ALL READY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 9

ALL READY.

New York-Paris Flight Aspirants. STARTING TO-DAY. (Received 10 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 13. Indications are that two of the three aeroplanes slated for non-stop flights to Paris will start on Saturday in the race to be the first to cross. All three 'planes are now on the Curtis Roosevelt aviation fields. Clarence Chamberlain and Bertaud, who had intended to start on Thursday evening in the Bellanca 'plane Columbia, were delayed by squally weather in the North Atlantic. Charles Lindberg, in a single-seater monoplane, established a record non-stop flight for an unaccompauied flight on his journey from St. Louis, averaging a speed of 2.23 miles a minute. He intends starting on Saturday, and seems likely to be a dangerous rival. Commander Byrd, with his Folcker 'plane, is ready, but will await news ofNungesser's fate before starting. The first airman to achieve a successful non-stop flight from New York to Paris will receive the Raymond Orteig prize of £5000. Two of the intending entrants, Commander Noel Davis, with his pilot, Wooster, were killed on April 26 while testing their machine. Commander Byrd broke his wrist when his Fokker 'plane overturned on a test flight two weeks ago. Lieutenants Chamberlain and Acosta, in testing their Bellanca monoplane, established an endurance record of 51 hours in the air. The flight from New York to Paris is estimated to take about 50 hours.