THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1935
TESTING-PLANES FOR STRATOSPHERE AND DISTANCE FLIGHTS
NEW "PURSUIT"
AIRCRAFT
MONOPLANES FLYING
275 M.P.H.
DEFENCE AGAINST ATTACK BY BOMBING PLANES
FIGHT
(By Major C. C. Turner)
IGHTER aeroplanes capable of a speed of 275 miles an hour will be under construction before the end of this year in pre- paration for competitive tests
For the first time since the war the definite adoption of- a monoplane class for British service is foreshadowed. The rea- sons are interesting..
In the Great War nerial combat was chiefly a matter of en- gagements either between single champions or between broken formations. Duels and "dog-fights" were the order of the day. Acroplanes were designed to that end..
The 'requirements were great]
speed, rapid climb, high ceil U.S. SCHEME
ing," and perfect manoeuvrabili-!
ty for quick turns when travell ing very fast.
These require
ments were, and are, best met by the biplane
FOR PACIFIC
AIR DEFENCE
Great Air Base Plan
For Hawaii
AVAILABLE FOR CIVIL AND
·MILITARY CRAFT
It is now being realised that the next war. in any military or equipment sense, is not likely to begin where the last one left off. And particularly will the results of rapid technical development The "world's largest air base,” be seen in the air. To expend which, the United States Govern-1 time and money only on aero-ment proposes to build on the Ha- planes especially designed for watian Islands, is to occupy, if "dog-fighting," it is now being present plans are carried into ef- realised. is a mistake,
Britain's Special Problem
feet, an oblong area 2,600 acres
in extent between Honolulu and [Pearl Harbour Naval Station, Great Britain's special pro- It is to cost:£2,500,000 and will blem, especially for the carly be one of a chain of air bases be part of a war, is that of raids ginning in. Aláska and ending in | by large numbers of fast bomb-the Panama Canal zone.
érs. While measures for a heavy! The Administration's idea is to counter-offensive would be push the American first, line de- taken, it is settled policy to in-femme 2,000 miles out into the flict us many casualties as pos-Pacific, and tu make the sible upon raiding forces by Pacific coast the second line of de- means of a co-ordinated system fence.
of artillery barrage, and the em
ployment of defending air fight- AUCKLAND'S FIRST ers, served by an efficient Obser- ver Corps.
No one imagines this defence] would alone be sufficient. But it: would serve as a partial deter rent, at any rate, and might even Succeed, in conjunction with other measures in exacting so. heavy a toll on the invader as to prevent a third or a fourth at- tempt. The counter-offensive, of
AIR MAIL
Delayed By Tasman Sea Crossing
BUT 10 DAYS GAINED ON TRANSIT FROM LONDON.
The first Empire air mail to
Two men were reported drowned, but 81 of the officers and crew of the United States navy dirigible Macon wete rescued by ships of the American feet when the giant navy aircraft way forced down on the Pacific, after a "bad casualty" aboard, off Peint Sur, California.
SAN FRANCISCO
SUNNYVALE
PACIFIC.
LOS ANGELES
Two of the three survivors of the Akron disaster were aboard the U.S.S. dirigible Macon which was wrecked last month of the California coast They are Lieut. Commander Herbert V. Wiley. (seated), skipper of the Macon, and Moody Erwin. The map shows the scene of the disaster. upper photograph was the most recent of the Macon over the Pacific, while the lower shows the re- covery of the wreckage of the Akron off the New Jersey coast.
BUSY DAYS
AT CROYDON
AERODROME
course, would be of major im-arrive in New Zealand was deliver Empire Air Services
portance,
led at Auckland recently, when four
The eonception of the Fighter; mall bags, containing nearly 7,000 therefore, is that of a develop-letters, and a special bag with mail ment of the class recently known for the Duke of Gloucester, were as the Interceptor. But, instead landed
from the Orient Liner
aloned.
(Confinned on Page 11.)
