FLYING-BOAT ENGINES

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1939, Page 13

FLYING-BOAT ENGINES

400 HOURS TEST

LONDON, May 31

Tho four 800 h.p. Bristol Perseus sleeve-valve engines of the Imperial Airways flying-boat Connemara, are being subjected to 400 hours’ test flying during which they .will be under constant observation.

, The Connemara, belongs to the Cabot class, and the test has in view the Atlantic service and the Tasman Sea crossing on the New Zealand route, for which flying-boats of this class will be used.

These are Empire flying-boats' stressed for a bigg&r load. All are fitted for refuelling in the air. This method will bo employed for the Atlantic service, which it is hoped will start during July.

Capt. J. C. Kelly-Rogers, of Imperial Airways, who is in control of the. test, has completed about 150 hours. He operates from Southampton, and his daily flights range from eight to 15 hours.

As the air speed on the test, is approximately 175 m.p.h., the total air mileage -will be about 70,000. It will Lake about 21 more days to complete tiiu test if a daily average of 12 hours is maintained. An hour-to-hour log of each engine is . kept, with particular reference to the nuiifber of revolutions per minute, the fuel and oil consumption, and tile cooling. Normal cruising speed will ho maintained throughout, hut all Speeds in excess or less than this in-

cidental lo normal operations will be noted.

These reports will give a close indication of the progressive condition of each engine, for any defect would immediately show itself by variations from the normal figures. It is understood that this test has been called for by Imperial Airways, and no Air Ministry official is on hoard. Card. Kelly-Rogers is» accompanied by a first officer, an engineer, and a' radio operator. During the flights contact, is kept with radio stations in Britain.