BRITAIN'S AIRSHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 29 November 1929, Page 14

BRITAIN'S AIRSHIPS.

FLIGHT AGAIN POSTPONED.

[POLITICIANS DISAPPOINTED.

' UNLUCKY CHOICE OF DATES

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

(Received November 28, 6.5 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 27. The flight arranged for members of Parliament in the airship It 101 has been definitely postponed/'until the New Year. It is improbable that the airship will go aloft again before the spring. ' A British official wireless message says the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Thomson, referred to the matter in the House of Lords last evening. He said that in tho period of 16 days during which the flight might have taken place, there Were only two days that were unsuitable, but those happened to be the days selected for the outing.

Last Saturday was one of the days in question. Tho conditions were remark-' ably bad, so much so that the British 'battleship Malaya was prevented for 30 hours from getting into Plymouth Harbour.

All along tho east and south coasts shipping" was held up. A 20,000-ton liner was weatherbound at Liverpool. Football matches were abandoned and the conditions generally were entirely abnormal.

The Minister said he would not fix a definite date again for the flight of the members of Parliament.

Asked why the- Air Ministry had had two aivships, RIOO and RlOl, built simultaneously, Lord Thomson said it was trying two sorts of designs. Tho differences wero very marked, notably in that RlOl was equipped with Diesel engines, whereas RIOO had ordinary petrol engines.