EMPIRE AIR DAY TO BE REPEATED
Duplicate
COMING OR GOING EVERY DAY OF WEEK
SPEEDIER PLANES
PRINCE BUYING FASTER MACHINE FOR PRIVATE USE
FURTHER PURCHASE IN VIEW
NEW CRAFT TO BE FITTED WITH COMET ENGINES
The
EXPERIMENTS BY AIR MINISTRY
NEW TRIAL TYPES BEING BUILT
HIGH ALTITUDE AND LONG
RANGE CRAFT
(By Major C. C. Turner)
THE Air Ministry has authorised the construction of a high altitude aeroplane and a new long-distance plane. No detatis
of the construction of the planes have been as yet made public.
The high altitude 'plane, it is believed, will be used to at tempt to explore the stratosphere. N
Great Britain has already achieved much in high altitude ex- ploration and in long range flight. mij
REQUISITES
OF PRIVATE
In September, 1932, Capt. C. F. Uwins, in a Vickers aeroplane fitted with a Bristol engine, set up a world record by attaining a height, of 43.976ft., a record sub- sequently beaten by the Italian PLANE PILOT pilot. Donati who, on an aero- (plane also fitted with a Bristol
engine, renched. 47,356ft. British distance record of 5,840, The
miles by Sqdn.-Ldr. O. R. Gay- ford and Fit.-Lt. Nicholetts in February, 1933, was due to the Air Ministry, which ordered the Fairey aeroplane specially de- signed for the purpose.
PERSONALITY WITH EXPERIENCE
TACT IN RELATIONS WITH EMPLOYER
(By WILLIAM. COURTENAY) Careers. of 1985 can take within height of about 54 miles (28,000 The stratosphere begins, at s their scope the well-pald and infect) and a large number of Air teresting occupation of "private Force aeroplanes are capable of pilot."
climbing a good way into it and.. Only about half a dozen men in often do. The ultimate object of the country employ pilots for their the present experiment is the private aeroplanes and there is possibility of travel in these enger competition among experi-high regions where the air offers lenced airmen to get the positions. comparatively little resistance. But the number of employers will Greater speeds are therefore at- increase.
tainable, but this involves the The salary is seldom below £1,000 carrying of extra super-chargers and in some cases it is £1,000 or for the engine and special ap- £2,000 a year.
pliances for breathing and heat- ing, also gears by which the pitch of the propeller can be. changed, reducing the loss of thrust it must otherwise suffer, at great height..
►
(Continued on Page 11.)
AUTOGIROS ASSIST TELEVISION TESTS
Engineers Must Select
Station Sites
VALUE OF HOVERING MACHINE
What May Result
All these appliances together, weigh a great deal, and must, therefore, encroach upon the fuel capacity, The time taken to climb to great heights is con- siderable, and it would not be
station itself will have to be on may be learned in the course of
ITALIAN & SWEDISH they intended.".
COMPANIES COMING RE
INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER [OF LONDON'S' AIR PORT
MORE FOREIGN ·
It is likely that the members of worth while for a short journey. AIR LINES TO the Television Sub-Committee now. It follows, therefore, that the
deliberating as to a site for a Lon-Present project, although very... USE CROYDON don transmitting station may have important, is not likely to have to become more air-minded than any immediate practical results so far as regular air transport is For, owing to the fact that the concerned. It is, however, a necessary step to take, and much Jthe highest, possible ground and the masts still higher, tests may
the experiment. be made by means of autogiros.haps more immediately prontis- The long-range project is per And when the other stations are ing from the air transport point. chosen these same The International character of
teats will be of view, more especially as it is made. Croydon Air Port will shortly be
highly probable that, the sero Engineers will go up in the auto-plane built for it will have a strengthened by the addition of giros, which can take off and land heavy oil engine of the Diesel two other countries to those now in a very small space, and hover character. occupying offices and hangar space. Italy and Sweden are to over the proposed sites, making ex- periments regarding transmission be represented.
and reception.
of being a "dog fight" biplane, it Oronsay from Australia, 18 days may take the form of a high-after the mail left London by At the present time, following) performance "pursuit" machine aeroplane..
upon the recent duplication of of the monoplane class. It
The mail was delayed in Aus-the Empire services between must, however, be clearly under-train through an accident to the London and Calcutta and London stood that present Fighter class plane, otherwise it would have and Johannesburg, the officials is in on danger of being aban-caught an earlier ship across the at Croydon have to deal with
The Prince of Wales is buying either an incoming or outgoing Empire service every day of the faster aeroplanes for his personal week. On Sundays, in fact, two use.
