ITALIAN AIR ARMADA.

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 27 September 1933, Page 4

ITALIAN AIR ARMADA.

The lat est exchanges to ha ml bring accounts of the joyful ■reception gi'vien by Italy to General Baiba arid his 100 officers and men upon ■■their return, on August 12 from a flight to Chicago am 21 seaplanes. Fascist Italy has every right to be proud of this achievement, the mlost spectacular of its kind in the history of aviation. The flight (showed even more clearly than the live years of effort that Italy spent in winning the speed record that Signor Mussolini means Italy to lead in the air. It was as remarkable a demonstration of skill in engineering and aeronautical design as it was of flying ability, of' the effective use of radio, of organisation, and of courage. As a demonstration of the possibilities of the use of aircraft it was not conclusively important. The flying boats could not have carried loads useful in war or in peace; they flew through bad weather, but no(t through such bad weather as often prevails on the route they -took; and the extremely thorough ground and sea organisation which, gave them success; would be impossible commercially or if j they had had an enemy. But when; this flight is compared with that which General Balbo led 1 it!o South America two years ago, and the progress made ifn that time is realised, the significance of the feat can be truly estimated. Then 13 flying boats set owt. They crossed tire Atlantic only once, anrd by a much easier route, but three of them were lost. On this last occasion only two boats weiie lost in an immensely greater and much more 'hazardous venture. In addition, the now machines are much faster than the old, and can caxlry a fai greater load. Such a feat as the Italians’ is bound to Invite comparisons. While Great Britain could mot muster such an armada, and while, as long as those who control her services have to account to electors for the money they spend, She is unlikely to attempt to compete in long-distance mass flights, it is comforting to. know that craft foi craft, her air force is superior to that of any other power. The flight of four British flying boats in formation from England to Singapore and round Australia in 1&27, when they covered 27,000 miles without a hitch, could not have been made at tihe time by aircraft of any other nation, and since then Great Britain has, if anything, increased her acvantage. Comparisons do not, howc\ er, detract from the credit due to A. r Marshal Balbo and his followers, and to all the technical mien who had as much responsibility as too crews.