NON-STOP FLIGHT

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 68, 14 December 1931, Page 11

NON-STOP FLIGHT

British Attack on Record DESTINATION CAPE TOWN Official Wireless. Rugby, December 9. Preparations are in train for the departure from Cranwell Aerodrome on December 22 of Squadron-Leader Gayford and Flight-Lieutenant Bett in an attempt to set up a new world record for distance flown non-stop by aeroplane in a straight line. The present record is held by two American airmen, who flew 5012 miles from New York to Constantinople. The British attempt is being made in a Fairey long-range monoplane equipped with a 530 horse-power Napier- Lion engine, which recently made a trial flight to Egypt. The destination will be Cape Town, and the route will be via Marseilles, Tunis, Sahara, Nigeria, Portugese West Africa, and Welfish Bay. The distance by this route to Cape Town is 5990 miles. The record will, however, be beaten if the airmen reach a point 100 miles south of the Cunene River, in South-west Africa. The aeroplane carries nearly four tons of fuel, and is fitted with an automatic pilot to relieve the airmen at the controls for some hours at a time.