TRANSATLANTIC VENTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20081, 19 October 1928, Page 13

TRANSATLANTIC VENTURE

BRITISH AIRMAN STARTS.

FLYING IN MOTH PLANE. NO WIRELESS INSTALLATION. FUEL FOR 35 HOURS ONLY. Australian Press Association—United Service (Received October IS, 9.-15 p.m.) NEW YORK. Ocl. 17. Despatches from St. Johns, Newfoundland, state that Commander H. C. MacDonald. a British airman, hopped off from Harbour Grace at 1.21 p.m. to-day in a Moth plane with a Gipsy engine on an attempt to fly across the Atlantic to England or Ireland.

The weather was perfect for the takeoff. The airman said ho was going on a five hours' test flight, but lie had a full load of fuel, sufficient for a flight of .35 hours, and the necessary equipment.

No news had been received of him late to-night. Commander MacDonaid, who is 28 years old, has only had 80 hours' previous solo flying experience. His plane has a wing spread of 26ft. Its horsepower is 80 to 100. The machine has no floats nor is it equipped with wireless It only weighs 8801b. The airman recently toured France, Italy, Arabia, Palestine and Irak in the Moth, after eight hours of flying experience. When lie was returning he made a forced landing among a party of Arabs. He was held prisoner until he managed to send a message to an Italian armouredcar force

He is a skilled navigator. Ho is using the atrplane iri which Captain Hubert Broad accomplished his record endurance flight of 24 hours recently. Commander Mac Donald is extremely popular in the British Navy, where his courage is acknowledged. Vain efforts were made to dissuade ln'm from this project. SUE PULSE FOR WIFE. ANXIOUS NIGHT SPENT. AWAITS NEWS OF HUSBAND. Australian Press Association—United Service (Received October IS, 5.55 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 18 Mrs. MacDoiiaid, wife of Commander Mac Donald, stated early this morning that she did not know her husband had started on his flight until she heard the news by wireless. She waited anxiously all night beside her telephone at her home at Queen's Gate, Kensington "I did not think the weather conditions were good enough," said Mrs. Mac Donald, "and the news came as a great surprise to me. Of course I have every confidence in my husband's skill, but it is a big thing. "I am terribly anxious. I cannot help thinking of him in that tiny machine over the vast Atlantic. I shall just sit here waiting until news of him conies to hand."

Commander Mac Donald's arrival at St. Johns, Newfoundland, was. recorded on September 26. A week prioi l to that the Daily News said :—A Gipsy Moth biplane —practically an aeiial sports cat —is being secretly prepared at Stag Lane aerodrome for shipment to Newfoundland, the intention of the owner being to fly to Ireland, a distance of 1960 miles. The lone figure in this daring enterprise is to be Commander H. C. Mac Donald, who recently toured France, Egypt, Palestine, Irak and Syria after eight hours of solo flying. It is his intention to try to make the Atlantic flight some time in October. The extreme range of the machine is stated to be 35 hours, which suffices for a distance of 3500 miles, with a cruising speed of 100 miles an hour and a maximum of 120 miles. One hundred gallons of petrol will require to lie carried lor the trip. This will preclude the installation of wireless equipment. Seaplane floats have not been fitted because it is recognised that these would be useless il the. plane were forced down on the Atlantic rollers.

The Do Havilland Gipsy Moth diflers little in size and design from the famous Cirrus machim-, the lines of which have become familiar to aviation experts all over the world. The main new features are the split undercarriage and a taleskid of different and improved design. I ho new undercarriage has a wider track and longer shock absorbers. The Gipsy Moth takes its name from the Gipsy engine, which gives a top speed of about 100 miles an hour, an increase, of 10 miles. Lieutenant Hope, win ior of the King's Cup race around Britain, flew in a Gipsy Moth. The output of the Gipsy engine—four ovlimleis and air-cooled —is 104 horsepower, and it is claimed that it gives the machine a performance unique among light aeroplanes for speed, rate of climb, angle of climb and economy. Instead of the usual failskid a steerable wheel is fitted, with an automatic brake. '1 his innovation makes for easy handling with folded wings. The Gipsy Moth is fitted with automatic safety slots, which pievent spinning. The endurance flight made in the same plane by Captain Broad was accomplished cm August 17-18. He had not set himself any particular course, but wandered at will* over England. He averaged a speed of about 80 miles an hour when ft vine; on a straight course. The Moth was so easy to guide that Captain Broad was able to set the controls and read a book. He was met in the air by Captain White, also flying a Moth, at a height of 4000 ft. He was then reading and eating sandwiches while the machine llew itself. He read three novels while he was on the flight and also kept a brie! diary. Captain Broad landed at Slag Lane aerodrome after having been 24 hours aloft. This is the world's endurance record for a light plane. He .flow over Oxford, Gloucester, Bristol, Maidenhead, London. Folkestone, Margate. Sevcnoaks. Huntingdon, Brooklands, Chelmsford, and Ipswich, a distance of 1500 miles. The last flight from Newfoundland across the Atlantic was made on June' 1708 by Messrs. Wilmer Stult/.. Lincoln Kllsworihv (pilots). Gordon (mechanic), and Miss' Amelia Karhart. They landed in Wales, having taken about 22 hours on the journey.