The mighty four-engined Stirling (above) and (left) ด crew climb into their dinghy.
But back to the land
An army vehicle has to be prepared to do battle Play where, so the tyres must be right.
Dunlop
to see
that with
tyres,
runflat tyres, trakgrip
tyres, Swamp tyres
sand
and so on.
And did
Dunlop made Tubber
you
Imow
that
tombs
and guns for use in war? They were carried
True!
were
round in folding bags weighing And a big part has been play- ship was leaning over at an only a few pounds. ed by the Dunlop scientists and "impossible" angle.
These realistic tanks and guns When rubber factory workers.
used to
the deceive And many a tough sailor enemy. was scarce, they made Semtex
has in a submarine
When blown up and placed materials which gave the Navy trapped non-slip decks without using patted his escape equipment in position they looked like the rubber. Many a sailor has in thanks after he had shot real thing. Quite a nest way to
fool the enemy!
thanked these decks when his to the surface.
THE
FLIGHT OF
DEATH
What happened to the Star Ariel? .
Ariel ? . . . asks
66SHOULD be a nice little trip," thought Captain Henry Lewis
McPhee of the airliner Star Ariel as he taxied into position for take-off:
It was just a hop for the big Avro Tudor IV aircraft, this routine 1,200 miles flight from Ber- muda to Kingston, Jamaica. Flying at 18,000 ft., a normal height, the Star Ariel should be in Jamaica in just five hours and 25 minutes.
But neither the Star Ariel, that the aircraft was switching nor her crew of seven or her to an alternative frequency to 13 passengers were ever seen pick up Kingston.
again.
That was the last ever heard
It was 12.25 pm on January of the Star Ariel. 17, 1949, when Captain Mc- At ten minutes to six though. Phee. a New Zealander and when the Star Ariel should wartime bomber pilot, lifted have been preparing to land, the Star Ariel off Bermudz's the airline. British South runway and headed her to American Airways Corporation, a course of 216 degrees, accord- asked Bermuda: "What is the ing to flight plan.
news of Star Ariel?" There
was no news.
At 6.55 the airline ordered
nearly a year. "Through lack of evidence due to no wreckage
having been found, the cause cf the accident is unknown,”
said his report.
He said: "There was 20 evidence of anything ятора with any part of the aircra cr its equipment before it left Bermuda.
Sabotage?
"The weight and the centre mitted limits. A daily inspection of gravity were within the per-
had been carried out.
"Sufficient fuel was carried for the flight.
"The pilot was experienced
Fully equipped another Tudor into the air to was very
on the route. the radio officer
The aircraft was lightly loaded.
the
begin a search. Soon it was to be joined by every aircraft the
muda and Jamaica.
all
experienced and dependable and above average
the
McPhee's mind was easy as they set off. The weather was
ing. He was also experienced fine and the visibility excellent company had available in Ber- in his skill at instrument repair- At nine o'clock New York's the crossing and had main- tained good radio communica- Air Sea Rescue Service ordered
of tion up to the time She was fully equipped navi- the United States Army Air gationally. Besides
last message. ordinary Force in Bermuda to go
"There were no weather transmitters and receivers
out on the search. Star Ariel had a radio compass,
complications. Pan American, a rival air- radio direction finder and line company, diverted two of radio altimeter and radar
their airliners on the way bo equipment. And the four Rolls- New York so that they would Royce Merlin
were be able to help in the search. thrumming away.
Catalinas of the U.S. Coast- He had a crew with perience matching his
a
engines
"There was no evidence sabotage though the planting of a bomb could not be ruled out."
The Inspector's repart added hed Sve ex- guard set off from Florida to that the Star Ariel
three Own. search the southern
emergency exits, caried half of Some of the passengers
were Star
large dinghies, one atted with Ariel's route. Rescue British.
a radio transmitter and lebelts also e there were
planes from 25 far away as
were stowed under the pas5- Peruvian man, a Spanish girl New York, Massachusetts and
and in the crew and a stateless man.
North Carolina headed for Ber- Senger seats They had come from London muda to search
the northern compartment. in another aircraft but it
How then, could this well- had half of the route.
maintained developed
aircraft disappear trouble engine
Two day's later Britain's Bermuda. The Star Ariel, which Minister of Civil Aviation, Lord without any trace?
Rolls-Royce days Pakenham was announcing to before. reached Jamaica and the House of Lords, "I much started back to London had
regret to inform the House we been turned round again at
of out Bermuda to go back to Jamaica must now presume the loss
the machine." with them.
had left
London four
in
the
checked reports on the engines.
Meteorological experts ruled icing as the cause of the disaster.
How about structural fatigue,
the cause of
Comet crashes? But the Star Ariel had done less than 350 hours flying and had been cabin
at pressure
18,000
Above average
All Tudor
IV's
Fifty minutes after the Star Ariel
had taken off Bermuda received a radio message from her saying that she was aying at 18,000ft. as planned. was suspended from service until would not be sufficient to make 150 miles south-west of Ber- each had been examined the aircraft disintegrate. muda and on course.
thoroughly, he said. And an If the pilot had ditched' his beve accident inspector had left for plane two rafts would
been ejected automatically. Yet Bermuda.
although The Chief Inspector of Acci- no raft was found,
was not rouES. And dents, Air Commbdore Vernon the sea Brown, made his report after why was no radio message sant?
A few minutes later came a second message relaying routine departure information.
And at 1.42 McPhee sent another routine message saying
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.