SKI PLANES ARRIVE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29102, 14 January 1960, Page 8

SKI PLANES ARRIVE

Hercules For Antarctic

Nose skis skimming barely a handsbreadth above the runway surface, five Hercules transport planes flew into Christchurch airport yesterday. Hundreds of people lined the boundary fence of the field to watch them.

The planes are part of a squadron of eight transports engaged by the United States Navy for three and a half weeks’ Antarctic duty beginning on January 21. The unit is the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron of the United States Air Force and is commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W. Turk who pilots the aircraft named Frozen Asset’s. Colonel Turk said his squadron had just completed seven months’ cargo carrying in support of the eastern extension of the North .American distant early warning radar system, and had been operating with good results on the 9000 ft high Greenland icecap to do it.

Normally equipped to fly only 2200 miles range, the Hercules turbo-prop planes have had extra fuel tanks fitted specially for Antarctic service. There are two pods hanging under the wings outside the four motors, and two cylindrical tanks are bolted to the cargo compartment floor and connected to the fuel system. Extra Tanks

Each of the wingtip pods weighs more than a ton and a quarter loaded. “The extra tanks will give us a capability of between 2800 and 2900 miles—a reserve of about two hours on the flight between Christchurch and McMurdo Sound,” Colonel Turk said. “It will not be marginal flying if the weather is good.” The Hercules planes, three more of which are due at Christchurch in the next two days, from California, are different from the familiar Globemaster transports. They are smaller, and their bulk crouches only about 24 inches above the ground, with the main undercarriage coming down from streamlined bulges in the fuselage. They have World War 11-style flight deck windows, high wings and a tail rising 42ft. From the bottom of the fuselage at the rear the aircraft’s line rises steeply 18 feet-odd to the bottom of the tail. This is a slab-like door that drops down to trucktray level for loading and unloading cargo.

Faster Than Globemasters

Although the Hercules planes could not carry as much cargo as far as the Globemasters could, they could fly faster and higher and could land alongside snowfield bases to discharge cargo instead of having to drop it by parachute, Colonel Turk said. The particular model his squadron was using had an operational weight of 124,0001 b and cruised at 300 knots between 25,000 and 30,000 ft.

Colonel Turk said that his eight planes would be flown by 10 sixman crews.

Included in the squadron’s 131 men to be quartered in Christchurch are 38 maintenance staff. The huge tricycle ski assembly on each side weighs 50001 b. Hercules aircraft have been in the South Island before. They were Australian and American planes which came to New Zealand to take part in the Walsh Memorial Pageant at Rongotai last October.