’PLANE MISSING

Grey River Argus, 5 December 1938, Page 8

’PLANE MISSING

WITH AUSTRALIANS Between England & France u FAus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] " SYDNEY, * December 3. Captain Edgar Wikner Percival, the Australian aeroplane designer, the pilot of an aeroplane with four passengers, is missing between Heston and Paris. He has not - reported since he' was over the Channel at. 3 p.m. / Ships and aircraft have been advised to keep a special look-out. | No news had been received at midnight of Captain Percival's aeroplane which is his latest model two-engined light transport. Captain Percival was born at Albany in 1897 and while still in his teens began designing and building gliders. He served in the war with the Royal Air Force, having learnt to fly solo after sixty-five hours instruction. After the war he bought some aeroplanes and engines and returned to Australia. Except for two air services he was the only pilot operating regularly in the Eastern States. In 1924 Captain Percival', designed his first aeroplane. The first Percival Saro mail carrier, which Neville Stack flew to India and back, was built in 1931. Then he designed the Percival Gull light monoplane in the basement of an old brewery at'Maidstone. It was such a success that a private company was formed. It bliilt and sold forty machines in six' months. , With one of them Sir Charles . Kingsford Smith set up a solo record from England to Australia. In another Captain Percival flew from .England to Africa and back in a,day. His next model was the Mew Gull, the first British civil machine with.a speed of two hundred miles per hour. ■

A Safe Landing MADE IN FRANCE. (Received December 4, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON,' December 3. Captain Percival and his passengers landed safely at the Buc military aerodrome, hear Versailles. It is learned that, when he left for France, he was undecided whether to land at Le Bourget’ or at Buc. Mr W. A. Summers, works manager for the Percival Aircraft establishment in Luton, said that Captain Percival’s three passengers are: An Australian, Mr Robert Ffewen, who for the past three months has been on the sales staff of the Percival Aircroft Coy.; Mr F. W. Rowarth, engineer, an officer attached to the R.A.F. experimental department at Martelsham Heath, who was one of the designers of the Queen Bee( and a member of the Board of Trade Mission that visited the United States lasf.Appil in connection with the purchase of aeroplanes. Mr Rowarth is the Royal Aero Club’s handicapper. . The third passenger is an Air Force officer, whose name is at present unknown. He is a friend of Captain Percival. The party intends visiting the aircraft exhibition in Paris. CALPURNIA’S MAIL. LONDON, December 3. Tfte Postmaster-General has announced that the bulk of the Calpurna’s mail has been salyaged.. It. is in. bad condition. owing to- its immersion in the lake. It' will be dried and be forwarded by air.