“AIRES” ARRIVES

Grey River Argus, 26 August 1946, Page 5

“AIRES” ARRIVES

IN 55 HOURS 18 MINUTES Record Broken Two Detours on Flight WELLINGTON, Aug. 25. The long distance. record (from England to New Zealand is now held by the R.A.F. Lancaster “Aries” which arrived over Ohakea aerodrome at 12.29 p.m. on Saturday, 59 hours 51 minutes after leaving Black Bush Airport, near Camberley, in England, at 1.37 p.m. G.M.T. last Wednesday. The actual flying time was 55 hours 18 minues. Fifty-two minutes was clipped off the record. The machine appeared on the horizon several minutes before touching down and made a complete circuit of the airfield, accompanied by a New Zealand Pludson bomber. The weather was fine. ■

Disaster nearly overtook the plane at Negombo aerodrome, Ceylon, when heavily laden, but airborne, she struck a palm tree at the end of the runway. This mishap, -tore ; away radar scanning equipment attached to the underside of the plane, and hasty repairs were made to the fuselage at Darwin, but the equipment itself has not yet been repaired. On the outward flight from England, icing conditions made a detour around th e Alps, by way of Marseilles unavoidable and the aircraft, on its hop to Bombay, could not obtain enough ceiling to fly over the top of India, because the Monsoon was encountered, and this necessitated another detour to Negombo, Ceylon. “Otherwise, the flight was pleasant enough but the Tasman crossing was a bit bumpy,” said Air Commodore N. H. d’Aeth, who is in charge of the Aries mission. The Australian coast was left north of Brisbane at 7.15 a.m. New Zealand time, and the Wanganui river-mouth was reached at 12.22 p.m. and this Tasman crossing in five hours seven minutes was near the record. The crew were met and welcomed at Ohakea by Air Commodore Wallingford, Mr T. A. Barroy (Air Secretary) and a fairly large crowd. The crew had their third real meal since leaving England on the Ohakea station—and they had their second shave when 15,000 feet above the Tasman—and they had been forewarned about New Zealand’s meat and butter rationing. They showed a decided interest in the suggestion of surrendering meat and butter coupons in the Food for Britain Campaign by those who wished to inspect the aircraft. The comment of one Flight Sergeant was: “Anyone can give me a butter coupon, if they wish to see me!”

The personnel carried by the plane (all English unless otherwise stated) are: Air Commodore d’Aeth, Squadron" Leader J. E. Aldridge (captain of the aircraft), Flight Lieut. D. D. Hurditch (second pilot, who is an Australian), Squadron Leader J. G. Messenger (first navigator and deputy mission commander), Squadron Leader J. J. McDowell (second navigator, of Christchurch, the--only New Zealander), Flight Lieut. J. A. Woof (third navigator), Flying Officer i. H. Qraham (first wireless operator, who replaced a fellow Officer who died before the plane left England); Flight Sergeant L. K. Dobson (second wireless operator and electrical maintenance)’ Flying Officer R. M. Cooke (ffi charge of maintenance), Flight Sergeant A. E. C. Brookin. (fitter and engine maintenance), Sergeant R. M. Slowe (radar maintenance). Squadron Leader McDowell was met by his wife and daughter at Ohakea, and is staying m Palmerston North. The only other member ot the crew with a tie in New Zealand is Flight Sergeant Dobson, whose cousin, Mr David Air, is an electrical engineer in Lower Hutt, and who emigrated from Scotland ten yeai a ago and married a New Zealander.

Speed Record Attempt METEOR PLANES SHOW DEFECTS (Rec 6.30) ’ LONDON, Aug. 24. The Meteor speed attempt has been deferred after the discoyry of a Sage f !F lt in DonaWson’s Plane as a result of high-speed stress The other Meteor is also temporarily out of action while its designers attempt to find the cause of its starboard wing dipping at top speed. The vigilance of. an engineer has saved Donaldson from possible disaster the fuselage skin on the Meteor’s belly recently showed signs of crinkling, of which according to Donalson no one took much notice of. lhe engineer, however, decided last night to investigate more carefully and took off the inspection plate which is sealed in and' painted over and polished to match the rest of the speciallyprepared skin. The decision meant four hours work replacing the plate, but the engineer’s hunch was justified, for he found a considerable twisting anti buckling of spars and ribs, which for Donaldson meant that in all probability the fuselage would' have broken up if flown at top speed again. The plane was flown back slowly to the Gloster factory.