EIGHTH BIRTHDAY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 216, 26 August 1927, Page 5

EIGHTH BIRTHDAY

BRITISH AIR LINES RELIABILITY & SAFETY ASSURED. DEVELOPMENT SINCE 1919. (British Official Wireless). (Received 25, 1.15. pm.) Rugby, Aug. 25. To-day British air lines celebrate their eighth birthday. On August 25th, 1919, the first British civil aeroplane, a Rolls-Royce converted warplane, made its maiden Hight between London and Paris. This machine had accommodation for only two passengers. Its simple Rolls-l-to i ■ Engine developed 365 horsepower. ,u-„ay the latest triple-engined Silver-King de Duxe air liners of Imperial Airways carry 20 passengers with a horsepower of only 1200, or less than 60 horsepower per passenger. During these eight years 100,000 passengers have been carried across the Channel in British airplanes alone, the air liners flying a distance of nearly 7,000,000 miles. In the past four years the reliability and safety of air transport have been so well established that airways are now recognised means of transport for bullion and precious stones. Bullion and specie to the value of approximately £30,000.000 have been carried by air across the Channel. ,

In 1919 one service a day was run between London and Paris, but this summer there are six services in each direction between the two cities. 186.47 MILES AN HOUR. (British Official Wireless). (Received 26, 1.15 p.m.) Rugby, Aug. 25. Captain Hubert Broad, a test pilot of the de Haviland Company, last night'established an officially observed world’s speed record for light aeroplanes. He flew from Edgeware to Heading and back, a distance of 100 kilometres, at a speed of 300.10 kilometres or 186.47 miles an hour, in a Tiger Moth monoplane with an engine rated at only 32 horsepower. The machine has a wing spread ol only 22 fast. The record flight was made iramedi ately after a heavy thunderstorm and just before dark, and Captain Broad landed in a difficult half-light upon an aerodrome soaked by heavy rain

4,600 MILES NON-STOP FLIGHT.

(Received 26, 12.10 p.m.) New York, Aug. 25.

Paul Redfern took off in a monoplane from the port of Brunswick, in Georgia, in an attempt at a 4,600 mile non-stop flight to Rio de Janiero.

The first effort to start the heavy Stinson ’plane failed, the 200 horsepower Wright engine being unable to develop sufficient lift to get the ’plane off the ground. It came to a stop on the beach half a mile from its starting point, but the second attempt was successful. The navv has six vessels in the Caribbean Sea which have been advised to watch for the aviator.—(A. and N.Z.)

Christchurch, Aug. 25

Captain J. L. "indlay, of the Wigram Aerodrome, will fly to Auckland on Saturday to meet the members of the Imperia Air Mission, who will arrive there on Tuesday.