AERIAL SPEED RECORD

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 April 1933, Page 7

AERIAL SPEED RECORD

ATTAINED BY ITALIAN

HEROIC EFFORTS REWARDED

[BY CABLE —PBESS ASSN. —OOPYBIGHT.,

(Received April 11, 1 p.m.) LONDON, April 10. Warrant-Officer Agello, of the Italian Air Force, is repotred to have attained an average speed in three attempts over a measured mile, at Lake Garda, exceeding 439 miles per hour. If this is substantiated, it will beat Stainforth’s world’s record of 40S miles per hour. Agello is the only survivor of the little band of heroes, five of whom have been killed in attempting to wrest the record from Britain. Agello flew a Macchi plane, with a 2800 horsepower engine, and two propellers, revolving in opposite directions.

STILL HIGHER SPEED DESIRED

(Received April 11, 1.30 p.m. LAKE GARDA, April 10. Italy has officially claimed the record. The Air Ministry announces that Agello averaged 426.5 on his flights. The highest speed was 432.8. The Air Ministry permitted Agello’s attempts, as the Macchi, with a Fiat engine, although not completed in time for the Schneider Race in 1931. The later reached unpreceedented speeds. tlaly is now perfecting a new machine of greater fineness and power to re-attack the record. It is recalled that Agello twice narrowlv escaped death, crashing into Lake Garda, during the Macchi trials.

ROBIANO’S progress.

LONDON, April 10.

Covering the 1200 miles from Bari to Aleppo in nine hours, Robiano left last night for .Task, after staying two hours. MISS BATTEN’S JOURNEY. NAPLES, April 10. Jean Batten has departed for Athens.

WELCOME AT ATHENS.

(Received April 11. 2 p.m.) ATHENS, April 11.

Miss Batten was welcomed by enthusiastic crowds. She experienced squalls approaching Athens, nevertheless she averaged one hundred miles hourly. She declared that her principal wants were a square meal and rest. She departs for Alleppo at three o’clock in the morning.

AKRON VICTIM.

(Recd. April 11, 10 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 10.

The recovery of the body of Rear Admiral William Moffett, lost with the Akron, has been reported to naval headquarters to-day.

A NARROW ESCAPE.

LONDON, April 10.

Rehearsing refuelling for the nonstop flight to Australia, the Cobham Co’s pilot, Squadron Leader Helmore, lowered a rope as a preliminary to lowering the petrol pipe. Helmore’s -mechanic lost grip of the rope which twisted itself around the tail, causing the machine to hang for a minute nose downwards, while Helmore struggled with the controls. Then the rope snapped, and the machine dropped

like a stone until 300 feet from the sea. After a very narrow escape, Helmore regained control and flew to the aerodrome. ’