AVIATION

Evening Star, Issue 19778, 31 January 1928, Page 3

AVIATION

NEW AIR PORT AT CROYDON

(British Official Wireless.) Pres* Association—By Wireless—Copyngm-

RUGBY, January 29

Thc great new air port at Croydon, which comes into use on Monday, embodies the result of nine years’ experience in the working ol regular highspeed passenger air services. As the big Handley Page-Napier air liners of the Imperial Airways arrived from the Continent yesterday they were taken to the sheds of the new station to be ready for their start from the new ground on Mond;y. Built at a cast of ,£262,000, the building has a huge denied entrance and booking ball, Customs and immigration inspection halls, and a 50ft high control tower.

TRANSATLANTIC SERVICE

MB BURNEY’S PLANS

WASHINGTON, January 28

Plans for American assistance in the operation of dirigible IMOU, which is being built in England for the transatlantic commercial service, were discussed to-day by Cabinet, the air secretaries, and Mr Burney, organiser of the company which is building the dirigible for the British Government, ft is stated that the secretaries wore then.uglily in accord with Mr Burney’s aims, particularly, it-is understood, in reference ■to the granting of American mail contracts. ARMOR FOR FIGHTING AIRMEN. LONDON, January 29. The ‘ Weekly Dispatch ’ states that the Air Ministry is reviewing schemes to provide crews with long-range bombing ’planes and bullet-resisting armor. Films ot mock aerial combats revealed that machine-gunners in the bomber’s cockpit ‘ offer as targets their heads, their shoulders, and parts of their bodies to a down-swooping fighting ’plane, whereas the fighter’s pilot is hidden by the engine, except for bis head. Experts recommend metal helmets and special chain mail body armor in preference to revolving turrets, with bullae shields, which are likely to interfer - with the view of fast-flying attaihcrs.—Sydney ‘Sun’ Cable.