Half A Ton of Radio Valves

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 44, 10 May 1935, Page 12

Half A Ton of Radio Valves

Rushed Out By Air

O great hasbeen the demand. in ‘Australia and New Zealand: lately for Philips yalves that. the trade’s requirenients far exceeded thé most op timistic ideas of the Australian Philips organisation. Despite the fact that-tens of thousands of tubes have been ordered to date, it was still found necessary to take the most extraordinary measures to bring out shipments of the valve for which the trade has been clamouring. The time-honoured method of sea transport did not show any possibility of filling the gap, and the only quick method of transport available was that of air transport. The cable wires must have run hot while arrangements were made with the overseas principals for the immediate supply of adequate stocks by air route, a hitherto unprecedented plan of action. The expense so entailed in the transport of these valves by ’plane must be heavy, but so important was it to have stocks that Philips literally said "Hang the expense," and brought the valves out by the quickest method. Possibly the world is. growing tired of recordbreaking flights, and they may not react upon everyone to-day in the way they did some few years ago. Nevertheless, while on this flight there are no broken records, so far as speed is concei‘ned, a very definite and: important record has been established: whereby this flight, so far as we know, is the longest air-freighted load of merchandise transported through the world. Remember, a half ton of’ these valves. have been‘shipped from Holland and England to Australia, and they have come all the way by air mail. In the past, no such practice has heen in evidence, and in fact it is safe to say that existing plans only called for the,air mailing of letters, . While this effort might not be so spectacular as

the wonderful flight made by Scott in his Comet, nevertheless it is just as great a romance of the sky as any yet | undertaken. ~ It is a flight which must grip the -imagination-of everybody, creating a world’s record in sending by air any considerable consignment of ‘merchandise. Picture to yourself this half-ton of valves stowed in the hold of a great air liner. Try to picture the wonderful organisation behind the flight. Australia and New Zealand want valves. Factories in England and Holland have to spring to it. Within a fortnight this record-breaking cargo reaches Sydney, and on the. way has been handled by four worldfamous air organisations: Imperial Airways., K. L. M. Airways, Qantas-Empire Airways, and New England Airways. Famous ’planes and famous pilots have had this half-ton of freight in their care. The portion of the freight carried from Amsterdam, Holland to Batavia, was brought out by the famous Dutch ’plane the "Pelikaan," which carried the Christmas mail in 1933, making a record of 4 days, 4 hours, 40 minutes-a record which still stands. At Singapore the shipments. were transferred to the "Melbourne" under the care of Cap- tain Leslie Brain, who will be remembered for ‘his . finding: of Moir and Owen, and -also the ill-fated "Kookaburra." _° At Brisbane the. valves were transferred. to the New, England Airways ’plane, which completed the trip to Sydney. °° 7 , This ‘great flight with such valuable’ merchandise "has opened’ up a new sphere and new possibilities. It is a flight which has shown to what end Philips will go to keep faith with-their manufacturers and dealers. Like radio development, tho aeroplane has made rapid strides, and -hand in hand these two developments of modern. sciénice are goiig’ to’ be ‘a’ great factor for good. | '