SOUTH WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1937, Page 5

SOUTH WESTLAND

NEW PLANE ORDER FOR AIR TRAVEL (N.Z.). A tie Havilland Dragonfly is to be added to the fleet of Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., the company which operates the air service in boutli Westland. The company’s decision to buy the new machine, which will be the first of its type in New Zealand, was announced last evening by the managing director, Air J. C. Mercer. The order has .been sent to England by cablegram, and it is expected that the machine will reach reach New Zealand about the middle of August. - The Dragonfly is a twin-engined biplane, (similar to the 4 e Havilland Dragon Rapides, used by Cook Strait Airways, only slightly smaller. The engines are four cylinder Gipsy Majors of 130 horse-power, giving a top speed of 147 miles an hour, and a cruising speed of about 125 miles an hour. The cruising range with normal fuel load is . 885 miles. The aeroplane will hold its height with one engine only rimii ng. The cabin has two seats side-by-side in the. nose, with dual controls. A single seat behind, and a scat across I the back of the cabin. It is possible lor short flights to lit an extra movable seat alongside the single seat, thus giving accommodation for a pifot and five passengers. The machine ordered will have the extra scat fitted, and another extra will be the provision of sliding windows in the cabin. The cabin door is oh the port side, and is wide enough for two persons to get out at a time. Behind the cabin is a luggage compartment of 28 cubic feet capacity. Access to this is by a door on the starboard side. The Dragonfly will have full wireless equipment cither bv Morse code or by direct speech "through wireless telephones. The two do Havilland Fox Moths owned by the company are also fitted with Gipsy Major engines; so that the engines of all the machines will be interchangeable. One of the Fox Moths was formerly owned by the Duke of Windsor when he was Prince of Wales. The Dragonfly will be the most modern machine in service in the South Island, and with its quick takeoff and short landing run. will be well suited for the South Westland service.

AERIAL RAILWAY. AT FOOT'OF FRANZ JOSEF. CHRISTCHURCH, May 21. An aerial railway from the foot ol the Franz Josef glacier on to some of New Zealand’s finest snowfields will be constructed if negotiations at present in train with the Government are successful. This was indicated at a meeting of the Automobile Association, Canterbury, last evening by Mr F. W. Harley, of Gfeyniouth. Messrs A. and P. Graham, of the Waiho hostel, are seeking the authority of the Government to harness the Tatare river to supply power for the railway. This, if is is constructed, will connect near the foot of the glacier with a road which it is desired to construct along the bank of the river, and last evening the Automobile Association gave its support to the. reading proposal;

Mr Harley said that although the proposal for the road had not been supported by the South Island Motor Union, the Public "Works Department’s local engineer, Mr Trevor Smith, had said that a road could be built along the bank of the river without interfering with the bush. From the end of the proposed road tourists would bo taken by aerial railway past the Defiance Hut, to the very fine ski ng fields Mr P. Graham had recently been in Switzerland, where he had seen several aerial railways. Efforts were now being made to gain from the .Government authority to harness the Tata re river for the generation of power for tho railway. The Government was being asked only for permission to harness the river and not for any expenditure. “If there is no intention of destroying the bush we should give the road proposal our support,” said Mr H. G. Harley.

Mr F. W. Harley repeated that the bush would not be damaged, and the association gave its support.