MAYO COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22371, 7 April 1938, Page 11

MAYO COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT

FINAL TEST BEING MADE

ATLANTIC FLIGHT IN THE SUMMER (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, March 12. . Final makers’ tests of the Mayo comnosite aircraft, built for the Au Mm istry and Imperial Airways, are no taking place, and this week it will go to the Royal Air Force stationat Felixstowe to receive the official seal of accomplishment, the certificate of airworthiness. After that the composite aircraft will carry out a big pro gramme of long-range tests. Until the final makers tests are made known, even the speed of the aircraft can only be estimated. In th long-range flights, Mercury, the seaplane which forms the upper component will show her paces to the world. Launched in the air with h er load of petrol, the graceful craft is expected to achieve a range of 3700 miles carrying her full payload of 1000 lb. in addition to normal crew, fahe is really like a flying petrol tank, the fuel storage running along the main wing spar right across the aeroplane. About 90001 b of her. total loaded weight of 20,5001 b will represent petr°Her long-range flights will begin with one all round Britain, so that an opportunity will be available for the public to see her in the air. Then it is,intended that she will fly over parts of the Empire routes to Africa and Australia. Whether the craft will fly the whole distance to Australia is not known, but it is believed that a nonstop flight of about 2000 miles from Southampton to Cairo is contemplated. The culmination of the ambitious programme, planned at present for this summer, will be flights across the Atlantic, for which service she is primarily designed. Leaving from this side, she will be launched in mid-air as usual because of prevailing winds. But it is hoped that, flying from the American side with a following wind, she will need less petrol and will be able to take her burden ?Joft unassisted by the mother-craft. Captain A. S. Wilcockson. hero of three of the return Atlantic flights last summer, is mentioned as the possible pilot of one of the components. _ . . Mr H. L. Piper, the New Zealand airman, who flew the Mercury during the test and separation flights as test pilot for Short Brothers, the makers, will not take part in the long-range, flights after the aeroplane is taken over by Imperial Airways.