FLYING THE ATLANTIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22139, 19 June 1935, Page 11

FLYING THE ATLANTIC

ALTERNATIVE SCHEMES SOME REMARKABLE CRAFT The question of running a commercial aeroplane service across the Atlantic has been receiving great attention of late. The gallant exploits of Sir John Alcock, Colonel Lindbergh, and others proved nothing so far as commercial prospects were concerned, says . Major F. A. de Y. Robertson, in the Manchester Guardian. Their aeroplanes carried practically nothing . except enough fuel for the distance. The problem has been to design a machine which would carry a remunerative pay-load in addition to the fuel. It is not necessary that a non-stop flight should be made from continent to continent, or even for the 1900 miles between Ireland and Newfoundland. It is possible to stop and refuel at the Azores and the Bermudas, which would much reduce the longest stage to be covered. There is also the route via Iceland and Greenland, which was followed by Marshal Balbo's seaplanes, but the prevalence of fog there is a serious handicap. It is now possible to fly blind by instruments find with the help of wireless, as well as by the automatic pilot, but the Greenland route could never be popular with passengers. Apart from the use of tie Azores and Bermudas, various plans have been put forward for providing artificial fuelling stations in the Atlantic. The Germans are experimenting with moored steamers, each provided with a trailing apron up which the flyingboat can climb on board and with a catapult for launching it again. Reports have not beeti received that this has been a great success. The Armstrong seadromes are another plan, but they would certainly be very costly. Neither of these schemes has interested Pan-American Airwajs - and Imperial Airways, who hava agreed to work together on the Bermuda-Azores route when that becomes possible. The French likewise, on their service between Dakar, in Senegal, and Natal, in Brazil, a distance of some 2000 miles, have not proposed any such devices. They are covering that stretch by steamer until the suitable flying-boat shall be produced; The Americans and British are also pinning their faith on the flying-boat. A flying-boat is considered the necessary type of aeroplane for oceanio or k —except by advocates of the seadrome—but it by no means ensures safety in the case of a forced landing on the ocean. In calm weather it would float indefinitely, but no flying-boat yet designed would live long in a heavy Atlantic storm. The weak points of the flying-boat are the stabilising devices, whether they be wing-tip floats or sponsons projecting from the hull. Neither caiL be expected to resist violent waves for long. Designers aim at preventing all forced landings by providing reserve engine power. The main reason for preferring the seaplane to the landplane in very large sizes is that the ocean provides an unlimited aerodrome for taking-off, and is quite indifferent to the weight which it is asked to carry. The French Latecoere firm has produced a large boat named the Lieutenant Vaisseau de Palis, driven by six Hispano-Suiza 860 h.p. liquid-cooled engines, which made its first trial flights at Biscarosse about the middle of January. At first it was flown light, but it is intended that ultimately the engines shall lift 37 tons into the air. The main aeroplane has a span of 160 ft, and the boat is 103 ft. long. The top speed is estimated nt 156 miles an hour, with a cruising speed of 125 miles an hour. A still more remarkable boat —the §42—lias been produced for Pan-Ameri-can Airways by tlio Russian, designer Mr Igor Sikorskv. The boat is licensed for a total weight of 38,0001b., of which the empty weight of the aircraft is 19,7641b. This leaves 18,2361b. to be divided. The boat has been fitted out to carry 32 passengers. With fuel for 1000 miles it has a pay load of 83631b. A top speed of 188 miles an hour has been achieved, and the cruising speed is about 160 miles a* hour.

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