AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 33, 9 February 1939, Page 6

AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

METHODS STUDIED AUSTRALIAN INSPECTOR FORMER WANGANUI STUDENT A 15-months’ tour of Holland, England, Canada, and the United States of America to study the latest methods of aircraft construction and airline management has just been completed by Mr. T. E. Johnson, senior aircraft inspector for the Civil Aviation Board in Australia. Mr. Johnson arrived at Auckland by the Aorangi on Monday and is staying with his sister, Mrs. W. C. Simson, at Nukumaru. Mr. Johnson resided in Wanganui about 25 years ago and attended the old Wanganui High School. Speaking to a "Chronicle" reporter yesterday, Mr. Johnson said that he travelled from Australia to Southampton on Quant as and Imperial Airways Ilying-boats, the trip taking 12 days. Mr. Johnson spent two months in Holland with the K.L.M. (Royal Dutch Airlines) service and attended the International Convention of Air Navigation, of which 39 countries were members. The convention which he attended was the 26th. annual session and was attended by delegates from 23 countries. On returning to England. Mr. Johnson spent a month with Short Bros., makers of the Empire flying-boats, and the Bristol factory, where the engines for the flying-boats are made. For another month he was at Imperial Airways flying-boat base at Hythe, Southampton, and for a period, at the company’s large workshops at Croydon. From there, Mr. Johnson went to the De Havilland Aircraft Co.’s airscrew, aircraft and engine factory for five weeks in addition to carrying out a large amount of official work on behalf of the Australian Government and the Civil Aviation Board, with Imperial Airways. That he had a busy time, said Mr. Johnson, could be judged from the fact that he attended 115 factories in England and Holland and studied the aircraft industry from all angles, including the manufacture and treatment of the raw materials. Visit to Canada Mr. Johnson travelled from England to Canada and on arrival visited Ottawa to discuss aviation matters with the Canadian Aviation Department and Winnipeg to study maintenance and overhaul methods with , Trans-Canadian Airways. Mr. Johnson flew to Minneapolis with North Western Airlines and from there flew to Washington to contact the British . Embassy and, the Civil Aeronautical ; Authority. From there he visited Biltmore, Wilmington and Philadelphia to continue his studies of the latest aviation ideas, and continued to New York, where he made investigations with the Wright, and Pratt and Whitney aero engine factories, the Hamilton Standard Propeller Co. and the Sikorsky Aircraft Co. The latter firm made the Sikorsky Clipper which flew to New Zealand from Honolulu and was lost near Pago Pago on its first commercial flight. Dy Air to Bermuda Travelling on the Sikorsky Bermuda Cupper, Mr. Johnson flew to Bermuda from New York in live hours, the flight being made at an altitude of 801*9 feet and above the clouds. On the outward trip, the Imperial Airways flying-boat Cavalier, which recently was lost on a trip to Bermuda with the loss of several lives, was passed. The flying-boat base at Bermuda was used by both Imperial Airways and Pan-American Airways, said Mr. Johnson, but was controlled by the British company, which owned , most of the equipment. On the journey back to New York, Mr. Johnson said he was a passenger in the Cavalier. Mr. Johnson inspected a number of aircraft factories between New York and Chicago and spent some time with American Airlines. Flying to Kansas City in the Night Sleeper, Mr. Johnson spent a week with Transcontinental and Western Airlines and then continued to Omaka and Cheyenn by night plane, arriving at his destination at 3 a.m. A week was spent in studying the operation methods of United Airlines, which was one of the largest of the American air services. He then flew to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Burbank, in California, where rain had not fallen for more than 220 days prior to his arrival. He made further enquiries at the Lockheed and Douglas aircraft factories and then flew on to San Diego and the Lindbergh

After spending Christmas in New York and the New Year in Hollywood, Mr. Johnson went to Oakland, where he spent an interesting time at PanAmerican Airways base and inspected the new hangars on Treasure Island. He spent some time with the Boeing School and was interested in the control towers on the aerodromes. From Oakland, he went to San Francisco and Seattle and inspected the Boeing , factory. Planes for New Zealand Service The giant Boeing airliners to be used on the America-New Zealand service were inspected by Mr. Johnson, who said that five of the six flyingboats have been finished. The sixth was expected to be completed in April. Mr. Johnson also saw one of the stratoliners which, with 16 berths and nine seats on the side, will revolutionise flying. When these machines reached an altitude of 8000 feet a supercharger came into operation and maintained the pressure in the cabin at the equivalent of that height. Above 14,000 the superchargers began to lose lheir efficiency and at 20,000 feet the air pressure in the cabin wa= maintained at the equivalent to a height of 12,000 feet. These planes were powered by four engines. Use of Metal Speaking of modern aircraft construction, Mr. Johnson said that greater use of metal was being made in the United States, and the Alcad finish was much in evidence. In England, wood and metal were used w but aircraft manufacturers there were swinging over to metal, the De Havilland Company recently turning out its first all-metal airliner. Mr. Johnson will return to Austrak lia by the Awatea on Monday next. ™