1937-07-17 — Page 2

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THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 17, 1937.

Catering For Air Travellers

HOOK AND LINE METHOD IMPERIALA

ers IN FISHING FOR FUEL

IN THE AIR

AIRWAYS” MILESTONE

In connection with the 1,000th. flight from Britain along the Em- pire airlines-a milestone of pro-

Famous throughout the air tran- sport world are the big multi-en-

Fishing for fuel in the air, one would be impossible to haul this ingress reached by Imperial Airways gined luxury-planes of Imperial Air-

aeroplane using a hook, line and by man power for it is heavy and just recently some interesting ad- air ditional statistics have now become popular ways which fly on the

In addition to sinker to catch a light cord trailing it curves against the relative

rush available. Of the 1,000 flights in London-Paris route.

aeroplane, was stream as the two machines saloons, behind the other the spaciousness of their these big machines have gained for demonstrated recently at Hendon along. A motor would add useless question, 450 were to Central and themselves the description of 're-aerodrome writes the Aeronautical weight to the machine to be re-fuel- South Africa, and the other 550 the "Morning led. So the actual movement of the along the route to India, Malaya, Photo correspondent of staurant-cars of the air.'

aeroplanes through the air is used and Australia. Post."

The first air-mail flight from Bri~· graphs illustrating the catering ser-

It is a new and remarkably into drag in the hose nozzle.

tain to the Empire took place on vice which is a feature of this

Drogue Attached London-Paris route and also of genious method for conveying fuel

A big drogue, which is like a March 30th 1929, when an aircraft other services operated by the Com- from, a tanker aeroplane to another pany-form a pictorial supplement aeroplane while both are in flight, parachute, is attached to one end of of Imperial Airways left Croydon and it is among the methods now the cord, the other end of which and flew in stages to Karachi.. The to this issue of the Bulletin.

This being so, it is a matter of being considered by Imperial Air- has already been attached to the hose service was extended to Delhi in- interest to trace briefly, the story of ways for use on the projected com- nozzle. The cord is run over a pul-December, 1929, and to Calcutta in mercial service across the Atlantic.ley and the drogue is let out be- July, 1988. In September, 1933, airway catering. Eighteen --years

Developed at the Royal Aircraft hind the machine. The air stream the service went on to Rangoon, ago, when the first passengera be- gan to fly between London and Establishment the procedure begins fills it and tugs it back, the cord and in the following December to

with the aeroplane which is

to take runs over the pulley, and in comes | Singapore, while a year later the goal was reached of a through air- Paris, they had to take up

in fuel trailing a light cord with the hose. or sandwiches with them if they a small grapple on the end. The The nozzle is attached and petrol mail between England and Austra- wanted anything to eat in the air.cord is so light that it trials out is then pumped from one machine lia.

biscuits

Nothing in the shape of an aerial catering service existed then. With

baskets.

almost horizontally. The

top

to

· Meanwhile important develop- other to the other at the rate of 80 to

the ments had been taking place on the Africa route. It was in February, the employment of larger aircraft aeroplane drops a heavier line with 100 gallons a minute. After

an 8-pound stream-lined "sinker" on filling has been completed the ma-

further and 1931, that a weekly service was however, it soon became possible to the end and a grapnel. This line, chines fly gradually

between England and ten- opened

Territory; provide passengers with luncheon-owing to the sinker, hangs more further apart, and when the

nearly vertically.

sion on the hose has increased to a Mwanza, Tanganyika

The Then Imperial Airways brought

aeroplane pilot then certain point an automatic release and only fourteen months later the into commission the first of their "fishes" for the lower aeroplane's is operated and the hose draws the service was carried through famous 'Argosy air-liners. These cord by flying across, above and cord back over the pulley. Towards Cape Town.

Among further developments on 3-engined aircraft, which initiated behind it. Having caught the cord the end of the cord, an automatic the well-known 'silver-wing service by erossing the two lines, it is drawn cutter comes into operation and the Empire routes have been the du- to Paris, were large enough to carry in and the 300 feet of 11⁄2-inch hose, drogue drops to the ground. The plication of the weekly services, reeled back into the and the establishment of feeder' a uniformed steward who served through which the petrol is to be hose is then

lines linking China. (Hong : Kong) refreshments from a special buffet pumped, is attached. At the end of tanker machine by a motor: at the rear of the saloon.

the hose is a small drogue for This is an entirely new method of with the Australia route at Penang, 'Argosy air-liners were followed steadying. it...

refuelling, and different from the and West Africa with the Cairo- in due course by the great 4-motored Cord and hose are let out, relatively primitive methods seen at Cape route at Khartoum. And now aircraft of 'Heracles' and 'Scylla then begins a most ingenious previous air displays. I was told by the Empire is on the types. In these liners of the air' thod for hauling in the hose. It one of the pilots who had been en- auguration of the

and

me

gaged on the experiment that the whereby all first of the in-

scheme letter-mails

any

are to be air-borne without form of flying surcharge. It is to carry the additional loads involved by this scheme that Imperial Air-

there is space for a fully-equipped

refuelling by this means could be catering service, and the hot meals hotels. provided in winter, and the special A glance at some of the menus done in pumpy weather as quickly summer mênus which are being now being served, on flights be as in calm weather, and that they served at the present time, are in tween London and Paris, indicate had only once experienced trouble every way the equal of those pro-the completeness of this ‘aerial re-On this occasion the small steadying ways have in operation and con vided in first-class restaurants : or staurant service.

on: the end of

the hose fold-struction a great new fleet of fly.

and the hose whipped rounding-boats and land-planes. Thir- fuselage of the machine. The teen of the new-flying-boats have already been delivered. They now pilot, however, landed safely.

operate on Empire services between and have al- England and Egypt, í ready flown nearly 300,000-miles since the first of the type, “Canopus" came into service.

Large photographs of King Ghazi of Irak, flanking those of Signor Musso- lini and Herr Hitler and draped with the Arab national colours were a fea- in Jerusalem ture of the decorations Arab shops for the celebration of Ma- homet's birthday.

DENNE

of B. Mr. William Jackson, 81, A training cruiser of 7,000 tons, La Mathias-road, Stoke Newington, N.

-at Argentina, built at the Barrow yard of one of the founders of the Arsenal Vickers-Armstrong for the Argentine Football Club, died in the street Government, was launched successful- Mildmay Park while on his way to

church.

ly.

K. M. A.

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