FLYING TO AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17294, 18 October 1919, Page 11

FLYING TO AUSTRALIA.

THE SOPWITH ATTEMPT. START FIXED FOR MONDAY. TESTS EXCEED HOPES. < By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. '■ (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Oct. IG. The departure of the Larkin-Sop-with aeroplane Wallaby, in which j Captain G. C. Matthews will attempt a flight from England to Aus- I ■ tralia, has been definitely fixed for j' jlO o'clock on Monday morning.;' Searching tests carried out to-day ! : revealed that the machine exceeds j the highest expectations. It tra- I > veiled, fully loaded, at the rate of 107 miles a n hour, at a height of j 6000 ft. The petrol consumption was I 13 gallons, being two gallons under I the estimate. This increases the j range to 1600 miles, much more than ! was hoped for. j The Larkin Sopwith aeroplane Wal- I laby was described in a previous cable- I gram as a similar machine to that used I for the trans-Atlantic flight by H. G. Hawker, only somewhat stronger, in view \ of possible rough landings. -The message continued :—The strengthening of the machine, however, does not make any difference in the speed. Its maximum speed , is lk!l miles an hour, its lowest speed 48, 1 and its cruising speed, at 5000 ft, is 107 i miles an hour on 15 gadons of petrol. The machine can be flown either open or las an enclosed well-ventilated limousine 'as the weather dictates. Complete dual control is provided, whereby either pilot or observer can fly the machine. ARDUOUS LAST STAGE. WARNING TO COMPETITORS. Australian and. N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 11 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 16. The Air Ministry views the last stage of the Australian flight, from Bandong, Java, to Darwin, following upon a 10,000-mile journey, as comparable in severity to the trans- ' [ Atlantic flight. ! As Colonel Borton has reported that it is highly desirable that an aerodrome should be constructed at approximate intervals of 400 miles ■ before flying is permitted east of > , Delhi, all the competitors have been ; warned that this part of the route is largely unready. Competitors, , however, chose to make the attempt ■ immediately rather than wait a year. The Ministry has also advised competitors to arrange to convert their machines into seaplanes at Calcutta, Although the Ministry has suggested a certain route as best according to its information, the Aero I Club has decided not to compel competitors to adhere to it, beyond stipulating that they must stop at | Singapore, which will be the only conu-ol station. The Ministry has I pointed out that though the landings generally are good between Aboukir and Karachi, it is possible - that the unfriendliness of the inhabitants and a shortage of water - 1 will have to be contended with in 5 the event of a forced landing. 5; Colonel Borton considers that at 3; least three-quarters of the section - 1 between Calcutta and Australia offers but slight chances of successful emergency landings. He specially warns aviators against landing on the sea shore or in paddy fields.