MYSTERY ’PLANE.
NEW ROBOT IN CONTROL. HONOLULU .SERVICE TEST. (United Press Association —Copyright) SAN FRANCISCO, March 13. A United States Army aeroplane equipped with a robot pilot, the description of which was kept a complete secret, started a mystery flight into “nowhere” from Oakland at dawn today to test its equipment. It was rumoured that it might be en route to Honolulu. Previously the craft had been subjected to short tests which were apparently satisfactory. A load of 1600 gallons of fuel was carried. Officials explained that it was on a fm'al test, flight preparatory to a flight to Honolulu, within a few days. A new tvpe of compass director is being used. The present flight will extend far enough to pick up the radio beacons from Hawaii, and if this is successful an automatically - controlled flight to Honolulu will easily be accomplished/ Meanwhile the Navy Department has authorised Pan-American Airways, Ltd., to establish bases at Midway, Wake and Guam islands. Thus it appears that the experiments with the robot-controlled ’plane are closely connected with the establishment of a trans-Pacific* air service. The Navy order stipulated that the bases could be taken over in the event of war.
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 131, 15 March 1935, Page 5
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198MYSTERY ’PLANE. Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 131, 15 March 1935, Page 5
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