AVIATION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16816, 23 April 1920, Page 7

AVIATION.

6 A ROSY PICTURE. (By Cable—Press Association —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association.) LONDON, April 20. Air Commodore Maitland, lecturing at tho Royal Society of Arts on the commercial future of airships, said the chief advantages were safe and rapid long-distance transport, and the easy conversion of commercial airships into fighting machines to enable the immediate provision of a fighting fleet with a full* personnel in the event of war. Australia had recently made a determined effort to shorten the time occupied bv the sea passage to Great Britain. Apparently the steamship companies were unable to improve the services, because improvement would entail the. construction of such immense steamers as to be out of proportion to the volume of traffic. Moreover, the Suez Canal would prevent the use of tho largest liners, but the largest airships could fly profitably over the Australian and other main sea routes, and carry goods at commercial prices. It was unlikely that the air services would, as yet, successfully compete with fast land transport. Better meteorological knowledge was required, to enable the winds to be regarded as friends instead of enemies. The rOute to Australia crosscd the permanent easterly trade winds at right angles, and turned eastward from tho Cape, receiving assistance in the "Roaring Forties." Tho return journey would be made nearer tho Equator, utilising the easterlies. The existing airships could show a profit of 15 rer ccnt. in participating in the Austrrlian service, carrying a ton of mails at 2s rer ounce, and passengers at £100 each the flight occupying nine and a-half days.