New Bombers Make First Flight

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 153, 1 July 1939, Page 5

New Bombers Make First Flight

HOBSONVILLE AIR BASE BUSY Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 30. After assembly aud testing by the staff of Hobsonvillo Air Base, two of the Fairey Gordon medium-range bombers, 2G of which recently arrived in New Zealand from the Egyptian depots of the Royal Air Force, were flown to-day from Auckland to Wellington eu route to the Royal New Zealand Air Force Base at Wigram. Other machines of the shipment will be sent south as they become available. Piloted by Flying Officer Iv. G. Smith and Pilot-Officer L. H. Higgins, of Wigram, the machines left Hobsonville this morning aud advice was received in Auckland during the afternoon that they had landed at Rongotai Aerodrome. It is proposed to continue the flight to Wigram to-morrow. .Steady progress is being made by the Hobsonvillo staff in the assembly of the Fairey Gordons which arrived from Egypt on the Federal Line steamer Huntingdon ou June 3. The first of their type to come to New Zealand, the machines are biplanes with folding wings and armament of one fixed Vickers gun firing forward and one Lewis gun in the rear cockpit. Bombs are carried under the wing. Although far from being obsolete, the Fairey Gordons are being replaced in near Eastern stations by more modern machines.

When the purchase of the aircraft was announced, it was stated they would be allotted to different New Zealand squadrons. Following their assembly they are tested at Hobsonville and flown to their destination. It is expected several further flights (o Wigram will be made.