WORLD FLIGHT PROJECT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3148, 18 December 1922, Page 7

WORLD FLIGHT PROJECT.

(Daily Telegraph Correspondent.) Tho Air League of the British Empire ' announce this month that it is proposed to form a company in order to carry out the project of a flight round tin- world, to which the League is giving all the assistance in its power. Further details are now announced with regard to the proposed flight, which, as already stated, will he by a Kaircy float seaplane —(570 h.p. RollsRoyce Condon engine. There will be two pilots, .Mr R. H. Mcintosh and Captain E. J. K. MeCloughry. D.S.O. The. navigator will be Captain l<\ Tvmms. There will also he a mechanic. The obiect of forming a company, ol course, is that of sharing the considerable outlay involved in such an enterprise among a number of people. Then* is good reason to believe that, with the organisation planned, the personnel chosen, and the resolution to subordinate all other considerations to that of getting a British machine, engine ,and crew first round the world, the original outlay will be reccovered with interest. I March 15, 1923, if. the starting date V aimed at. The start must, at any rate. A,h© in the spring, for only by choosing lthat (season is there a. chance of avoiding bad weather on all sections ot the route. A time-table illustrating this is published in the Air League Bulletin. It is not suggested that good weather can be counted upon all the way round; but by starting in March or earlv April it is possible to avoid recognised bad weather seasons, so that oiilv short delays here and there are. to 'he expected, and the machine will not be put to so severe an ordeal INo other time of the year is suitable toi a flight round the world from West to Beast The reasons tor choosing, this direction, and the northern route, have already been stated in the Dail> lei* irraph. The circuit ol the globe in. the reverse, direction is. however, feasible. It would involve longer sea distances ; ,nd a more southerly course would be chosen; but a start might be POsaMo in that case in the autumn. In wisely choosing the west to cast direction, and a start in early spring, the Air League adventurers have a good prospect ot avoiding the Indian monsoons, and of passing the Knrile and Aleutian Mauds in the only iwssible season, namely, the summer. It is pointed out that the onlv wav to achieve success is to reduce the! adverse condition* as much as possible; and on so long a journey the machine and its crew must be taken bare of and not subjected to avoidable ,. . . , •. One of the best features, indeed, s the use of an engine: of far greater iwver than is theoretically , necessary. It is intended to run the engine at only half its power, thus greatly reducing the risk of breakdowns. As' to power, the machine, with its norma load (a total weight of 12,9201b) w.llfly at seventy-three miles per hour for 20* hours. In good conditions it might dc possible to carry enough petrol lor nearly twenty-three hours. \ccording to the time-table, the section Calcutta-Hue will taken in hot weather, which adversely attccts the lift of the machine. At such it-res. naturally, the machine will be ''Htfed as lightly as possible, consistentthe length of the particular iourncv in hand. , '' For'the sea part of the route harl,ors frequented by ships will be used, with the exception of Broughton Haj, Chiehagoff Harbor, and Naryan Bay. In the first, a camp and mooring buoy will be established; in the other two, buovs mav exist, but may have to be fixed Much has yet to be done in arranging supplies', so that for a start next March it will be necessary to get the company into operation immediately.