BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

Evening Star, Issue 22327, 1 May 1936, Page 2

BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

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LOCAL ACTIVITIES. For the fortnight ended April 29, the club’s machines flew a total of 37h 30m, which considering that seven days during the period were unsuitable for flying, was quite a respectable total. The following cross-country flights were carried outJ. C. Tait in ZK-ADN and S. C. Black in ZK-ACT to Titnaru on April 18; A. AA’. Burbidge to Mossburn in ZK-ACT on April 20; Miss B. Black to Invercargill in ZK-ABF on April 27. Balclutha was visited on April 19 by Flying-officer Campbell and Mr A. ,\V. Burbidge for training purposes, but on April 26 thick weather conditions forced the machines -to return to the Taieri after reaching Waihola. Mr J. Boss, a former member of the Oxford University Squadron, recently joined up with the club and made a successful solo in a Moth during the fortnight. Pilots are advised that owing to three machines going to the opening of the Mount Cook aerodrome during this week-end, only one machine will be available for solo flying at the Taieri for the week-end. The Public Works Department is now making good progress with the levelling of the aerodrome. The application of the steam roller is greatly improving the surface. AX AIR MINISTRY. The proposal for the establishment of an Air Ministry in New Zealand was mentioned at a meeting of the Council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently. Mr R. H. Nimmo, in reply to a question by the chairman, suggested that the council, before taking any further steps, should wait and see what the policy of the Government in the matter is to be. “ I would suggest that the wait-and-see policy is not the right one,” said Mr W. M. Wright. “If it is proposed by the Government to take any action in regard to this matter, then I think it is the duty of organisations like this to definitely give the Government a lead—at any rate to let them know definitely what our opinion is.” The discussion then lapsed. TRANSTASMAN AIR TERMINAL. There was unanimity of opinion at a recent council meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce that every effort should be made to ensure that Wellington becomes a port of call for the transtasman air service when'ever it is established. There was a danger, said Mr W. M. Wright, that unless the chamber got busy, Auckland would be the port of call and Wellington would be left out. He suggested that a deputation should wait on the responsible Minister to put Welington’s claims before him. Captain S. Holm said the suggestion was a good one. Wellington'had lost the cable service (it had gone to Auckland). and an attempt should be made, therefore, to keep the air service.

Mr R. H. Nimmo also supported the suggestion. “We want to be fully alive to the claims of Auckland,” he said. “We are faced with a very serious position if the San Francisco steamer service is cut off.” He said he had been informed that Wellington Harbour was second to none as a landing place. Mr Nimmo also gave examples of loss of business to Wellington where commercial men from overseas had landed at Auckland,' and became tied up to Auckland bouses for New Zealand business. They 'had found later that they could have got better terras in Wellington, but it was too late.

CANADIAN FREIGHT LEAD. A world's record for freight carried bv air was established in Canada in 1935, when. 26,439,2241 b (about 13,220 short tons) were transported, according to figures issued by the civil aviation branch of the Department of National Defence. These figures were nearly double those of 1934, and more, than six times those of 1933. Mail carried by air during the year amounted to 1,126,0841 b this was also nearly‘double the amount carried in 1934. No other country approaches these figures. In mails carried by air Canada is second only to the,United States in actual tonnage, and now carries by air about twice the weight of mails per head of population as the United States. The remarkable increase in freight carried by air is wholly due to the increasing use of aircraft in northern Canada in connection with the development of mining and other resources beyond the reach of rail and highway systems. Passengers carried during 1935 totalled 177,472, an increase of about 72.0(X1 over the previous year. Miles flown totalled 7,522,102, an increase of more than a million. In announcing l the figures, the Minister of National Defence congratulated Canada's civil airmen. “Their success,” he said, “is wholly due to the courage, initiative, and tireless energy which they have given to the development of unsubsidised air services throughout northern Canada, and without which many thriving mining camps could not exist.” 200 M.P.H. BOMBER. Developed from the famous Hart bomber, the Hind is faster and carries a bigger load than its forernner. Numerous improvements over the earlier machine are embodied in its dasign, and power is derived from a supercharged Rolls-Royce 640 h.ip. motor, which takes the place of the normally aspirated 525 ra.p. engine of the Hart. With full load, the Hind attains a level speed at a height of 14,000 ft of about 200 miles an hour. At this writing the Hart is the equipment of 13 squadrons of the R.A.F. and Auxiliary Air Force, which indicates the magnitude of the replacement now necessary apart altogether from the needs of new units. The Wallace is also the up-to-date version of an older craft. More than 600 Wapiti biplanes, the first of which was built as a “private venture” by the Westland Company, have been supplied to the R.A.F. and the Air Forces of Australia amd South Africa. Large numbers of Wapitis have been in service for several years in India and Iraq. Now llic Wallace takes its place. Leading among Wallace achievements arc the first flights over Everest, the

world’s highest mountain, and the setting of an unofficial record of more than 35,000 ft for an aeroplane carrying more than one occupant and full flying load. Power is supplied by a cowled Pegasus air-cooled motor. Still-air range, with long distance tanks installed, is about 1.100 miles. In addition to light bombing the "Wallace may be used for a variety of “general purpose” duties, including aerial survey and photography, reconnaissance, desert patrol, and liaison work with the Army. Its best speed, with bomba carried externally in racks below the lower wings, is 158 m.ip.h., attained at a height of 5,000 ft.