THE MERCHANT VENTURER

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25250, 31 July 1947, Page 8

THE MERCHANT VENTURER

BRISTOL FREIGHTER AT HAREWOOD

MOTOR-CAR DELIVERED BY AIR

Bringing in its cargo hold the first motor-car to be delivered by air to the South island* tne Bristol aircraft iVAerchant Venturer landed at rlarewood aerodrome yesterday morning. The aircraft, v.mch text r-raparaumu at 9.15 a.m., made the trip in an hour and a haff, and landed at Harewoou m aqout •tuu yards. This was aone easily without any assistance from a nead wino. Ai soon as tne engines were switched off, the tower part of the nose, which comprises two iolding uoors, swung open, and alter ponaoie ramps (part 01 the aircraft’s equipment) had been piaced in position, me car was driven out of the hold on to tne tarmac.

Passengers aboard included Sir Leonard fsitt, chairman* of directors of the National Airways Corporation, and Group Captain C. Flown by captain n. Ellison, a wellknown test piiot for the Bristol firm, tne Merchant Venturer leit Great Lntain on a demonstration tour of the world on March 22, and the distance it has travelled already was indicated by tne two column list of airports visited, painted on the nose. Arriving in me pominion from Australia recently, it has been flown to many parts of the North island, and is the largest aircraft so rar to iand and taireofl at Rotorua, Napier, and Rongotai aerodromes.

A bulbous-nosed, strictly utilitarian type of aircraft, the Merchant Venturer is a dual-purpose machine, .capable of carrying 16 passengers and up to two and a half tons or freight. It demonstrates the advantages oLboto its sister-models, the Wayiarer, a lull passenger version, and me Freighter, whjch can carry up to 12,0001.3 of cargo. powered With two Hercules 1690 horse-power motors, the same as us'ed in the Vickers Viking, it can cruise at 165 miles an hour. Of rugged construction, it has a fixed undercarriage, and can operate if necessary, from quite sfnall grass aerodromes, even with a heavy pay-load.

Passenger Comfort •. In spite of its rather forbidding appearance, the Merchant Venturer is well up to modern standards of passenger comfort inside. The wellpadded seats are arranged in pairs on either side of the central aisle, and there are a bunk and lockers in the rear of the passenger compartment. Even a visitors’ book has been included. The cockpit is above the cargo hold, access being obtained by a steel ladder. Engine and ancillary controls are centrally mounted.

During the wt.r, Captain Ellison tested 2000 Beaafighters,. and has 4000 hours of special flying in his logbooks. He has been flying tor 20 years. He said yesterday that he had no trouble at all in getting into Harewood, and expressed the opinion that New Zealand was well suited to airrail freight links.

The Bristol representative on board, Mr M. F. Elliott flew Beauforts and Beaufighters for “the R.A.F. durirtfe the war, and was shot down in the Mediterranean on one occasion. The two engineers are Mr W. R. Burns and Mr E. A. Davis. The radio operator, Mr J. Lamsdale, is ah engineer on loan from the Marconi Corporation. The aircraft remairtbd at Harewood for nearly an hour yesterday, leaving for Nelson before midday. Stowed in the hold was a mixed cargo—part of which was footwear—some 20001 b for Paraparaumu and scwt for Nelson. Today the aircraft will re-enter the Cook Strait freight service and yvill make five or six return trips in tne day. It will return to Christchurch to-mor-row and will be on display at the Canterbury Aero Club’s field day on Sunday, before flying to Dunedin on Monday. The machine will leave for Australia on August 9.