BRITISH ’PLANES

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 May 1931, Page 8

BRITISH ’PLANES

BEST IN THE WORLD. SYDNEY, April 21. “As the British designers and manufacturers have kept the nation’s service ’planes in advance of those of any other country, they are now securing priority in rank in the building of all classes of commercial aeroplanes,” said Flight-Lieutenant C. J. Harman, recently assistant air liaii&n officer of the R.A.A.F. in London, who has returned to Australia to engage in commercial aviation. “Light aeroplahes designed and built in Britain are at present being sold all over the world desepite world competition,” Ire added. “The 20-seater flying boats that have been built to fly from London to Alexandria to service the combined aerial routes to India and South Africa are acknnowleged by experts to be the most satisfactory and reliable machines of their kind in the world. The same applies to the 40-seater ‘Hannibal’ land machines which are being built to the order of Imperial Airways, Ltd., for the London-Delhi service. There are no machines to compare with them on any aerial service in the world. Five are to be commissioned-for the BritainIndian route.” Flight-Lieutenant Harman said that the recent additions to the machines of the- Australian Air Force .were similar to those in the same classes in Britain. This was in accordance with the development of the two services on coordinate lines.

“Up to recently,” he continued, “the aircraft manufacturers had been kept busy in developing machines for defence purposes, but they are now extending operations to all classes of commercial ’planes.” Dealing with civil aviation in Britain, Flight-Lieutenant Harman said that it was coinmon for 50 aeroplanes to b© despatched in a day for different routes, including Europe and different services in England and Scotland. A good aeroplane “taxi” service was being developed in Britain owing to the saving of time possible, even on comparatively short journeys, compared with other modes of travel.