SIR ALAN COBHAM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 135, 8 May 1933, Page 7

SIR ALAN COBHAM.

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA. LONDON, May 6. Sir Alan Cobham will depart for Australia after special tests on May 13. He is confident he will reach Darwin in five days. ' He had hoped to start early in May, but it was essential to make the'most thorough preparations.

Sir Alan Cobham last week expressed complete satisfaction after his first trial flight at Portsmouth with the air-speed Courier mouoplano that is being _ equipped for liis non-stop refuelling flight to Australia.

The machine is a low-wing monoplane of the typo built for passenger and air mail work, normally carrying fuel for six hours’ cruising at a speed of 143 miles hourly. Space for only two instead of six passengers is provided in Sir Alan Cobham’s machine, .which is furnished with fivo tanks in the wings, the total fuel capacity being 288 gallons, enough for about 26 hours’ flying between refuellings. On tho Australian trip the monoplane will refuel while in flight from four or fivo aircraft that will meet it at fixed points.

A feature of the machine is a retractable under-carriage which, according to Flight-Lieutenant Stainforth,_ who made the first tests of tho machine, adds 40 miles an hour to tho speed _by reducing air resistance. The machine is fitted with \n Armstrong-Siddelcy Lynx IVC engine that develops a maximum of 242 horsenower.