Speed in Flight

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 41, 18 February 1939, Page 6

Speed in Flight

“F" CLASS AEROPLANES LONDON, Jan. 26. Flying non-stop from the London airport to Zurich, the Fortuna, one of the new Imperial Airways four-engined express aeroplanes of the “F" class, maintained throughout the 500 miles a speed of over 200 miles an hour. The Fortuna was piloted by Captain A. B. H. Youell. This flight afforded another illustration of the high speeds attained by “F" class express aeroplanes when operating between London and destinations on the Continent. Not long ago the Frobisher flew from London to Le Bourget in 53 minutes. Another air liner of “F" class, the Falcon, established a new commercial air-speed record on the London-Brussels route. Leaving Croydon with 11 passengers and one ton of mails and freight, the Falcon completed the 200 miles' flight to Brussels in 48 minutes, averaging throughout a speed of 250 miles an hour, and beating the previous record by five minutes.

The Falcon also put another remarkable achievement to its credit when, carrying ono ton of mails from London to Marseilles, it completed the 641 miles' flight, non-utop, at an average speed of 222 miles an hour.