SURVEY FLIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 128, 2 June 1939, Page 9

SURVEY FLIGHT.

BEGINS TO-MORROW. ALTERNATIVE ROUTE. THE EMPIRE AIR MAILS. (From Our Own Corrr-sponilcnt.) SYDNEY. May 30. On Saturday the big consolidated (lying boat (iulia will U-giu it- Indian Ocean survey flight from Sydney. The (>uba iu owned by an American millionaire scientist, Mr. Richard Archbold. who Hew it aerobes the Pacific from California to New (iuinea, where he habeen leading a scieutilic. expedition, and where he intends to undertake another next year. By chartering his flying boat to the Commonwealth (iovernment at a very low rate lie has made the survey flight possible. The main purpose of the flight is to survey an alternative route for tlu , Kinpire air mail- in time of war. '1 heCuba will fly in one hop from Sydney to Port Hedlaiid. via Town-v ille. and the route from there will be as follows: J'oit Hedland u> Coco*. l-iUi) miles: Coco, to Difgn (Jarein, 1470; Diego C-.ircia \<> Seychelles. '.t«.»0; Seychelles to Momba-a. S4O. Important strategic links with the route of the survey are: Couos to Batavia, BUt) miles, and Diego Garcia to Colombo. lt!.->0 miles.

The (Julia is noted as having the most powerful air radio equipment in the world, and even when she is on the water at the schedule points of call, no dilliculty is anticipated in contacting Au.-tiali'a. Continuous radio contact will bo maintained throughout the flight with V.1.1 , . (Perth) and probably V.I.S. (Sydney). The Cuba will also be in contact'at various times with Singapore, the DirUh Ka-t Indies, India and Africa.

"With the full load of petrol to give her a maximum range of 4000 miles on the Sydney-Port Hedland hop, the Cuba's"weight when she takes off from Kose Bay will be not much short of 10 tons. This rirst hop may occupy about IS or 19 hours. Full supplies of petrol and provisions are waiting at the poults ■it which the Uuba will call, but notwithstanding this she will carry enough food to last the crew a month, and has a still for convertiiij* salt water into fresh. There is ample sleeping accommodation for all the crew, and whether iu tin- air or on the water they will eat ,it normal meal hour-.

The Cuba carries a small range, and Ihc crew will probably enjoy the novelty of entin- meiiU cooked by a millionaire. Tor Mr. Archbold. who i- going on the Ilijlht. will probably nnd-.-i lake this ahis duty. The lop of the. l.uha's huge wing.* are painted a briulil yellow, so that in the event of a forced landing -he will be easy to Hnd l'rom the air. Captain Taylor in Charge. In charge of the flight as representative of both the. Australian and British (.'overnment*, who are sharing the cost of it, is the well-known Australian airman, Captain V. C Taylor. He will have with him as pilot Mr. Russell Rogers. Captain L. A. Vancey. one of Mr. Archbold's staff, will be the navigator, and Mr. Jack Percival, who made the flight: from Sydney to Auckland in the Centauruf. will represent the Pr<?s<*.

As Captain Taylor has been given a dig list of invest to make en route, th' , < <üba may take three or four week* on the flight. After the flight Mr. Archbold intends to My in her across Africa to Dakar, and thence across the Atlantic t<i New York, and across the United States to California, where she will be prepared for another trip to New (iuinea.

When it was announced that a big new flying boat bane was to be established at Lake Macquarie. in New South Wales, as well as the base at Port Moresby, Papua, it was thought probable that the Commonwealth (iovcrnriient might select the Cuba type of Hying boat as used by the American Navy because they appear to combine efficiency with economy. The Minister for Defence (Mr. Street) however, has announced that the Government has ordered from Britain an undisclosed number (believed to be 10) of the giant Sunderland flying boats, which are the military version of the present flying boats used for tho Empire air mail service*. These craft carry gun turrets in the nose and tail, have full living quarters for their crew of seven, a speed of more than 200 m.p.h.. and a range which will enable them to fly non-stop between Lake Macquarie and Port Moresby, inbetween any two point* on the Australian continent. The promise of early delivery of the<se craft from Britain i* another indication that Britain's rearmament programme must be further advanced than is generally suspected. PLANS WELL ADVANCED.

SYDNEY. June 1. Preparations for tlie Indian Ocean survey flight in the flying boat Guba owned by Dr. Richard Archbold are well advanced. The crew, including Dr. Archbold and the chief pilot. Captain P. (J. Taylor, were •.•uests at Canberra to-night of the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. J. V. Fairburn. The Guba takes off from Mascot ae.ro.lroine on her long flight on Saturday at