COMING GREAT AIRWAY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6735, 11 October 1928, Page 9

COMING GREAT AIRWAY

ADELAIDE TO PERTH. • INAUGURATION NEXT YEAR. PLANS FOE LIGHTING ROUTE. SYDNEY, Sept. 27. The establishment early next year of Australia’s greatest airway, from Perth to Adelaide, will be watched with great interest, especially as it promises to speed up the English mails, delays in which have been causing many complaints by business people. When necessary .along this route night flying is contemplated, and with this in view tenders have just been let for the lighting of the 533 miles which separates the .two cities. ■ . The contract, which hits been let to a Perth firm, is .for £12,748 and the work is to be completed' by 'March' 14, 1929. Several features will be .embodied in the installations to 1 minimise the complete failure of the lighting system. The portion of the route to be illuminated extends from Ealgoorlie to Cook, on the transcontinental line.' There .will be nine IQOO-Watt revolving beacons, at different points along the line and each will be mounted on a 20ft. steel tower. Half-way'up the towers there will be a floodlight to flood the direction ■ letter's “E” arid "W.” : '

The letters will be ■loft. wide and 20ft. long and will bo set out flat along the ground and painted while, so as to make them readily visible from the air. These letters will'boplaced from 15 to 20ft. on cither side of the base of the beacon tower. As there will be no local source of electricity supply, special plant will have to be installed to generate the power. The longest interval between the beacons will be 86 miles—from Deacon to Cook. The average distance between the beacons will be 52 miles. There will bo two night landinggrounds—one at Kalgoorlie and the other at Forrest, 400 miles away. The lighting arrangements for both grounds will bo most elaborate. In addition to the beacon - there will'be 20 ground floodlights of a special type to illumin-, ate the landing-ground. The whole pf the buildings at the landing-places will be illuminated-with floodlights on the outside. !

A feature of the ground floodlights, each of which will be of. lOOOwatts, is that they will project the light in a horizontal fan-shaped beam,, and at the same time limit the vertical divergence to prevent tie glare from dazzling the pilot when be is about to alight. The ground and the external lighting Of the buildings will be arranged on two separate circuits so that in the event of the failure of one circuit the ground will not be plunged into' darkness. For the beacon this precaution is unnecessary, as each will be fitted with two lamps, and if one fails, a special inechani cal. device will light up the spare one and push it into proper focus. The buildings at Forrest, which wjll be the main stopping place, Will include,a hostel.