1937-10-09 — Page 2

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 9, 1937.

18 YEARS OF CIVIL AVIATION

YEARS OF

British air transport has

celebrated the eighteenth anniver sary of the establishment by British enterprise, between London and Paris, of the world's first daily air service for the carriage of passen- gers and freight...

In 1919, the 250 miles London- Paris route represented the total mileage of regularly-operated Bri- tish air services To-day-epitomis- ing eighteen years of air travel progress the aircraft of Imperial Airways, and of its subsidiary and associated companies, are flying over just on 30,000 miles of Euro- pean and Empire routes.

THE FIRST SERVICE

The first London-Parisiair service operated so reliably that, within three months of its inception, the Post Office entrusted it with the carriage of mails. At that time it cost half-a-crown to send a letter by air from London to Paris. To- day, one can send a half-ounce let- ter for 8,000 miles, from England to South Africa, for a fee of only 11⁄2d

Eighteen years of progress with British commercial aircraft may be summarised by comparing the land-planes and flying-boats of 1919 with those of 1937. The first single- engined 360 h.p. London-Paris 'plane carried a pilot, two passen- gers, and a small freight load at a speed of about 80 miles an hour; while the single-engined 450 h.p. type of commercial flying-boat, as used on the pioneer marine service

The beach serves as a gun park at Doniford, near Minehead, Somerset, where the 57th Wessex Brigade RA (TA) are in camp. They have been carrying ont anti-aircraft exercises. Photo shows-A striking picture of a RAF plane towing a target over the camp. The plane co-operated in anti-aircraft exer- cises and the target seen here is actually extended a distance of a quarter of a mile on wire when guns are in operation. (Fox Copyright).

between Southampton and the Chan-lines, will provide luxurious saloon sleeping-berths for night air travel stages, with sleeping-accommoda- nel Islands, carried a pilot and six accommodation for 40 passengers, In addition to a crew of five, they tion for 16 when operating at night. passengers at about the same in addition to a crew of five.

provide luxurious saloon accommo-They also carrying nearly three speed.

dation for 27 passengers on day tons of mails.

As for eighteen years' progress NEW FLYING-BOATS

with marine aircraft, and taking as To-day, in contrast to that, a la present-day example an Empire land-plane air-liner of the new flying-boat of the 'C' class, the four- "Ensign' class

now being com-engined power-plants of these big pleted for Imperial Airways-is machines develop a total of approxi- driven by four engines developing mately 3,000 h.p. and they can at- a total of 3,200 hp. It will attain a tain a speed of 200 miles an hour; speed of 200 miles an hour, and, as while they are the first British com- equipped for use on European air-mercial aircraft to be fitted with

42 DAYS PENANG LONDON Dep: SUN; WED; FRL

52 DAYS

› SINGAPORE LONDON

Dep: SAT; TUE; THUR

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