AMPHIBIAN AEROPLANES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17650, 10 December 1920, Page 8

AMPHIBIAN AEROPLANES.

I -V" '•.«», ' ' > OFFICIAL . COMPETITION AWARDS. . . • . y .:• .y i> ■. ' 5 The awards were recently announced in r the competitions for civilian aeroplanes ' conducted by the British Air Ministry.' • i In the competition for land machines, } £8000 'was awarded to Messrs. Handley J Page as seconfl prize, the first prize of 9 £20,000 being withheld for special reasons. ' The awards in the amphibian class were ' a follow:—First prize, £10,000, Vickers, ? Ltd., i Vickers' Viking 111., fitted with 450 h.p. Napier Lion engine; second prize, £8000, Supermarine Aviation Works, Ltd., J Supermarine 'Amphibian; fitted with 350 I h.p,. Rolls Royce: Eagle VIII. engine; r third prize, £2000, Faircy, Ltd., ; Fairey '■ Amphibian, fitted with. 450 h.p. Napier J Lion engine. i-. J The successful Tickers' " Viking " was II designed by Mr. R. K. Pearson, who also " designed the famous Tickers' " Vimy," \ It is the result of the experimental work f that has been carried out .-by the - avia--3l tion department of Messrs. Vickers since i the armistice. It is the first machine ' turned out' as the result of that experi- ' mental work,'; and from that point of 1! ' view 'its': cost = far exceeds the: amount of : the prize. ■ Fitted with landing wheels, as well as floats, the machine can alight on , water and run along the beach, and the '• wheels also enable |it to surmount 'sandal banks in shallow water, which - would ■* capsize ?an ordinary seaplane; It ' carries 11 five passengers at a speed of 120 miles an •> hour. ■ .