

GREAT DISPLAY OF PLANES IN BRITAIN HIGH-SPEED MACHINES SEEN IN ACTION. PRIVATE DEMONSTRATION TO FOLLOW. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 20. About 5000 Royal Air Force and civil aircraft were flying or on the ground for inspection this afternoon at 6.3 R.A.F. and 15 civil aerodromes open to the public in celebration of Empire Air Day. Apart from the large number of machines on view, the occasion was remarkable for the very strong representation of the latest high speed types. Aerodromes where machines of these types are not permanently stationed received visits from them during the day. Familiar items such as air drill were this year performed on these high speed types. At many displays combats between squadrons took place. A feature of the day was a flight by Squadron Leader Stanforth in a Spitfire fighter from Netheravon to Evanton, Scotland, and back —a total distance of 1000 miles —at a speed of more than 300 miles an hour. The only accident during the day occurred near Manchester, where two members of rhe crew of a plane were critically injured in a crash. A private air demonstration to acquaint members of both Houses of Parliament and other distinguished visitors with the latest developments in R.A.F. aircraft and equipment will be given on Tuesday at Northolt. This will include_a display of the newest types of British service aircraft not so far shown in public.

POWERFUL PLANE REMOVED FROM SECRET LIST. MANUFACTURE IN AUSTRALIA. LONDON, May 21. The Air Ministry has removed from the secret list the Bristol Beaufort high-wing monoplane which has been ordered for considerable manufacture in Australia. It is a four-seater with two 1065horsepower Bristol Taurus, sleevevalved, air-cooled engines. It is of stressed skin construction with a metal power-operated gun turret. It can be alternatively used as a bomber, a torpedo bomber or for general reconnaisance work.