SMITH'S 'PLANE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 267, 10 November 1934, Page 9

SMITH'S 'PLANE.

ATTACHMENT LIFTED. Airman Plans "Longest Flight In History." CALIFORNIA TO AUSTRALIA. (United I'.A.-Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LOS ANGELES, November 9. The attachment order against the Lady Southern Cross was lifted yesterday after.a conference between Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's attorney and counsel for Mr. Thomas It. Catton. Sir Charles admitted that Mr. Catton had an agreement to act as promoter for himself and Mr. C. T. P. Ulm in 1928, but declared that Mr. Catton had failed completely in his efforts to finance the flight and thus has no claim against him. Mr. Catton said lie had spent 700 dollars on behalf of Sir Charles and asked for an additional 1000 dollars for his services. Tho issue is expected to come before the Court shortly so that the airman will not have to remain long in Los Angeles. Sir Charles informed a group of motion picture ollicials, whose guest he was, that soon he will begin a 17,000 miles flight to Australia via New York and London. "This will bo one of the longest flights in the history of aviation," said the airman. "I Mould much prefer to make my way home by steamer in a leisurely manner, but I think plans have just about materialised for me to fly from Los Angeles to New York, thence to London and from there to Australia."

Sir Charles- boarded the exploration cruiser Velero HI., owned by Captain G. Allan Hancock, wealthy oil man and explorer, who financed his 1928 Pacific flight. lie proposes to rest there for several days.

AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY. British £5,000,000 Group Being Formed. EXPLOITATION IN EAST. (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, November 9. A British aircraft group with £5,000,00U capital is being formed to secure a larger share of the world's aeroplane markets lor Britain, says the "Daily Mail." The first territory to be attacked will be China, where British aeroplane manufacturers are faced by severe competition from the United States and Italv.

CHRISTMAS MAIL. Commercial Flight to Dutch Guiana. ACROSS MID-ATLANTIC. (Received 10 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, November 0. A triplc-engincd Fqkkor 'plane with a crew of four will carry Christinas mails to Dutch Guiana, South America. The rovile will be via Casablanca (Morocco), Cape Verde and thence across mid-Atlantic. This will be the first Dutch 'plane to make a commercial (light across the Atlantic. It will be in wireless contact with a Dutch submarine, which is leaving next week to make a scientific cruise of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

NO QUARREL. MRS. MOLLISON AT CROYDON. (Received 12 noon.) LONDON, November 9. Mrs. Mollison arrived at Croydon aboard the Dutch air liner, which she boarded at Rome. Mr. J. A. Mollison, who was flying the air race Comet machine, was forced down near Brussels in bad weather. Mrs. Mollison denied that she and her husband had quarrelled.