OVER DARKEST AFRICA

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11453, 2 March 1931, Page 5

OVER DARKEST AFRICA

LONDOK-CAPETOWN AIR SER- ' Vice FIRST SECTION NOW IN USE TERMINATES AT TANGANYIKA FULL JOURNEY" MOST ORGANISED IN WORLD FIFTY-SEVEN ALIGHTING PLACES (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Feb. 26. The first air mail from London on the 2670 miles Central Africa section of Imperial Airways’ London to Capetown route will leave Croydon on Saturday morning. At Cairo the mails will he transferred to the big Arm-strong-Siddely aircraft which trill carry them to Khartoum. Here they wtil be placed on board a Short flying boat, and will be flown above rivers and lakes to Mwanza, on the shores of Lake Victoria, in Tanganyika territory, the temporary terminus of the Central African section of the airway.

' When the remaining sections of the African airway are in operation it will be possible to accomplish an air journey of 8000 miles from London to Capetown in II days, over the most completely organised route of its kind in the world. Between Cairo and Capetown are 27 main aerodromes and 30 subsidiary alighting points, many of the latter having had to be made in the heart of virgin , bush, wlffle 17 wireless stations have been installed. At. no time while in flight along any section of the airway will aircraft bq out of wireless touch with land stations. At a number of alighting points where night halts will be made. Imperial Airways have, established hotels and. rest rooms . Seas, rivers, forests, and jungles, together With vast stretches of virgin bush and swamp, lie along the route ,of this great trunk air line, the longest and most, perfectly-equip-ped in the world.

The operation of the section will bo confined, for the; first, few months, to the stages between Cairo and Mwanza,. but by midsummer „ the full 5700 miles will be. flown from Cairo through to Capetown. The time-table for the route when it is in full operation. will enable * passengers to fly from London to Capetown in. 11 days, as compared with 17 days by surface transport.; - New Imperial Airways, machines of tfie Handley Page: type driven by four engines developing a total of 2200 horse-power, 'and carrying 38 passengers in luxurioiisly-equipped saloons, are to be used on .the sections from London across Europe, transporting travellers air-bound, for India as well as those flying to Africa. These great machines, . Weighing nearly 13 tons, attain a maximum speed, of 120 miles an i hour,' and can cruise for. long distances at 105 miles an hour.;

# At Cairo African-bound .passengers will enter an Annstrong-Siddeley Argosy air liner for their journey on to Khartoum. Here, for the trip above the Nife African .lakes ; to Kisuriiuj a; big, Short Calcutta flying beat will- be enipl,eyed. Then,' for ,the final stages to. Capetown, the machines emplbyed will he Do Haviland Hercules, craft. ... Thq use of largo multi-engined aircraft throughout r the route .will ensure!: a maximum of reliability. If any tine-power unit should fail while in the air—a. contingency very unlikely in the so days of engine, reliability—a pilot will be able .to*, fly on ( with his remaining.engines, .until, ho reaches some main or' intermediate air station. .This represents a safety-factor of Extreme, importance,, imply mg,V as it does, an immunity;:from- any-;, risk Of a forced .langing. in open country, away .from any established landing ground..