FLIGHT TO INDIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20242, 30 April 1929, Page 11

FLIGHT TO INDIA.

IMPORTANCE TO EMPIRE.

SATISFACTION IN BRITAIN. British Wireless. RUGBY, April 28. Great satisfaction has been caused by the fine accomplishment of SquadronLeader A. G. Jones-Williams and FlightLieu tenanr, N H. Jenkins in flying without a stop to India in the remarkable time of just over twe days. When their L'airey monoplane was sighted over Karachi it was hoped that Bangalore, 1000 miles away—which was the intended destination—might be reached, and that the world's non-stop long-distance record of 4632.86 miles, held by Captain b'orrarin and .Major Delprcte (Italy) might have beeD beaten.

Slight disappointment is felt because that was not achieved. Little doubt is expressed in aviation circles that the record would have been beaten but for the unexpected head wind against which the airmen struggled between Jask (Persia) and Karachi. That caused an incroased consumption of fuel and a considerable reduction in speed.

The aviation branch of the Meteorological Office, which provided information about the weather for the guidance of tho pilots, and the forecasts of which have been remarkably accurate all through, judged from the reports they received that there was a following wind up to 35 miles an hour along the Persian Gulf up to 6000 feet. The officials then learned that the airmen were over Bagdad at an altitude of 10,000 feet, and that presumably they were going to maintain that height. East Brought Nearer to the West.

When later on the average speed of the airmen dropped severely the chagrin of the weathei experts may. be imagined, for the gift of 30 miles an hour had not been used. This has suggested that in future flights light-weight portable wireless sets should be carried, if only for receiving messages.

The distance flown to Karachi, however, was 4130 miles, which was short of the Italian record by 502 miles. The pilots' feat, in spite of the disappointment, was a striking success. It has brought the East nearer to the West than any previous journey in history, and it has a vital bearing on the future development of the Empire's airways and defence. On the design of this first experimental machine will be based tho construction of still more. It is regarded as certain that development work on tho lines successfully proved in this non-stop monoplane will shortly produce mail-carrying aircraft able to reach India from London regularly in little more than two days, allowing for an intermediate halt in Egypt or in Irak. An extension of the routes further to the East will eventually take mails to Australia in five or six days. Lesson in Building War Machines. The flight has provided most important military data. Those in charge of the defence of the Empire know now that war machines can be built which would be capable in emergency of being flown to India at a high speed in two long hops, without being forced to alight on foreign territory.

The machine used 011 the flight is a beautifully streamlined monoplane. It was constructed by the Fairey Aviation Company at its works at Hayes, near London. It is propelled by a 530 horsepower Napier-Lion water-cooled engine, akin to the Napier racing engines which are fitted to the fastest aeroplane and the fastest car in the world, namely the Supermarine Napier b5 monoplane, flown at 319J miles an hour by FliglitLieutenant D'Arcy Greig, and Sir Henry Segrave's Golden Arrow car. Inside the plane fuselage space is provided for a bed where a pilot off duty mav rest.

The rations carried for the journey just completed comprised three thermos flasks filled with coffee and tea, two onegallon cans of weak lea, five gallons of drinking water, three weeks' " iron" rations, 50 tongue and ham sandwiches, dates, chocolates, apples and oranges.