BRITISH FLYING BOATS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 267, 11 October 1932, Page 8

BRITISH FLYING BOATS.

COAIFORT FOR PASSENGERS.

650,000 AIILES IN FOUR YEARS

Alore than 650,000 miles’ flying in four years —equivalent to '26 journeys round the world —is the proud record of the fleet of British flying boats which since 1928 have operated the Aiediterrapean sections of the air mail route to India, and, latterly, certain northern stages of the Africa airway (writes a London correspondent). Four Short three-engined boats of the “Calcutta” class were first placed in service. They aggregated 308,000 miles over the Alediterranean and were then transferred to Africa, >vhere they have already flown 186,000 miles. In the Alediterranean their places were taken by three much larger fourmotored “Kent” biplanes. Since they were commissioned these machines, which are the largest and most luxurious marine passenger carriers in the world, have covered no less than 162,000 miles without the slightest trouble of any kind. It was in one of these big boats, the Satyrus, that the Prince of Wales and Prince George travelled on their way to visit the Alediterranean Fleet at Corfu. Satyrus lias two sister-craft oil the Alediterranean, named by Imperial Airways Scipio and Sylvanus. Each of these machines is an all-metal biplane in which the upper wings span no less than 113 ft. Fully laden, the boat weighs 15 tons. Four 550 horse-power Bristol Jupiter motors drive the craft at a maximum speed of 137 miles an hour at a height of 5000 ft above_ the sea. At the same altitude the cruising speed is 105 miles an hour. The range in still air, with normal load, is 450 miles and the big biplane can climb to a “ceiling” of 19,500 ft. In addition to the crew of four, each boat has luxurious accommodation folio passengers. It also carries a ton of mails and freight. Relative quiet in the saloon, which is no noisier than a first-class railway compartment with the windows shut, is obtained by placing the engines far from the passenger quarters and the employment of special sound-deadening materials in the hull structure.