NON-STOP FLIGHT

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 184, 2 May 1933, Page 9

NON-STOP FLIGHT

England to Australia COBHAM’S MACHINE Satisfaction With Trials Official Wireless. Rugby, April 29. Sir Alan Cobham has expressed complete satisfaction after his first trial flight at Portsmouth with the airspeed Courier monoplane that is being equipped for his non-stop refuelling flight to Australia. The machine is Ji low-wing monoplane of the type built for passenger and air mail work, normally carrying fuel for six hours’ cruising at a speed of 143 miles hourly. Space for only two instead of six passengers is provided in Sir Alan Cobham’s machine, which is furnished with five tanks in the wings, the total fuel capacity being 288 gallons, enough for about 26 hours’ flying between refuellings. On the Australian trip the monoplane will refuel while in flight from four or five aircraft that will meet it at fixed points. A feature of the machine is a retracts able under-carriage which, according to Flight-Lieutenant Stainforth, who made the first tests of the machine, add 40 miles hourly to the speed by reducing air resistance. The machine is fitted with an Arm-strong-Siddeley Lynx IVO engine that develops a maximum of 242 horsepower.