FLIGHT ROUND WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18662, 19 March 1924, Page 9

FLIGHT ROUND WORLD.

UNITED STATES VENTURE. FOUR AIR CRUISERS START. AHEAD OF COMPETITORS. TO FOLLOW THE SUN. By Telegraph Press Association Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. NEW YORK, Mar. 17. Four American air cruisers started from Santa Monica, California, to-day, on a 30,000 miles round-the-world journey under the command of Major Frederick Martin, with pilots Smith, Wade, and Nelson, and reserve pilots. , It is proposed to fly north along the coast and make stops at Sacramento, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington ; and Prince Rupert Land, Canada. The route thence will be via Alaska and westward to the Aleutian Islands and Japan and across Asia. Major Martin aims at completing the trip ahead of the three English fliers scheduled to leave London on Wednesday, and four machines leaving Lisbon on the same mission a few weeks later.

Three national attempts to complete a flight round the world are to be made this year. The American expedition is the first to start. A remarkable feature of the American plan is that the route chosen is in the reverse direction to that considered best by the world's meteorological authorities. The expedition will fly northward along the coast of Canada and South Alaska across the Aleutian Islands, down through Japan, along the coast of China, through Siam and Burma, across India, and along the Persian Gulf to Turkey, and thence across Europe to England. The four Douglas machines taking part are fitted with 400 h.p. Liberty engines. In order to accomplish the sea stages of the journey, the machines will be equipped with floats at Seattle, and will land in the water at every stopping-place until Tokio is reached, or possibly Calcutta, this depending upon weather conditions. The floats will be removed at one of these places, and a land undercarriage substituted for use as far' as Hull, in England, where the floats will be replaced until New Jersey is reached, after which a land undercarriage will be placed on the machines for the remainder of the journey. The Portuguese expedition is to leave from Lisbon some time this spring, and a Fokker seaplane will be used on the journey. British interests, will, however, be represented, as a Napier "Lion" engine will probably be used. The British expedition is at present somewhat of a mystery. It was generally understood that the Government would not openly finance any such expedition, but it is known that considerable Government help of every nature is being given. In due course, however, an ani nouncement will probably be issued. Squadron-Leader A. S. C. Maclaren, who is leading the British . expedition, made th© flight from England to India some years ago. He will be accompanied by a R.A.F. crew, and will use I an improved type of Vickers' "Viking" | amphibian machine, with a 450-h.p. | Napier "Lion" engine as power unit. Captains Tymms, Mackintosh, and McCloughry also hope to get off some time this year in a Fairey seaplane, and it is possible that if sufficient funds. are available they will» soon be making a start.