THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1936
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN AIR-LINER
WORLD AIR FIGURES
RANKING LIST.
COMPILED
America Leads In Civil Planes
BRITAIN EXCELS IN BOMBERS
New York.
The United States was ranked first in commercial aviation and fifth in combat plane strength Howard Mingos in the aircraft year book recently published.
Mr. Miagos, "secretary of the Aeronautical Chamber of Com- merce, compiled a table showing
Pritish ofj
This giant British bombing plane, specially designed for the carriage of troops, is seen in a text flight near London. It is capable of carrying a complete detachment of men, with equip-
ment.
AIR TRAFFIC IN THE MAKING
the left dah sampire at the stored AERIAL LEAGUE OF NATIONS QUESTIONS FOR ENQUIRY
พระ
and predicted it would continue) there through next January,
France. which
rated strongest in January 1935, dropped to second. Russia was ranked third. this year, Italy fourth, and the United States, Japan and Germany. followed in that order.
Russia's military air strength will match France's by next Janu- ary, but only in numbers, Mr. Mingos said.
Russian Planes Slower The Russian planes are slower, harder to handle and more difficult to keep in repair, the author con- tended, blaming that on unskilled shop personnel, a lack of capable! designers and engineers, and the system of State owned and operat
ed plants.
"In speed and efficiency the com- mercial aeroplanes of the United States are far superior to those; of other countries," be said.
records are
Not long ago. when an air- line Qantas Empire Air- ways reached Singapore, among those who alighted from the machine were two Americans. two Australians, que French- man, and a Swede. "An aerial League of Nations" Ws the comment, and it was noted that these representatives of differ- ext countries all expressed com lete agreement on one question. They had thoroughly enjoyed their fight!
'FLYING FLEA' TRAGEDY
Pilot Dives To Death
FIRST BRITISH MISHAP
Glasgow.
OFFICERS
TYPICAL BOOKING
[17 YEARS OF PROGRESS EMPIRE FLYING BOATS
Great Machines Now Taking Shape
OLD AND NEW CONTRASTED
From tiny plates carrying a few hundred pounds weight of argent letters to air-giants with a capacity for three tons of mails! That summarises just on 17 years of progress in the design and con- struction of British commercial air- craft.
The first machine which, in 1919, carried an official air- mail load on the Paris route, was driven by a single 360 horse-power motor, and flew at
As a contrast-to-that is the fact that each of the Empire Budapest is on the phone. Can a passenger be booked flying-boats now being built for through to Australia in the next airliner leaving London in this Imperial Airways is driven by four motors developing a total of approximately 3,000 horse power, and will be capable of speeds in the neighbourhood of 200 miles an hour.
OFFICE SCENES about 80 miles an hour,
route?
Now here is Rome. They want a couple of seats on the next service from Brindisi to Alexandria.
And now a West-End hotel rings up. What they require are four seats in an air-liner to Paris.
The next query comes from a travel agency. They are en-
From the tiny cabins of pioneer quiring about air departures for Cologne. Now Croydon is on planes air transport has moved the phone, checking some details as to passengers leaving by a to these great machines now tak- certain service. A business man comes through with a question ng shape, which not only pro about the express service to and from Switzerland. A doctor vide luxurious day saloons, and rings up as to the chartering of a special plane to carry an in-jevery form of modern catering, valid to one of the Continental spas.
but which will also have Com- So it goes on.
fortable sleeping-berths for night) The above are to London. Engineers, charter travel. And the amenities of! rust a few of the enquiries and "air specialTM to make argent these "ships of the air" will even phone calls which pour in daily surveys at points along the Ex-include cosy little smoking-rooms, at the booking and enquiry office pire routes. Film producers fy and promenades from which to of Imperial Airways at the Airway with their equipment to shoot de-view the panorama from the out- "Nearly every nation on earth! The first fatal crash in Britain Terminus, London.
Isert scenes. Business men' are look windows. is either buying these products of with a home-made Flying Flea Summer time-tables have just rushed to *rgent conferences. American factories or trying to ultra-light aeroplane--occurred outcome into operation on the Con-Trainers and jockeys make air study of the various craft which Air progress is epitomised by a imitate them. Upward of 40 world April 21 at Renfrew aerodrome,tinental airways. This means dashes to rare meetings on the have been employed since the days
held here. The air-near Glasgow. Mr. A. Houston that more and more people are Continent. Newly-married lines are doing more business than Anderson, aged 30, of Lenzie, near Planning holidays which will take ples charter planes for aerial routes between London and the con- when pioneer dying began on the those of the rest of the world com-Glasgow, crashed from 300 feet them in high-speed air trips to honeymoons.
