FLEET OF THE SKY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 186, 8 August 1930, Page 7

FLEET OF THE SKY.

ATLANTIC AIRSHIPS

£6,000,000 to Establish Twice

Weekly Service.

ACROSS IN 48 HOURS,

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received 11.30 a.m.)

TORONTO, August 7

Sir Charles Dennistoim Burney, the designer of the airship RIOO, addressing the Canadian Club on Thursday, estimated that it would cost £6,000,000 to establish a fleet of airships for a twice weekly service between Britain and Canada.

Tentative figures of the mail and passenger traffic available show that the gross revenue would be about £4,000,000 a year. Running expenses would be £1,000,000.

It is suggested that the British and Canadian Governments might guarantee 75 per cent of the initial cost, charging per cent interest on the investment, this constituting the first charge on the ships. It is also suggested that if the two Governments guaranteed six tons of mail per week at a rate of £200 a ton for transportation, there would be the necessary surcharge of only 4d or 5d on a letter which would traverse the ocean in 48 hours instead of 'eight days.

"The world is changing," said Sir Dennistoun, "and the Empire to maintain its place must develop a rapid form of transportation."

.Tn an interview he said that a multimillionaire of New \ ork oflercd £20,000 for a trip in the RIOO from Montreal to New York. lie told the bidder that tho dirigible was at present a Government project and was not operating commercially.

FLIGHT TO THE EAST. India Programme for Airship RlOl Soon. QUESTION OF SPEEDING UP. (British Official Wireless.) (Ilcccivcil .11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, August 7. While the airship fUOO is in - Canada work is proceeding on the preparation of the RlOl for her flight to India, which takes place next month. The RlOl has Diesel oil engines and is the slower of the two ships, but she is being equipped with two new reversible engines out of her complement of five and these, it is hoped, will improve her manoeuvring capacity and provide a cruising sptvd of 60 miles an hour.

As meterological investigation indicates the existence of an almost permanent north-west wind current in the Middle East the RlOl is likely to follow tho northern course after leaving Ismailia, while the return journey from Karachi, as far as Egypt, will follow the southerly route over the Indian Ocean.

A new bay amidships is being added to tho RlOl, and this is cxpected to increase its lift.