LONDON TO OHAKEA

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 February 1947, Page 3

LONDON TO OHAKEA

record-breaking flight BY YORK (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 3. After a record-breaking flight from London to New Zealand a BritishSouth American Airways York aircraft landed at Ohakea at 12.30 p.m. yesterday. The flyirig time for the trip was 59 hours, which was 50 minutes faster than the record flight of the Royal Air Force Lancaster Aries last August. “It was just a normal flight and. was not in any way eventful,” said Air Vice-Marshal D. C. T. Bennett, . who commanded the plane. “We nicked up the Greeks at Athens. They were mainly middle-aged men or older, and none had previously flown in an aircraft. They were all delighted with the trip.” Air Vice-Marshal Bennett said the aircraft would have to leave on its return flight almost immediately, as it was engaged in the London-Buenos Aires service. “I am an Australian and thought this was a good chance to see my home country,” he said, when explaining his reason ipr making the flight. The York is a four-engine transport monoplane with 1280 horsepower engines. It has a maximum speed of 290. miles an hour and a maximum range of approximately 3100 miles. It can carry 50 to 56 passengers for a practicable range of 1000 miles or 12 for an extreme range with the maxirpum quantity of fuel It has a wing span of 102 feet, is 78 feet long, and 20 feet high. More than 100 of these aircraft were built during the war, and they are still being produced.