AVIATION

Grey River Argus, 22 August 1934, Page 5

AVIATION

MASSED FLIGHT U.S.A, to Alaska and Back (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) 'Received August 21 at '.1.4.5 p.tn.) WASHINGTON. August 21. I’he successful massed flight of leu United States Army planes Io Alaska "ill lead Io important changes in 111” American naval defence plans, S| , -I "as indicated on Tuesday, after the sqiuidron landed here to i-onipl'ele its ton thousand miles o f flying. The findings of the Armada "ill i> compiled inunediate'y, and will be submitted to the Secretary for War Mr De.'.n, who assured Colonel H. fl, Arnold. Commander o f the Squadron, that he ini ended to make everv effort to place the Army Air (Mips in the ront rank of the World Powers. “We hive proved ’• s aid M> Dem, “that it is possible, to take tactical units of tne Air Corps t'O A'askn qu’ckly and to bring them buck sue cessfullv. The results of their long expedition to the north, begun a month ago. wil] have an important bearing on the construction uf much bigger; bombers, that will be capable •>t longer Hights. Ag'ecments have already been made for the secret deve'opment of these new giant craft. - ’ The flight was made via inland C’anrdian points, and the return down the British Columbia coast to Seattle, and thence on to Washington. CENTENARY RACE

Pangborn to Start HE GETS ANOTHER MACHINE fAus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received August 21 at 9.35 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, August 21 Clyde Pangbom, of Seattle who has made the only trans-Pacific n'onstop flight, and Roscoe Turner, of Los Angeles, both speed fliers. arc now here completing their arrangements for participation in the I.on don-Me bourne air race. ‘‘Apparently an impression has gon a round, and reached Australia, that L have withdrawn from the race which I was one of the first to enter,Pangborn said. “The ship that I entered proved, at the last minute, to be unobtainable, but I have arranged to race with Roscoe Turner in a Boering transport plane. We will pilot the plane together, and as soon as the mission on which 1 am now engaged is ended, I shall make preparationsl to leave for London.’’ Smith’s Plane TESTED BY FORCED LANDING. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY, August 21. Sir C. Kingsfiorid Smith had an experience with his racing plane to-dav after taking off from Mascot in drenching rain for Melbourne. Water penetrated the carburetter, and the engine cut out when the p’ane was thirty feet in the air. This necessitated a forced landing on a bumpy part of the. aerodrome. It severely dented the fuselage, but nothing more serious. Smith was delighted that the heavy machine came through the ordeal so well. He -said that he could not have wished for a better unexpected test of strength Smith’s Good Chance WILEY POST’S DARING. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON. August 20. After an extended business tour o' t reat Britain, Europe and the United S ates Sir Keith Smith a pioneer in long distance flying, who, with h s b -other, the late Sir Ross Smith, was the first to fly from England to Australia, arrived in Wellington to-day by the Makin a from San Francisco, on his return to Australia. Sir Keith, who is the representative in Australia of Vickers, Ltd. of Eng’and. discussing the forthcoming Melbourne Centenary Air Race, expressed the opinion that Sir Kingsford Smith’s chances of success were, perhaps, better than those of any other competitor. provided his physiqvo would withstand the stress of so severe a test. He was a man who knew the course intimately—a tremendous advantage—-and he had acquired .a fast plane. Moreover, he was a painstaking organiser. Sir Keith said he was not surprised to hear that most American nominations for the race had been withdrawn. Numbers of aspirants forwarded the necessary nomination fee, hoping to secure the necessary finance after entering. He believed that about twenty aircraft would start in the speed race, twelve of which would be American-owned.

“In my view, the thoroughness o r the organisation in England before the flight will have a marked bearing on the outcome,’’ said Sir Keith. “01 the other competitors, Wilev Pns* was an outstanding rival to Sir Charles. The American was a man who took long chances, and he was no tyro at distance flying. Post’s plan was to fly through the stratosphere. Such a scheme was fu’l of difficulty. on account of the tax upon engine power, and the problem of landings azrising through the difficulty of judging distances from great heights. Weather conditions would exercise a powerful; influence on the result of the ra«*e. Nobody could make provision for the weather variations encountered upon the route, involving so many territories and c.’imatic conditions ”