GLOBEMASTER WILL VISIT HAREWOOD

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27378, 17 June 1954, Page 10

GLOBEMASTER WILL VISIT HAREWOOD

Giant Transport Expected Tomorrow

Christchurch will see, tomorrow morning, the biggest military transport aircraft m the world, a C 124 Globemaster, which is expected at Harewood between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. from Ohakea. The Globemaster, one of five United States Far East Air Force planes on a goodwill mission to New Zealand, will be the largest aircraft to land on the Christchurch international airport. While the Globemaster is at Harewood—a period of about two hours—it will be open for inspection by the public. It will later fiy to Whenuapai to refuel, and will then go to the Royal Australian Air Force Station at Richmond, New South Wales. The aircraft will carry about 40 crew and passengers. With a gross weight of more than 70 tons, the Globemaster is nearly two and a half times heavier than the Sky masters used on the ChristchurchMelbourne service. It has a wing span of 173 feet, and is 127 feet long and 48 feet high. As a transport, it can carry 200 troops and their field equipment in a double-deck cabin. The three 829 Superfortresses which flew over Christchurch yesterday afternoon each weigh about 40 tons. They have a wing span of 141 feet and are 99ft long and nearly 35ft high. Fitted as an ambulance, a Globemaster can carry 127 stretcher cases and 52 sitting patients and medical attendants. Clamshell doors in the nose of the aircraft, ahead of the nose wheel provide an opening lift Bin high and lift 4in wide, through which tracked or wheeled vehicles can be driven or rolled up built-in ramps. There is an electrically-operated lift in the middle of the cargo hold for additional loading and unloading, and two overhead travelling cranes, each lifting 80001 b, run the length of the hold. Arranging for Visit Arrangements for the Globemaster’s visit were made as a result of negotiations conducted by Mr H. D. Christie, president of the Canterbury International Air Race Council, and Mr R J. McMenamin, United States Consular Agent in Christchurch. Mr Christie got in touch with Colonel John L. Sullivan, United States air attache in

Melbourne, who flew from Australia yesterday in one of the American aircraft, and Mr McMenamin discussed the possibility of a visit with the United States Embassy in Wellington. Originally it was hoped that one or more of the three 829 Superfortresses would visit Harewood before returning to Australia tomorrow. Late last evening, advice was received that the Globemaster would land at Harewood, but it would not be possible to send a Superfortress. At first, when the American mission arrived in New Zealand, it was expected that the Globemaster would do no more than fly over Christchurch on its way to Australia. No definite decision was made until after 11 p.m. Before Colonel Sullivan announced the final arrangement he explained to “The Press” some of the difficulties confronting the American air crews. “The boys are just about flat out, and indications are that tomorrow they will probably ‘give it away.’ ” said Colonel Sullivan. “Some of them are billeted in Wellington and some in Ohakea. Tomorrow happens to be a maintenance day on one of the B29’s at Ohakea, which means it will have to stay on the ground for inspection. “With these big aircraft the crew are required to be in the plane two hours before take-off,” Colonel Sullivan said. “At Laverton, near Melbourne, the runway is a bit short and when the planes took off they could not take a full load of gas and have a safe take-off. so they flew to Richmond where there is a sizeable runway. They took off from Laverton at 3 a.m. and left Richmond about 7.30 a.m. and they got into Ohakea between 5.30 and 6 p.m., so by the time they get to bed they will have been flying the best part of 24 hours.” Colonel Sullivan said the Superfortresses would take off from Ohakea about 7 a.m. on Friday and would fly over Auckland, and possibly Wellington, before going on to Australia. The Globemaster would take off for HareWood about the same time, and would have to make a night landing at Sydney.

The Superfortresses will take part in air defence exercises off the coast of New South Wales on Saturday and Sunday.