CARGO PLANES STUDIED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29194, 3 May 1960, Page 11

CARGO PLANES STUDIED

DC-3 Conversions Planned

National Airways Corporation technical staff who have visited the Netherlands recently have been studying a \ cargo-carrying version of the Fokker Friendship airliner.

The study has been made while engineers have been learning about the passenger Friendship, which has been ordered as part of the corporation’s fleet reequipment plan. The probable introduction of Fokker-built freighter planes to New Zealand air routes was confirmed yesterday by the general manager of N.A.C, (Mr J. J. Busch) when approached by “The Press.”

“But it will be a long-term plan,” he said. Mr Busch said that because of this, engineers visiting the manufacturer's works had not given the freighter a full study.

“We propose largely to continue with the DC-3 and to convert more passenger aircraft to freighters next year to extend freight operations,” he said. The passenger DC-3’s will become available for freight work as Fokker airliners take up scheduled running. At the present time N.A.C. has five freighters in operation—four of its own and a Trans-Australian Airlines DC-3 on charter to meet the demand for air cargo business.

Mr Busch said it had not been decided how many freighters would be added next year but it would be "one or two.” The conversions would be carried out at the corporation’s main overhaul and maintenance base at Harewood.

The principal feature of the Fokker freighter which differentiates it from the passenger version is a large cargo-loading door forward of the ‘ wings with its sill at truck deck height. The Fokker Freighter has a maximum payload of 10,6001 b and a cruising speed of 275 miles an hour.