GIANT SEAPLANE WRECKED.

BRITISH OFFICER DROWNED. ON EVE OF 8000-MILE FLIGHT. Disaster lms overtaken the "Felixstowe Fury," the largest seaplane in the | world, which set nut from Felixstowe to fly round the English coast to Plymouth, whence it had been arranged she was to make a trip of M) 00 miles to Capetown. -She had only proceeded a few i hundred yards when, Inesplrcaolyj she

side-slipped at a low altitude and crashed on to the. water. The accident actually occurred within the harbor, and was clearly seen by those watching the departure of the giant plane. The impact knocked a hole in the hull at the point where Lieut. McLcod, who was the wireless officer, was seated, and he fell through into the water beneath the machine, which gradually subsided under her heavy weight, and all attempts to rescue were unavailing.

The other members of the crew, six in number, were taken off by pinnaces and boats, which immediately went to their assistance, and the rescued men were found to be little the worse for the >xperiencc—slight bruising being the general complaint.

Lieut. Mel.eod's body was recovered later, and the wreck of the maem-:? was eventually salved and towed ashore. The accident is the more surprising since the seaplane had been subjected to the most searching tests, and had more than fulfilled the expectations with regard to her capacities. Her trip to the Cape was planned some time ago. and for 12 wrc';* tests had been carried out in accordance with the Air Force's system of undertaking onlv those feats in which the mnrgin of safety is dearly assured. The crew had the umost confidence in the 'plane's ability to perform tho journey of over SOOO miles. Air Vice-Marshal Sir IT. Trenchard, the chief rf the Air Staff, regarded the cruise in the nature of a Service rcliaI bility test. and. therefore, no details of the project were permitted to be, published.

The officer in charge was Colonel Follower, and with him wore Major E. T!. Moon and Contain C T.. Scott as pilots, with Lieut- McLood as wireless officer, I/wist. .T. I\ ArmiM. as the engineer in charge, and two mechanics named Cobnrn and Locker. The route selected was via Cilmiltar. Malta. Alexandria, Khartoum. Victoria Nyanzi. Lake Tan. banyika. Lake Nyassa, Beira, and Durban to Capetown.

Various refuelling and revictnalling depots had been established throughout the line, and exhaustive arrangements made in the way of meteorological reports to ensure, as far as humanly possible, the success of the long flight. Of the triplane type, the Furv was built under the supervision of Colonel Porte, an authority on flying boats, and bad accomplished all her flying in the neighbourhood of Felixstowe. She was originally intended to cross the Atlantic in a single "hop," in charge of Colonel Porte, but her mammoth size complicated the question of transport. It was desired to ship her to Newfoundland as completely assembled as possible, but no vessel of the capacity to carry her could be furnished at the moment. and this fn'-t,, together with the Air Ministry's desire to leave the first accomplishment of the crossing fo private enterprise, eventually compelled the abandonment of the flight.