FUTURE USES OF FLYING-BOATS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26662, 22 February 1952, Page 10

FUTURE USES OF FLYING-BOATS

COMMENT BY CHIEF OF AIR STAFF

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Feb. 22.

“I think that the landplane is reaching its limit as regards size and loadcarrying capacity and that the flyingboat must eventually come into its own," said the Chief of the Air Staff (Air Vice-Marshal D. V. Carnegie), when commenting on a London cablegram reporting an address by Air vhief Marshal Sir Frederick Bowhill. Sir Frederick Bowhill made a plea for the retention of the flying-boat. He said that “Britain seemed to be going full speed ahead to kill the flying-boat as a transport machine." Air Vice-Marshal Carnegie said the cost of making and maintaining stronger and longer runways which modern types of aircraft required was becoming prohibitive; in other words, there was a limit to the size of the landplane, but no such limit to the size of the flying-boat. ‘Tn my opinion, the flying-boat is suffering only a temporary eclipse because duplicate airline landplanes and flying-boats covering the same area are 'uneconomical,” said Air ViceMarsha! Carnegie. “Until now the landplane has had various advantages where two such parallel systems exist. In the natural course of events larger aircraft will be required, and if twice the load of freight and passengers can be carried in one aircraft instead of two then, obviously, the operating costs are less. “Sea communications are still as vital to the Commonwealth as ever they were; and its protection, especially in this part of the world. Can be better undertaken by flying-boats in my opinion. I very heartily endorse the remarks of Sir Frederick Bowhill, with whom I served on a flying-boat 35 years ago.” Air Vice-Marshal Carnegie concluded.