TRANSPORT BY AIR

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 33, 2 November 1934, Page 11

TRANSPORT BY AIR

British Plans For Further •Development UNDER-SECRETARY’S TOUR (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, October 31. A scheme for the further development of British commercial air transport, upon plans on which the >Air Ministry (in conjunction with the Post Office and Imperial Airways) has been actively engaged for several months past, will, it is hoped, be revealed within the next month or. two. This announcement was made today in an interview by Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary for Air,. who has just returned from a 19,000-mile (light over 14 countries, during which he travelled as far east as Singapore, and visited the Royal Air Force stations in Egypt and on the north-west frontier of India.

Sir Philip’s journey was made in seven different types of aircraft, civil and military, and he is convinced that civil air transport must, in the not far distant future, tend increasingly to supplement the older forms of transport. During his long tour there were no forced landings, and all his flights were made strictly to schedule. He was particularly interested In the de--velopment and progress In aerodromes and landing grounds on the IndiaSingapore section of the route, which he Is satisfied is proceeding on right lines. The chief difficulty over this part of the route is the dampness of aerodromes during the monsoon period, but this is receiving the attention of aerodrome experts. . Fortunately, the prevailing winds do not vary substantially in direction, and it is therefore possible to overcome the difficulty t>y putting down landing strips on aerodromes. This method has already been adopted at Bangkok with marked success. Singapore Aerodrome. Sir Philip Sassoon said that the civil aerodrome at Singpore was a very fine one, and the buildings had been extremely well designed and laid out. The people of Malaya were enthusiastic over flying, and realised their responsibilities and the fact that the peninsula must be a link of ever-increasing importance in the Empire air-mail route. He expressed satisfaction that the speed race in the great Australia contest was won by a British machine and Bripsh engines, and he paid a tribute to the excellent performance of the Douglas machine flown by the very able Dutch pilots. But, he said, he did not think they would claim that the time has yet arrived when it is possible to contemplate a speed of 200 miles per hour on a regular schedule flown in all weathers and at all times of the year. The lessons of the race were apparent, but he did not wish it to be thought that any special action on the part of the Air Ministry was attendant on the results of such an event.

Referring to work on plans for ordered development which had been proceeding at the Air Ministry and Imperial Airways for many months past, lie said they had reached the conclusion that the present flying times between London and the other Empire capitals most be progressively and drastically curtailed, and that measures must be taken for the further development of airmail traffic in'particular. Obviously, he added, a great deal of preparatory work must be done, and the closest and fullest consultation with tho Dominions and colonies was a necessary preliminary to the final formulation of a definite scheme. They had no intention of making their plans public prematurely. ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN MAIL Second Liner Leaves Croydon London, October 31. The second Imperial Airways air-liner has left Croydon for Australia for the Duke of Gloucester's opening of the Anglo-Australian air mall. The machine averaged 160 miles per hour on the way to Paris. It is piloted by Captain Prendergast and First-Officer Creates.