AIRLINER AWAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 10

AIRLINER AWAY

SHORT TEST FLIGHT

IN SERVICE SHORTLY

The new Lockheed Electra for the Union Airways services, landed in Wellington from the Hauraki on Monday and assembled at Rongotai, made a short test flight round and about the aerodrome this morning and headed directly for Palmerston North!.

The machine, which is not yet named, but will be christened either the Kahu (hawk) or Kopara (bellbird) at Palmerston North, had been in the air before, for prior to being packed for shipment from the United States to New Zealand it was fully flight-tested at the factory aerodrome at Burbank, California. This morning's test, therefore, was merely a matter of checking up engines and controls, first on the ground and then in the air. The motors were run up during the morning, and at 11 o'clock the final ground run was made for ten minutes or so, to the full reverberating roar of open throttles. Commander G. R. White took the controls and had with him Commander A. G. Gerrand, service manager for Union Airways, Mr. L. Mangham, chief engineer, and several members of the Palmerston North engineering staff who had assisted in the assembly of the plane.

From the tarmac the plane swung to the north-west corner of the aerodrome, turned into the south-easterly breeze, paused for a second or two as the propellers reached high revolution at the take-off power of the motors, and was away. A couple of circuits were made at from 1000 to 1500 feet for the testing of controls within gliding distance of the aerodrome, and Commander White then headed out to sea, turned, and came back at full throttle, "shooting up" the 'drome as well over 200 miles an hour. Over the head of Evans Bay the nose was lifted and the airliner climbed-rapidly on the straightaway for Palmerston.

It will be some days before the machine will go into service, for radio equipment, which was already installed in the earlier Lockheeds, is to be installed locally in the additions to the fleet. The second Electra is to arrive in Wellington for assembly towards the end of next month.