BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

Evening Star, Issue 21499, 25 August 1933, Page 3

BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

[By Gifst Moth.]

TOLD AT THE ’DROME. After a week of favourable weather flying hours have shown a big increase for the period, a total of 29h lomin having been flown by the Taicri machines. Flight-lieutenant E. G. Olson visited Cromwell and Balclutha, where a new pupil (Mr Hill) commenced training. While at Cromwell a photographic survey of the Matakanui goldfields was carried out in ZK-ABF. . On Wednesday the instructor (Flight-lieutenant E. G. Olson) took Mr P. R. Sargood by air to his station at Pembroke, and while there several lady visitors made use of the machine to take flights over the lakes and glaciers. As it becomes more generally known that a visitor at Pembroke can be landed at the Franz Josef Glacier in less than an hour by air the club can expect more of these trips. For sheer grandeur of scenery there is nothing in New Zealand to compare with this hour of air travel. Pilots are reminded that next weekend is the last for August in which their landing competition must bo completed.

Mr E. Boucher, president of the Auckland Aero Club, visited the ’drome last week in ZK-AHT. Mr Boucher is a pilot with over 300 hours to his credit, and uses an aeroplane extensively in his business. He is at present on a business tour of New Zealand, completing in ten days a trip that would take over a month by surface transport.

The first, six months of this year have shown a great increase in the number of passengers carried on the London* Paris route. From January to the end of June, 1932, 17,663 passengers were carried, but during the corresponding period this year the number has risen to 24,354, an increase of no less than 38 per cent. On Friday, June 9, the Aurora, one of the Atalanta class of Imperial Airways air liners, flew from Croydon, the air port of London, to Brussels at the special invitation of His Majesty the King of the, Belgians. In the afternoon His Majestv, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, made a flight in the air liner from Brussels to Antwerp and back. This event is believed to bo. unique, in that it is the first time four members of a Royal Family have flown together. After landing both the King apd the Queen congratulated the company on the efficiency of the arrangements and the comfort of the flight. AIRMAN’S “ DANGEROUS PERIODS.” “ The dangerous periods in a man’s career as an aviation pilot are when ho has completed 100 hours’flying or about 10,000 miles, hud when bo has completed-500 hours,” said-Mr E. R. Boucher, president of the Auckland Aero Club, in .ah address to the Auckland Rotary Club. Mr Boucher explained that when he had flown for 100 hours a man began to think he could fly, and after 500 hours he was liable to treat flying with contempt. Flying was really a very safe means of travel—far safer than most people believed—provided the pilot was unceasingly on the alert and took every precaution to avoid risk. It was not suited to the reckless; the good pilot, was a man of stable mind and a thinker.” PROPOSED DOMINION SERVICE. If Mr Wilfrid Kingsford Smith is successful in arranging for the formation of National Airways, a firm which will operate a regular flying service for passengers between Auckland and Christchurchj calling at New’ Plymouth or Wanganui and possibly Wellington, three Wackett Codock type twin-en-gined monoplanes will be used. The Wackett Codock type is designed to carry six passengers and baggage, n r ith a load of mail if necessary, at a cruising speed of 125 miles an hour and a top speed of 140 miles an hour. It can stay in the air on one engine. These machines will be similar to the one being built for Mr T. W. White, of Timaru, to fly across the Tasman Sea in December, in, company with the Southern Cross, flown by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, who is stated to be interested in the proposed formation of National Airways. “ Codock ” is an abbreviation of Cockatoo Dockyard, where the machines will be built under the supervision of Wing Commander L. J. Wackett. The one which will be flown across the Tasman is now under construction. If the company is formed the service from Auckland to Christchurch will be opened in February by Sir Charles* Kingsford Smith. Mr Wilfrid Kingsford Smith is expected to arrive in New Zealand shortly on business connected with the formation of the new company, INCREASING POPULARITY OF FLYING. The number of passengers carried by Imperial Airways’ services in the Union of South Africa increased by 60 per cent, as compared with the number carried during the corresponding period of last year. This increase of passengers was accompanied by a growth in the amount of mail, and freight carried. During the first four months of 1932, 7.6051 b of letter mail were carried to and from the Union, but during the first four months of this year the figure rose to 11,6311b —an increase of over 50 per cent. Freight also shows a substantial increase over the same period, 1,1521 b being carried in 1932 as compared with I,Blßlb this year—an Mi-d-ease of 58 per cent That the imperial Airways’ African service offers great advantages to travellers is shown by the fact that over 3.000 passengers have been canned on the services since the route was opened in April 1932. At the present time no fewer than 200.000 letters are being handled each month on these services—a striking proof of the value of the air mail. SIDESTRANDS IMPROVED. Most of the so-called day bomber aircraft employed in the Royal Air Force are single-engined biplanes, but one squadron is equipped with twin-engined machines intended for similar duties. Steadiness of the bombing platform, making for sure aiming, and greater comfort for the crew are features of the multi-engined machine, apart from the lessened risk of emergency landings caused by engine failures'. Aetuallv. the squadron which employs the twin-engined day bombers has obtained extraordinary

high averages of hits on warship targets from heights ranging up to fU.UOOH.

Recently the Boulton-Paul designers have j Innned an nnoroved version of this “ Sidestrand ’’ aeroplane. The chief alterations are installation of Bristol Pegasus engines in the room of the original Jupiter motors, the fitting of Towncnd resistance-reducing ringcowls to the engines, and the substitution of a tail wheel for the tail skid. This last alteration makes possible the fitting of wheel brakes. The standard Sidestrand has exceptional powers of rapid climb, ease ol control and manoeuvre, and high speed These points are emphasised in the new machine, which reaches top speed of more than 16U miles an hour. Much ot the gain in speed is attributable to increase in power, the Pegasus engines each delivering 555 h.p. at their rated height of 4,500 ft, as against the 400 h.p. of the Jupiter. A further increase, comparable with that gained Dy the augmented power, is the result of fitting the Townend rings, linen ting encircles the engine at its greatest diameter and, in maintaining unbroken flow of the air-stream over the engines, markedly reduces the resistance to forward movement offered by an uncowlecl radial engine. Scores ot tests in flight have shown that the ring-cowl saves 25 per cent, of the power wasted in driving an uncowled radial motor through the air; this saving may be employed to increase speed and range, or to diminish operational costs, according to the desire of the user.