KINGSFORD-SMITH'S DIFFICULTIES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21257, 31 August 1934, Page 11

KINGSFORD-SMITH'S DIFFICULTIES

1 * - | NO CERTIFICATE YET ! | participation in race may ' NOT HE POSSIBLE I i j MELBOURNE, August 3U. j Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith | says he has sent dozens of cable- | grams to Washington in a fruitless j endeavour to accelerate the arrival j of particulars of the airworthiness ! of his racing aeroplane. "Time is running short and it wiil be necessary for me to leave within a fortnight or so if I am to compete in the race," he said to-day. "If the certificate does ndt arrive from. America 1 shall be unable to compete." 1 According u> ;i message. from Washington on Monday the United States Department of Commerce Has i not yet granted its certificate of ini spection for Sir Charles's Lockheed j Altair aeroplane. The department. ;in response to representations from ' the Australian authorities. sought data | from the Lockheed factor.,', but thi>. Iso far, has not been .forthcoming-, i There is some l'ear that, the depart-; ; nient may contend that it cannot issue | a certificate for the aeroplane, which i it has not seen, and which was shipped i 'from the country before it could ju- ; spect it for dctaiis on which its admit-: jtanee into England apparently depends.: j Every effort is being made to straighten j the matter out.] COMPANY PREPARING OAT A WASHINGTON, August 2!». The Air Bureau of the Depart- , ment of Commerce to-day told the Australian Press Association: "Nj '• certificate lias yet been issued lor Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith's Luck- : heed aeroplane. We can give no : assurance regarding its certification ; until we "nave received and investigated technical data pertaining te • this aeroplane. We understand 'ln. ; Lockheed Company is now prepari ing lite necessary data." i