EVOLUTION OF AIR LINER

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 22 October 1935, Page 5

EVOLUTION OF AIR LINER

ROMANCE OF MODERN

ENTERPRISE,

NEW ZEALAND AND THE EMPIRE AIR-CHAIN.

One of the romances of modern air transport is illustrated by facts which have just become available as to the fleet of giant four-engined Imperial Airways air liners of the "Heracles" and "Hannibal" type. These great machines have now completed four years of regular flying on the Continental and Empire airlines; and during all this arduous service, under all sorts of operating conditions, these big "ships of the air" have carried more than 200,000 passengers without a single mishap involving injury to a passenger, while the latest operating figures show that they are maintaining their various services—European and Empire— with a reliability of just on 100 per cent. The popularity with the air travelling public of these big, silent, luxurious air liners is not only a vindication of the policy of Imperial Airways in the development of large multi-engined machines, but it provides, in addition, a striking illustration of the progress of aircraft design and construction during the 16 years which have elapsed since the institution of the world's first daily air service over the 250 miles route between London and Paris.

The pioneer 'plane which made the first commercial flight to Paris was driven by a single engine developing 360 horse-power, and carried only its pilot and a couple of passengers. Then came larger aircraft of a twinengined type; followed in due course by the first of the three-engined "Argosy" machines, with their saloons seating 19 passengers, and with a steward serving refreshments from a buffet at the rear of the saloon, struck the first real note of luxury in aerial travel. Traffic grew rapidly after this, not only on the European air services, but also on the newly-opened Empire routes; and soon these traffic demands justified the ordering by Imperial Airways of their famous fleet of four-engined "Hannibal" and "Heracles" air liners.

The first of these great machines, "Hannibal," made its appearance at the London airport in June, 1931, to be followed by the other seven air liners of the fleet. The size and luxury of these new machines marked a new era in air travel. In the "Heracles" type, intended for the European air routes, the commodious saloons provided accommodation for 38 passengers; while the air liners were large enough for the introduction in them, for the first time, of a complete system of aerial catering, hot and cold meals being served which were in every respect the equal of those provided in luxury restaurants or hotels. The eight machines of this new fleet were divided equally between the European and Empire air lines, four of the "Heracles" type remaining in Europe, and four of the "Hannibal" class going out to take up their stations along the Empire air lines.

The "Heracles" and "Hannibal" fleet of Imperial Airways were soon followed by another remarkable type of machine which, in its combination of speed, load-carrying capacity and economy in operation, marked another big step forward in civil air design. This was the "Atlanta," a four-engined monoplane type of *air liner which, with engines developing a total of 1360 horse-power, cruised at 120 miles an hour with a top speed of 150 miles an hour, and carried a pay-load of approximately two tons. Designed specially for use on African and Eastern sections of the Empire routes, these "Atlantas" have rendered splendid service under the most arduous operating conditions.

More recent additions to the Imperfal Airways fleet have been giant air liners of the "Scylla" class, carrying 39 passengers in saloons larger than those of a railway Pullman car; also express air liners of the "Diana" type —machines which, in the speed they attain for a moderate power and the pay-load per horse-power figures which they attain, are unequalled in any other of the world's air fleets; while their factor of reliability is so high that, even when fully loaded, they can maintain height, and continue in normal flight, on the power of only two of their four engines. The four engines of these "Diana" machines develop a total of 740 horse-power, and when attaining a cruising speed of 145 miles an hour, and a maximum of 170 miles an hour, they carry ten passengers, together with mails and freight. Express air liners of this "Diana" type are now maintaining high speed service between London and cities throughout Europe. They are also being used by Qantas Empire Airways (associated company of Imperial Airways) on the Eng-land-Australia rdute between Singa-

pore, Port Darwin and Brisbane. And it is, of course, this great EnglandAustralia Imperial air route—in many respects the most romantic of the world's trunk air lines—which the people of New Zealand are eager to see extended as quickly as possible to serve their territory, thus enabling them to play their part in and obtain advantages from the homogenous air chain which, stage by stage, is now linking the Empire in its high-speed flights.

And the time has now been reached when, by vigorous action along the right lines, and by a realisation that the interests of New Zealand will best be served by joining hands with the great routes which have already given such proof of their speed, reliability and comfort, the inclusion of New Zealand in the Imperial air chain should soon become an established fact. FLYING BOATS. So far reference has been made only to the development of the Imperial Airways land 'planes. But in some respects—and especially from an Imperial viewpoint—an even more important phase has been that of British transport-type flying-boats.

Quite early in the post-war development of British air transport a commercial service was established, by flying-boat, to and from the Channel Islands. On this route "Sea Eagle" machines, driven by a single 355 horse-power engine and carryingsix passengers, were employed. Then a year or so later, came twin-engined flying-boats of the "Swan" type. These machines provided a steppingstone to the production of the larger three-engined "Calcuttas" used so successfully on the first Mediterranean sections of the Empire airlines. Then, after these three- engined "Calcuttas," came the fine four-motored "Scipio" boats now used in the' Mediterranean; while at the time of writing, turning yet another page of Empire air history, Imperial Airways have placed orders for a fleet of new flying-boats which will be considerably larger, faster and more luxurious than any at present in use on the Imperial routes.

The significance of the placing of this new order is that it represents an essential feature of the development scheme now in progress for the carriage of first-class mails in bulk on the main Empire routes' and the time schedules of construction and assembly, in the production of these flying -boats, will enable them to be brought into service during 1937, thus coinciding with the inauguration of the great programme of bulk transport on the Imperial air routes.