BOMBING PLANES
ASSEMBLY OF FAIREY GORDONS TWO LEAVE AUCKLAND FOR WIGRAM ( Untied PreM Amotlmi ion) AUCKLAND. 30th June. After assembly and testing by the staff of Hobsonville Air Base, two of the Fairey Gordon medium-range bombers, 26 of which recently arrived in New Zealand from Egyptian depots of the Royal Air Force, were flown today from Auckland to Wellington, en 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 K. G. Smith and Pilot Officer L. H. Higgins, Wigram, the machines left Hobsonville this morning, and advice was received in Auckland during the afternoon that i they had landed at Rongotai aerodrome. It js proposed to continue the flight to Wigram to-morrow. Steady progress is being made by the Hobsonville staff in the assembly of the Fairey Gordons which arrived from Kgypt on 3rd June. The first of their t>pe to come to New Zealand the machines are biplanes, with folding wings and an armament of one fixed Vickers gun, firing forward, and one Lewis gun in the rear cockpit. Bombs ore carried under the wing. Though far from being obsolete, the Fairey Gordons are being replaced in the Near Eastern stations by more modern machines When the purchase of the aircraft, was announced, it was stated that they would be allotted to different New Zealand squadrons. After their assembly they are tested at Hobsonville and flown to their destination. It is expected that several further flights to Wigram will be made. The two Fairey Gordon mediumrange bombers landed at Rongotai aerodrome, Wellington, at 3 p.m. yesterday, thnee and a half hours alter leaving Auckland. Flying cunditunir wee# excellent on the trip. j
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Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 1 July 1939, Page 5
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292BOMBING PLANES Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 1 July 1939, Page 5
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