AIR SERVICES

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20254, 24 July 1937, Page 7

AIR SERVICES

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. CONSTRUCTION OF SEADROMES. TO COST 50,000,000 DOLLARS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright SAN FRANCISCO, July 22. An engineer, Mr. Harold Moss, states that the British Admiralty has approved and a British company is financing the construction of two seadromes for the Atlantic air route with the object of permitting aeroplanes to reduce their fuel loads and increase their pay loads. The plans, on which Mr. Moss and an Australian, Mr. M. E. Heiser, have been working for a long time, provide for a combined tank landing deck for the accommodation of either landplanes or seaplanes. It is estimated that the two seadromes, each of which will be 2011 ft. long and 600 ft. broad, will cost 50,000,000 dollars. They will be supported by pontoons. DOUBLE CROSSINGS. FIVE EXPERIMENTAL JOURNEYS. THE AIR MAIL SCHEME. (Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 22. It is understood that five more experimental double crossings of the North Atlantio in connection with' the air mail scheme are scheduled for completion before the ice at Botwood, the seaplane base in Newfoundland, closes the route to flying-boats for the winter. The flights probably will be shared by the two long-range Empire flying-boats, Caledonia and Cambria. The latter is now standing by at Lisbon for trial journeys over the South Atlantic routes. Landplane flights may extend this year’s North Atlantio experiments to Hatties Camp, Newfoundland. A new aerodrome should lie ready for use there in the autumn and the flying trials of the fast new Albatross fourengined monoplane may have progressed far enough for experimental transocean crossings to be undertaken. ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA. NON-STOP FLIGHT PROPOSED. BRITISH AHR MINISTRY’S PLAN. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrlg-ht. LONDON, July 17. A non-stop flight from England to Australia Is being planned by the British Air Ministry for the autumn. The distance in a straight line is approximately 8500 miles—l7so miles more than the world long-distance record just established bv the Russian airman, who flew from Moscow to San Jacinto, California. It is expected to complete the flight within 55 hours. An average speed of 220 miles an hour Is expected of the Royal Air Force bomber—probably a Bristol Blenheim—which it is proposed to use. This machine is capable of a speed of 350 miles an hour, and of reaching an altitude of 50,000 ft., which would enable it to fly over the Himalayas without deviation. A crew of three will probably be carried and a bunk will be provided for resting. An automatic pilot will greatly relieve the physical work of the fliers. The motors of the Blenheim are super-charged to 50,000 feet, enabling the machine to fly indefinitely at enormous altitudes. Bristol motors were used in the last four altitude records. Two squadrons of Bristol Blenheims are onorder for the Royal Australian Air Force, together "with a number of reserve machines. The total order is possibly 36 machines, and not fewer than 24. HAS FLOWN 1,000,000 MILES. WORLD RECORD ESTABLISHED. BRITISH LINER’S ACHIEVEMENT. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received July 24, il a.m.) LONDON, July 23. The Imperial Airways liner Heracles to-day established a world record, being the first aircraft to fly 1,000,000 miles. It is running as sweetly as on Its maiden flight seven years ago.