and was killed instantly.
jeities and beauty-spots throughout Nothing comes amiss to the ex "There is more private dying. Many people saw the accident. Europe. And traffic continues to perts at the Airway Terminus. more chartered service, and gen-Mr. Anderson was a member of increase on the Empire air-lines One moment you may hear the E-the first continental services soon The war-converted 'planes on erally more practical everyday the Scottish Flying Club and had to Egypt, Africa. India, and Aus-quiry Officer explaining the exact gave place to machines designed use of aeroplane...
just attended the club's meeting. tralia.
day on which an, urgent letter, specially for commercial U.S. Lags In Combat Planes He set of on a test flight in the Every Aspect-Covered posted on the next outgoing sertion. Then came 3-motored air- On the other hand, the United machine which was assembled at The queries dealt with from vice, will reach Hong Kong, and craft-forerunners of the big multi- States, among the seven air the end of last year. He had day to day cover every aspect of the next you may see him deep engined air-liners of to-day. Powers of the world, occupies fifth completed half a circuit of the aerial travel A passenger rings in a discussion as to an air trip place in numbers of combat aero-aerodrome when the Flying Flea PP to know how much luggage he which some hunters are-contem-fort, as well as speed and re- Trafic grew rapidly when com- planes in the fighting machines its nose-dived to earth.
can take with him on a flight to plating to the big-game lands of liability, became a feature of air, air forces have immediately avail- Mr. Anderson
was the four- South Africa.
Another asks ad-Africa, taking all their equip travel Business able for an emergency.
(: Iteerth to be killed in civil. air rice as to the sort of clothing toment with them, and camping each fly. The era was reached of giant men began to "That not only is the same un-crashes in Britain this year. There take on-an-Empire air journey. night under the wings of their 4-motored passenger-planes. And enviable position it held a year have been six fatal Flying Flea Yet another, who has booked a machine. ago; it is even more serious, be crashes in the world.
bined.
cause all other Powers are equip-
ping their air forces far more ex-
tensively than is the United States. Powers, including the probable
"The American lead in techni-strength next January, follows: cal development has been shorten-|
ed by bal Prior to 1935 the
United States was nearly three British Empire years ahead of other nations in France the science of designing and con-Russia structing aeroplanes. That margin United States
Italy has now been reduced to about 18: months...."
Japan ¡Germany
More Support Needed Mr. Mingos said more Gover- ment support was needed for re-l search and experimentation in the industry. Other countries, he said
1935 1936. 1937
4500
seat by one of the European air
services, rings up just beforehand CROYDON OF
to know what sort of weather he
continent.
Special Designs
opera-
Jat the same time, for Empire air- links above the Mediterranean,
THEmperial Airways had been
EAST
Singapore's New Role
One of the
em
ploying Aying-boats cf the "Cal- cutta" type and larger 4-engined craft of the "Scipio" type
is likely to have on his trip.
Sometimes a
urgent phone message will come through from
Speed, reliability, and comfort a call-box at a London railway Jar Jan. Jan terminus. A passenger has miss-
Thave been watchwords in the 2900 3600
evolution of British 3600
air-liners. 3400
1000 ed a boat-train connecting with a 3000
To-day preparations are in hand 3300 4000 departing ocean liner. No other 2300 2800 3000 train will get him to the sea-port equipped air-ports east of Suez is the flying-boats now being built most completely for the great new phase in which 2060 1900
2200 in time. Can he have an air-taxi now being provided at Singa- will be used in the day-and-night -1850. 1800 2100
if he motors down to Croydon im- pore. 600 1600
2600
mediately?
PLANES CAN LOCATE SUBMARINES
Special Charters
transport of first-class letter mails
"Croydon of the East is the in bulk-reducing the time of a description applied to this fine journey to India to 3 days; bring- The chartering of special air-air-station. In preparation foring Cape Town or Singapore with craft is increasing Passengera the impending use of the new fy in 4 days of London; and making from America are met by special ing-boats on the Empire routes, it it possible to fly from England: were doubling governmental ex- Recent manoeuvres of the Unit-Cherbourg, and are flown across tensive and sheltered anchorage
planes when their liners reach is being, equipped with an ex-to Australia in 7 days.
penditures.
ed States fleet in the Pacific prov-1 The Army Air Corps had about ed that planes flying at an altitudé 1,100 combat planes at the begin-of 1,000 feet can easily locate ning of 196. and the navy about submerged submarines. 800, he estimated.
