FULL LOAD TEST

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 102, 27 October 1934, Page 9

FULL LOAD TEST

THE BELLANCA MACHINE

LONDON, October 26.

Colonel J. C. Fitzmaurice's Bellanca machine passed its test at Portsmouth yesterday with a full load of 5350 pounds, and has been granted a certificate of airworthiness. Tho machine landed satisfactorily in spite of the wet ground.

Fitzmaurieo and Bonar intended to leave Lympne for Australia at 3 a.m. on Friday, conforming with the conditions, of the Centenary Air Bace, in order to prove tho Irish Swoop's capabilities and in the hope of beating Scott's record.

After a repetition of trouble with tho oil feed, however, Fitzmaurice' is having an additional pipe fitted, postponing tho start probably for 24 hours.

Tho Irish Hospitals Trust has issued a statement saying that Colonel Fitzmaurice explained to the committee only two hours before his departure from America to England that he had not time- for a full-load test, • which, ho was informed, the American Government would complete in England. Ho offered to perform tho test at Mildenhall, but tho committee, also an Air Ministry official, regained it as unnecessary. Nevertheless, whilo the official was informing Fitzrnauriee that everything was in order except the pilot's licence, tho lifebelts, and the Verey lights, tho committee was cabling to Washington regarding the airworthiness of tho aeroplano and did not tell Fitzmauriee,

The committee offered to let Fitzmauriee fly at a gross weight of 8350 pounds, subject to disqualification if lie won, in tho event of the American certificate being unsatisfactory. Fitzmauri.ee accepted, whereupon the committee withdrew the offer and informed Fitzmaurice that he could only fly at 5458 pounds. It also refused Fitzmaurice's offer to make the flight as a sporting event.

Tho Hospitals Trust adds that an American eablo substantiated Fitzmauricc's statements, and thus every effort by Fitzmaurico and his sponsors to keep the matter a sporting event was turned down by tho committee and stewards.