THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 19, 1938.
N.Y.-London In Twelve Hours
100- Passenger Planes
A twelve-hour, non-stop flight from New York to London in giant, luxurious airplanes carry- ing 100 or more passengers, will be possible as early as 1941, ac- cording to announcements by officials of the Pan American Airways.
Airmail operations across the Atlantic by the summer of 1938 is now virtually a certainty. Pan American Airways, Imperial Air- ways of Great Britain, and Deut- sche Lufthansa of Germany, have all completed flight survey grammes. Passenger service, how- ever, will not begin until early in 1941 when the new 100 passenger ships will be put into service.
pro-
Such aircraft as is contemplated for the trans-Atlantic route will be capable of flying non-stop, 5,000 statute miles carrying a payload of 25,000 pounds. The new ships will. have a minimum cruising speed of 233 miles per hour at present "nor- mal" flight levels and 200 miles per hour at 25,000 feet.
Luxurious Accommodations
The interior of the airliners will rival that of the most modern stcam hips. There will be private stateroom accommodation for 100 passengers, private dressing rooms, a social and dining lounge, a gal- lery having adequate facilities for the preparation and strange of food, baths, hot and cold running water and many other convenien- ces. There will also be accommo- dations for a crew of sixteen.
Britain's largest air liner, the first of fourteen giant Ensign ma- chines being built for Imperial Airways at Hamble by Armstrong Whit- worth, underwent her first flight test at Southampton on Jan. 23. The machine weighs 20 tons, has a speed of 200 m.p.h. and has accommoda- tion for 42 passengers. (Above) the crowd watching the air liner cross- ing the road to the aerodrome, and (below) mechanics wave to the pilot as the craft takes the air. (Copyright Pictures: By Air Mail).
In addition, the giant ships will plane will be unnoticeable. be entirely air-conditioned and
To Stress Safety
WORLD'S BIGGEST AIR-LINER
Α Trans-Atlantic
seaplane
which, it is claimed, will be the largest and most luxurious air lin- er ever put into service, is now be ing built at Toulouse.
It will have a wing-span of 187 feet, a maximum weight of 65 tons and a top speed of about 260 miles per hour. Passenger cabins, સ bar, lounge and shower-bath will be provided. ·
The machine, the Latecoere 631, which is for the North Atlantic ser- vice, is to be delivered to the Trans-Atlantic Air France com- pany in 1940. Its completed frame- work is, however, already on the stocks at Toulouse.
In general design it is a six-en- gined monoplane with lateral sta- bilisation floats which can be drawn up into the wings. Its speci- fications are such that it is ex- pected easily to stand up to the conditions of North Atlantic flying.
The aircraft is designed to have a radius of 3,725 miles against u 35 m.p.h. head-wind, and to main- tain
throughout-a-cruising speed of nearly 220 m.p.h. Under these conditions the seaplane should be able to carry 20 passengers, a crew of eight, and three tons of freight.
Engines Repaired in Flight
At the same speed, but with a head-wind of only 30 m.p.h. 40 pas- sengers, 10 tons of freight, and 12 cwt. of provisions could be carried over the 2,000 miles of the South Atlantic crossing.
The body of the machine is built in two "storeys."
The lower has armchairs convert-
sound-proofed. A constant atmos- Eight prominent United States of aircraft to be used in trans cess. pheric pressure will be maintained airplane
"ENGLAND IN 5 DAYS?
"Yes! We Are Flying” ̈ ̈ By Douglas DC-3- Air Liners... THREE SERVICES
WEEKLY.
Dep:-SUN; WED, FRI
Singapore at 6.45 a.m
Penang
Bangkok
at 9.00 a.m
at 1.30 p.m
Through Fares
On Application. Reduction For Govt. Officials & Officers
manufacturers were
was.
so that ascent and descent of the cently invited by Pan American to submit plans and bids for the con- struction of a "revolutionary" type able into beds, and a washing re-
re-oceanic flying. The only require- On the floor there will also be a
ment specified by the airline
bar, a central lounge, a shower- that the design must be a safe air-bath, a kitchen and a bureau. craft, practical to operate.
The upper storey is for the crew. Two manufacturers, Igor Sikor-It has compartments for two pilots, sky, representing the Sikorsky Air-the chief navigator, the mechanics, craft Division of United Aircraft a wireless-room, crew's sleeping Corporation, and Clare L. Egtvedt quarters and luggage and freight president of the Boeing Aircraft holds. Corporation, were of the opinion The six Gnome-et-Rhone engines, that, despite th
strict require-each developing 1,500 horse power, ments laid down by the airline, de- can be reached and repaired while velopment of such aircraft was en-the machine is in flight. The sea- tirely possible.
plane could continue with two of them out of order.
KLM
ROYAL DUTCH AIR LINES AGENTS: JAVA CHINA JAPAN LINE YORK BUILDING, CHATER ROAD. Phonė 28015 (Passage Dept.)
It was also announced that spe cial consideration will be given to designs which incorporate flexible interior cabin pressure features.
R.A.F. CANDIDATES FROM THE DOMINIONS
Australians For Short Service Commissions
U.S. EQUIPMENT FOR R.A.F.
Lieut. Col. G. A. Vaughn, who ranks second among the air aces of the United States, having brought down 13 German planes during the War. has arrived in England from New York.
The first batch of candidates He is treasurer of the J.V.W. Cor- have been chosen in Australia for poration of Newark, New Jersey, short service commissions in the manufacturers of the Link trainer, Royal Air Force.
which is used extensively in the They are coming under a scheme United States to give instruction on of local selection arranged between the ground in blind flying. Twenty- the Air Ministry and various six of these devices are in use in Dominions, in order to avoid can-Britain, and a number have been didates making the journey to brought by the Air Ministry. England - and possibly finding The
objects of Col. Vaughn's themselves not accepted as suit, visit are to complete negotiations able.
with the Air Ministry for the
|_ Six_of_the candidates will go to acquisition of further trainers, to the Civil Training School at White study their operation in England, Waltham, Berkshire, i and the other land to see what improvements the six to the school at Ayr, Scotland. Air Ministry can suggest to him.