HUGE AIR LINENS FOR BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22057, 3 April 1937, Page 13

HUGE AIR LINENS FOR BRITAIN

LARGEST OF LAND TYPE IN WORLD FOURTEEN BUILDING FOR IMPERIAL AIRWAYS (BBITISH OmClil, WIRELESS.) (Received April 2, 5.30 p.m.) RUGBY, April 1. The largest land-type air liner in the world is the first of a new class to be built for Imperial Airways. Fourteen of these machines are on order at the Armstrong Whitworth aircraft works near Southampton. The liner which is now nearing completion should be ready to fly in two or three months. Some of the new liners are intended for Continental air routes. Others will operate in the Empire land aeroplane services which are to supplement the flying-boat services. The first machine will be named Ensign. The five machines which are now being manufactured are impressive structures. Fully loaded, they will weigh 20 tons, or one and a half tons more than the Empire flying-boats. They have a wing spread of 127 feet and are 114 feet long. On European services they will carry 42 passengers 'and a crew of five, and on Empire routes they will carry 27 passengers by day, or 20 in sleeping berths by night. They are powered by four Siddeley Tiger air-cooled engines of an aggregate of 3400 horse power, driving controllable-pitch air-screws which will enable them to take off with a heavy load and will give increased cruising speed. Fuel tanks built into the wings will make it possible for the aeroplanes to fly 1000 miles non-stop against a 40 miles an hour head wind. The undercarriage is the largest of the retractable kind in the world. TASMAN AIR SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR JOINT CONTROL EMPIRE FLYING-BOAT LINK ■WITH BRITAIN (Received April 3, 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 2. The Melbourne correspondent of the “Sun” says an agreement has been reached between the British, Australian, and New Zealand Governments for joint control of the Tasman section of the Empire flyingboat air-mail service. Details will be decided when the representatives of the three Governments meet at the Imperial Conference. DAY SAVED ON AIR MAIL ROUTE HOMEWARD TRIP FROM SYDNEY TO LONDON SYDNEY; April 2. The Postal Department has advised that, following the introduction of the new flying-boats on part of the England-Australia route, the time for the transport of mails from Sydney to London will be reduced from 13 to 12 days. The time from London to Australia would, however, remain unaltered. INTEREST IN AUSTRALIAN AIRWAYS SOLD LONDON, April 1. It is announced that the British Pacific Trust in London has sold its controlling interest in Australian Air Lines to Australian National Airways. CRASH OF BRITISH FLYING-BOAT FRANCE TO CONDUCT SECRET ENQUIRY LONDON, April 1. The aviation writer of the “Daily Telegraph” says that France is holding a secret enquiry into the disaster of the Imperial Airways flying-boat Capricornus, which crashed near Lyons on March 24. It is understood that the evidence points to the failure of the French Meteorological service and also to the failure of radio communications from Lyons. Warnings that ice was forming, which ought to have been transmitted, were not sent. It is further suggested that requests for information regarding her position from the Capricornus were either unanswered or that answers were not sent in time to be of use.