BACK BROKEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 220, 17 September 1938, Page 6

BACK BROKEN.

TEST 'PLANE WRECK. FRACTURE IN FUSELAGE. ATLANTIC FLIGHT PLANS. (Special—By .Air Mail.) LONDON". September 1. Heavily overloaded fur test purposes, olio of the two new 212 miles-an-hour <le Havilland Albatross mail 'planes, Imilt for British expedients on the Atlantic route, "broke its baek" as it taxied across the aerodrome at Hatlield 1 ii-t week. The break occurred jn«t aft. of the t rail iirj-edge of the win and level with the floor. The big aeroplane had made three tuke-otV* and landings, loaded with :iil()(lll> more than the maximum all-up weight of the passenger type. It had slowed down to about live miles an hour and was about to turn when there was a c racking and snapping noise.

The under part of the fuselage broke first and. as the bending of the structure became accentuated, the fracture spread to the upper part so that the rear part ot the became practically detached from the forward port ion. The aeroplane was moving so slowly when the mi-hap oeiirred that there was no danger id' injury to Mr. <!. 1!. de Havilland. the chief test pilot, and the three others who were with him. "Will Be Remedied." The damage did not ap|>enr to have been caused in the actual landings, which were made smoothly and easily. The aeroplane had run some 2<lo yards over the aerodrome l*?fore the break began to develop.

The official report describes tlie accident as a "relatively simple failure of the fuselage construction, which in thoroughly understood, and will be remedied in production aircraft." The machine was laden up to 30001b more than the maximum "all-up'' weight allowed in the certificate of airworthiness, the dp Havilland Company stated. With the amount of lead ballast carried on this occasion, the load represented nearly double the maximum permitted pay load of the passenger-type Albatross in typical main line operation. After the crash tl*e tail of the Albatross was pulled by a tractor into a hangar. The rest of it had to be left on the landing ground all night. A guard was mounted and no one was allowed near it. Could Float on Sea. The four-ongined wooden-fuselaged Albatross machines are remarkable not only for high speed on comparatively small engine power and for long range with a good pay-load, but also for the buoyancy and stability of which they would be capable on the water if it should ever become necessary for one of them to alight before its ocean journey is done.

The risk of such an alighting by an aeroplane which ran fly on any two of its four engines is perhaps small; but the possibility of failure of directional wireless in conditions which would make terrestrial navigation difficult rendered the risk one of which notice had to he taken.

The Albatross will be the, fastest commercial aeroplane yet used. in the experiments of anv natiou%on any Atlantic route. Its cruising speed on two-thirds of the available power ia 212 mile« an hour. and the load of more than 1200 gallons of petrol which the tanks can carry gives a duration at that air speed of about li> hours, or a rantre of 3180 miles.

There is a passenjrer version of the Albatross, of which five are heinjj btiilt for Imperial Airways. The load lh this ease consists of 22 passengers and their luggage. a quarter of a ton of mails or fronds, and fuel for a range of 1000 mile* with a crew of four. (Picture appears on Illustration Page.)