GLOBEMASTER‘S VISIT

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27668, 26 May 1955, Page 12

GLOBEMASTER‘S VISIT

ARRIVAL ON SUNDAY AT HAREWOOD

UNIT OF U.S. FAR EAST AIR FORCE

The Globemaster transport aircraft from the United States Far East Air Force which will visit Christchurch, is expected to land at Harewood about midday on Sunday. It will be open for public inspection during the afternoon, and will return to Ohakea on Monday morning. ’. Four Thunderjet fighters, which flew 5000 miles non-stop from Japan to Australia last week, will precede the Globemaster and two K 829 Superfortress tanker aircraft to the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station at Ohakea on Friday. Only the Globemaster is expected to visit the South Island. The mission will leave New Zealand from Whenuapai on Monday afternoon. The Douglas C. 124 Globemaster is the largest military transport aircraft in the world, and this will be the second of the type to visit New Zealand. The first arrived at Christchurch on June 18, 1954, and was . then the largest aircraft ever to have landed at Harewood. Sunday’s visitor will not raise the record—merely equal it. Globemasters in the United States Air Force act as “maids of all work,” transporting troops, civilians, stores, and acting as flying workshops and spares depots. The groper-like fuselage of the machines is capable of carrying up to 200 fully-equipped troops, or fully-assembled tanks, jeeps, trucks or cars enough to fill its cavernous interior.

As a troop-carrier, the Globemaster is double-decked. Its payload is 50,0001b —more than 20 tons, and its normal all-up weight (aircraft, fuel and load) is 175,0001 b—more than 62 tons. The four 3250-horsepower engines of the Globemaster give it a cruising speed of 264 miles'an hour at 13,600 ft over a range of more than 6000 miles. On Sunday, the aircraft w’ill arrive with a crew of 30, including two lieutenant-colonels, eight non-commis-sioned officers, and 17 enlisted men. They will be quartered at the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Wigram, for the night. It is expected that the Globemaster will take off for Ohakea about 10 a.m. It will then fly on to Whenuapai to prepare for the homeward journey.