Germany showed the most rapid development and promises to keep
GASOLINE FROM COAL..
up her pace, the year book said... Three plants are being built in The comparative table of com-Germany, for manufacturing gaso- bat aeroplane strength of the airline from coal by hydrogenation.
British Inland Air Lines
BERLIN'S NEW AIR PORT
Extensive Scheme Of Improvements
for marine aircraft, while
con-
use on
crete slipways, with a travelling COMPACT TWO-WAY RADIO cradle operated by electric gear, will enable the flying-boats to be Developed for
802.11 Jhauled up into huge hangars, planes, a compact two-way radio The new air-port is so near the operating on dry cells or storage centre of the city that passengers batteries and weighing about 16 will be able to reach hotels or pounds assures eficient communi-
Work is now in hand in the task offices within ten minutes or Jand-cation with the ground under all of enlarging the Tempelhof airing from an air-liner. port at Berlin.
When complete, the improve- ments will provide a landing area more than 11⁄2 miles in length, and approximately a mile in breadth,
conditions.
Australian Route Changes
no
This summer Railway Air Ser-1 New fast air-liners will be
Air-liners will pick up and put When, not long ago, Sir Keith with them, together with emer vices will be flying more than brought into service, and 62 re-down passengers at long covered- 1,000,000 miles on and air gular services will be operated, in arrival and departure plat-Sourabaya along the Australia air were few and far between, and
Smith flew from Erisbane to gency rations. routes serving- the British Isles, the aircraft on the various routes forms, and there will be 15 huge
Landing-grounds This will compare with approxi-aying a total of 12,000 miles daily, sheds, each capable of housing markable progress made in fiying were merely clearings in forests, route, he commented on the re-leven some of those which existed mately 600,000 miles flown in 1934.
eight air-liners of the largest type-ince he and his brother, the late difficult to alight in or take of Extended and accelerated ser- Services from the Provinces will vices are to be provided, and the connect at the London air-port
SAFETY PLATE GLASS
Sir Ross Smith, blazed the first from. Company hope to be flying over with departures for the continent
They had wireless, eir trail between England and Every stage of their flight was an routes stretching from Inverness and also for destinations along!
Although safety plate glass may
Australia in 1919,
{adventure. in the North to the Channel the Empire routes. Leaving the break under severe impact, the
And now to-day this great 12,- Islands in the south. There will Midlands or the North in the plastic binder holds the fragments Land-Australia
Just on 28 days that first Eng-1000 miles airway is also be services to Ireland and the morning, passengers will catch firmly together.
organised Aight occupied throughout for regular traffic, Isle of Man; while tourists for air-liners at Croydon which will
Contrasting the firing conditions every comfort being provided for the west of England will be able enable them, that same afternoon to travel by air express to de- for evening, to reach many im
of 1319 with those of 1936, Sir passengers, both in air and on the Keith explained that when he and ground, while a complete organi- etinations such as Bristol Tor-portant cities in various parts of Stewardesses on American air-London they had to carry a com-wireless-signalling and weather his brother started out from sation is available in the shape of quay, or Plymouth..
Europe.
lines now number 200.
plete equipment of spare parts reporting.
STEWARDESSES IN USA,
10 DAYS HONGKONG-LORDON 54 DAYS SINGAPORE-LONDON
TWICE WEEKLY.
SERVICES. FROM SINGAPORE
HÔNGKONG TO LONDON
£ 164.
KLM
ROYAL DUTCH AIR LINES AGENTS: JAVA CHINA JAPAN LINE
YORK BUILDING, OHATER ROAD. `
G. FALCONER & CO. (HONG KONG) LTD. WATCHMAKERS, & JEWELLERS, DIAMOND MERCHANTS.
UNION BUILDING (opposite G.P.O.)
Agents for:-ADMIRALTY CHARTS, ROSS BINOCULARS and TELESCOPES, KELVIN'S NAUTICAL INSTRUMENTS, ENGLISH SILVERWARE Direct from Manufacturers,
High Class English Jewelery.
IN
BRITISH MALT,
BRITISH HOPS, THERE'S NO FAULT
ALLSOPP'S
Sole Agents:-
CALDBECK, MACGREGOR & CO., LTD. Prince's Building
Tel. 20075
NONE
ONE
BALE
ETTER
SERVE
THAN THE NEW BREW OF
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Hung Cheong,
Kwan Tye Loong,
Lane, Crawford, Ltd. Sincere Co., Ltd., Sun Co., Ltd, Tai Wo,
Wing On Co., Ltd.,
or by 'Phoning 25913.
Low in Price
ERVED
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Deliverd to your door in cartons of 12 bottles for
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