AIR ACTIVITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 7

AIR ACTIVITY.

ATTEMPT ON RECORDS Non-Stop Flight of 4000 Miles. NEW ZEALAND PILOT. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright* LONDON, May 15. A start will be made to-day on the greatest non-stop flight ever attempted, namely, from England to Karachi, a distance of 4000 miles. The machine to be used has been fitted with a Rolls-Royce Condor engine of 650 h.p., and the navigators will be Flight-Lieutenant C. R» Carr, of New Zealand, and Flight-Lieutenant Gillman, bo+h of the Royal Air Force. The route will be via Central Europe, Asia Minor, and the Persian Gulf. A special run of 600 yards has been prepared in order to get the great machine and its three tons of petrol into the air. This will require, in addition; a wind blowing at a rate of at leastf 15 miles an hour. It will essentially be a Royal Air Force; service flight designed to prove thi latest type of aeroplane capable of overcoming most difficulties. The aviation expert of the "Daily Telegraph" says it has been suggested that this is a costly way of demonstrating practicability, but it is the only satisfactory way. Theories must be tested. For example, there will be an enormous difference in th load when most of the fuel has been consumed. The actual behaviour of the machine as its weight is lessened will be of great scientific value. The worst risk is that of engine failure early in the ' flight. If that unhappily should occur parachute landings will be inevitable. After eight hours in flight, the machine will be sufficiently lightened to land safely, but one of the greatest difficulties will be landing when the tanks are empty. Britain cannot be still in face of the great aerial activities of other nations. Flight-Lieutenant Carr took up flying in 1916, and served with distinction during the war. He accompanied the Shackleton Antarctic expedition as an aviator. The present non-stop long-distance flight record is from Paris to Janek, on the Persian Gulf, a distance of 3345 miles, flown by two French airmen, MM. RJgnot and Coste, in 32 hours last October. The New York-Paris flight, for which three machines have been entered, and which is scheduled to start to-day, is over a course of 3600 miles. One of the intending competitors, Lieutenant Chamberlain, accompanied by Lieutenant Acosta, broke the world's record for endurance flying while testing the Bellanca 'plane to be used on the flight. They remained in the air for 51 hours and 11 minutes, and estimated the distance flown at 4000 miles. SEARCH FUTILE. Missing Airmen and Labrador Theory. FORESTER'S STORY. NEW YORK, May 15. A Washington message says the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Curtis Wilbur, has announced that the naval tugs and coastguard craft have discontinued their search for the missing airmen, Captain Nungesser and Lieutenant Coli, owing to fog and bad weather. RearAdmiral Andrews has informed Mr. Wilbur that in the circumstances a further search would be futile. Mr. Wilbur also says that a flight to Labrador by the dirigible Los Angeles would be impracticable, as Rear-Admiral Moffatt states that the airship's supply of helium is not sufficient for the flight and subsequent search. A mesage from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, says a foreste/ who was working in a wooded area about 60 miles from there on Monday, now reports that he heard an aeroplane, and subsequently heard a cash in the forest and an explosion. It is believed this may have been Captain Nungesser's plane, and a search party is investigating the region. VANCOUVER-SYDNEY. BRITAIN V. AMEBICA RACE. SAX FRANCISCO, May 14. Captain F. A. Giles, who "is to navigate the Sikorsky seaplane, in- which an attempt to fly from Vancouver to Sydney is to be made, has arrived on his way to Vancouver. There he will meet Captain Jenkins, the leader of the proposed flight, which is expected to start in June.—(A. and X.Z. and Sydney "Sun.") The flight has been planned by four B . nt «h airmen, Captain Gilbert Jenkins, of Melbourne, Captain John Clarke, of England, Engineer L. T. Palmer, a Canadian flying officer, and Captain F A Giles, of Adelaide. These airmen plan to forestall two similar flights which are under preparation by Americans, who propose to start from San Francisco and San Diego, California. The Sikorsky seaplane weighs 24,0001b, and is capable of a speed of 100 miles an hour for 40 hours. The first stage will be to Honlulu. 2450 miles, thence to Fanning Island, Fiji, and Sydney. The whole flight is expected to take ten days. DI PINEDO'S RETURN. GUIDED B7 WEATHER REPORTS NEW ORLEANS, May 14. Commander the Marchese di Pinedo, who is flying through the United States before returning to Rome, has arrived at New Orleans. After visiting Memphis, Tennessee, he will go to Newfoundland. From there he will start next week for the Azores, taking advantage of the full moon. He will be guided by reports from the Italian Weather Bureau, which has been experimenting at the Azores for two months. (