NON-STOP FLIGHT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 62, 9 February 1933, Page 7

NON-STOP FLIGHT

NEW WORLD’S RECORD. ■ BRITISH AVIATORS’ FEAT. OVER FIVE THOUSAND MILES. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received February 9, 9.45 a.m. CAPETOWN, Feb. 8.

The Royal Air Force Fairey monoplane, in which Squadron-Leader Gayford and Flight-Lieutenant Nicholettets left Cramvell on Monday morning in an attempt to set up a new long-dis-tance flight to Capetown, broke the world’s non-stop record when it passed Zesfontein about noon. Two hours later the pilots signalled that they intended to land at Luderitz, presumably owing to a shortage of fuel. Zesfontein is 5074 miles from Cranwell.

The non-stop flight record previously held by Messrs Boardman and Polando, the Americans, was for a distance of 4984 milqs. /

POSSIBILITIES IN FUTURE

ENORMOUS FLYING MACHINES. LONDON. Feb. 8. Behind the flight of the Fairey monoplane, which cost the Air Ministry much time and money, lies the possibility of Britain leading the world by the production of enormous flying machines capable of carrying supplies, passengers, troops, mails, or cargoes to the most distant parts of the Empire. The ideal will be machines capable of carrying a commercial or service load several thousand miles without a stop at well over 100 miles an hour. An expert declares that the flight should bo regarded in tho same light as tlie high speed tests of. the Schneider races, which have been largely responsible for Britain’s aviation supremacy.

Results may be reaped which may be embodied in new designs to produce machines that will astonish the world. There is plenty of work for such machines.

MAIN AVIATION RECORDS

ALL HELD BY GREAT BRITAIN

(British Official Wireless.) Received February 9, 1.20 p.m. RUGBY, Feb. 8. The Air Force long distance ’plane landed at 4.40 p.m. at Walvis Bay. The Air Ministry says: “The capture of the long distance record means that Britain now holds the three world’s main aviation records, namely, speed, altitude and distance. These records collectively illustrate the outstanding merits of British aircraft, engines and equipment. The flight has also shown the progress being made in the solution of a very important problem, namely, the economical employment of our limited air resources. The territories in which the Royal Air Force may be called upon to operate at short notice lie in so many parts of the world that it is impossible to station a permanent air garrison in each adequate to deal with all the circumstances which can arise. The policy of the Air Ministry, therefore, has been to develop a system by which air units can be flown rapidly from one area to another as the situation may demand, and this in many instances is only possible if the aircraft can cover long stretches without intermediate landings,. Many of these stretches are beyond the capacity of the present day service aircraft, and it is mainly with the intention of developing this capacity that experiments in the production of special long range aircraft were undertaken.

Wal isli Bay is on the west coast of Africa, about 250 miles south of Zesfontein.

ACCIDENT TO Mil SMITH’S ’PLANE.

LONDON, Feb. 8.

An Oran message states that Air Victor Smith, who was flying to Capetown, when landing in the darkness smashed the undercarriage and a propeller.