An Italian air line intends to An order for a twin-engined run Empire services are now schedul-
a daily service between ed--one outward to Africa and Rapide air liner has been placed Rome and London, the flight to one inward along the
with the De Havilland Aircraft take seven hours. This line will The Air League of the British route.
Company. It is being built at Hat-have many European connec- Empire has decided upon next Mon- Traffic continues
field and should be ready by the tions. to grow end of April.
A project to supplement, the day for Empire Air Day in Britain. steadily on our Empire routes,"
A line connecting London with curricula of schools in Britain with it will be remembered that the first explained an Imperial Airways Dragon machine two years ago air routes operated from there is and to offer instruction to adult The Prince purchased a standard Stockholm and with the great an elementary course in aviation, Empire Air Day was held last year, official. "Heavy" bookings have when the first series were built.Ito be opened. The Northern Euro-classes, is at present being put into and that it was a very great suc-been recorded on all our dupli- The first one cruised at 105 m.p.h.pean airline system will this effect by a new organisation de
cated services since their incen- The new one fitted with 200 horse-year be considerably extended, scribed as the National AeronauHitchcock, of Waye-avenue, Cran Air Force stations were open to tion. Recent figures show an all-
(Continued on Page 21) tical Association
SOLO FLIGHT FROM MELBOURNE
H. L. Brook To Attack Mollison's Record
ENGLAND-AUSTRALIA RACE PLANE TO BE USED
Mr. H. L. Brook, one of the British competitors in the London, to Melbourne air race is out to beat the record for the solo flight from Australia to, England.
Writing from Cootamundra, New South Wales, Mr, Brook says:
"I shall be starting back to Eng- jand about March 20, In an attempt on the light aeroplane and solo record, at present held by. Mollison, as the record put up by Melrose was unofficial N
"I hope to do the trip In seven days. At present the time stands at eight and a-half days...
"Starting in March I should infas the worst of the monsoons, although they will still be blowing on the Burmese coast.
The hops. I am planning to do are First day, Darwin-Sourabaya; | second, Bourabaya-Singapora; third, Singapore-Calcutta; fourth, Cal- cutta-Karachi fifth Karachi Bagdad sixth, Bagdad-Brindisi, seventh, Brindisi-Tondon, Hea
"My machine is the Miles Falcon
the Air Race.!!
свар.
Rame
the public and civil aerodromes and found increase of more than 30 power engines, similar to aircraft works were 'visited.
(Continued on Page. 11)
air feet: Is the
(Continued on Page 11).
those
CAIRO TO BERLIN
IN A DAY
FEAT OF PASSENGER PLANE
MUCH TIME LOST THROUGH CONTRARY WINDS
From Cairo to Berlin in a day and not by a stunt aeroplane but by an ordinary passanger machine is the feat of a Junker Ju.52,
A start was made on the Inng fight of 2,100 miles from Cairo, at 22., and Berlin was reached, at 6.30 in the evening of the same day.
The time might have been better had the machine: not had to fly
ranean
rons, the which
chool, The Lou
was a short stop at Vienna'
Howa kerow the Atlantic. In
1934
ELEMENTARY AVIATION AS SCHOOL CURRICULUM
AIR CRASH “INEXPLICABLE”
An Engine Mystery
AIR MINISTRY MAKING, INVESTIGATIONS
The inquest on Mr. Hector
ford, Middlesex, and Mr. R. Faulds, of Hendon, victims of the air erash; at Heston (Middlesex), airport, was held recently at Hounalow. Both Mr. Hitchcock and Mr. R Faulds were members of the staff of Air works Ltd.
Sidney Lamb, assistant. inspec tor at the airport, said that the two men took the "plans up to test the engine because it was reported that It had failed on a previous fight: Hitchcock was the mechanic on the job, and it had been his duty thoroughly to examine the engine to see what had caused the trouble. Hitchcock had told him that he found nothing wrong with t
Lamb said that he saw the fight from start to finish, "As it went up the engine had a nice note and sounded, OK again, added. Lamb described the accidentas
inexplicable
Acc.
Major
iry returned a verdict of