PLANES PURCHASED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 217, 11 June 1935, Page 3

PLANES PURCHASED

Five Boeings For New Zealand Airways Fleet

Five Boeing 40 H 4 four-seater machines which. New Zealand Airways, Limited, have purchased to put into service in the Dominion, are expected to arrive from the Boeing works at Vancouver before the* end of this month, states the Christchurch “Star.” New Zealand Airways applied to the Transport Co-ordination Board for a trunk air service license, which was refused, but the company has also applied for the Auckland-Gisborne service, and the machines may be used to operate it if a license is granted. It is more likely, however, that the planes will be used for air taxi work. The company already has one Puss Moth and five Simmonds Spurtans in use as air taxis and training machines at Timaru. Captain H. M. Talbot-Lehmann, chief pilot and technical adviser to the company, who- recently spent over a year in Canada, has inspected the aircraft at the Boeing works in Vancouver, and has also visited the Pratt and Whitney factory at Montreal, where the engines are manufactured. He Is now in Vancouver testing the planes and supervising their shipment to the Dominion. Since 1930, machines of the type which the company proposes to put into service in New Zealand have flown over 15,000,000 miles in Canada, America and Europe without one instance of structural failure. The standard model, which is fitted with a 525 h.p. Pratt and Whitney Hornet engine, has a top speed of 130 m.p.h., and cruises at 115 m.p.h. With certain cleaning up, such as the addition of wheel spats, it is expected that these speeds will be raised by 20 m.p.h. The Boeing has a range of 500 miles at cruising speed, and can take off with a full load in less thn.n 200 yards. The cabin accommodates four passengers in comfort with room for small luggage, and-is finished in polished mahogany, with seats upholstered in solid leather. Each seat is provided with a folding table.- and the cabin is sound-proofed and insulated. Forward of the main cabin is a mail and freight compartment, which will accommodate up to 5501 b. of mail.