WEIGHING AIR LINERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20668, 13 September 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

WEIGHING AIR LINERS.

{The subject of special control of passenger-carrying aircraft has been revived with the failure of an air taxi crossing from Lo Touquet to England recently and the consequent death of its six occupants. Every unit of aircraft has, however, a fixed maximum weight agreed upon by the Air Ministry in conjunction with the operating firm's inspectors, and this is recorded on a certificate preserved by both parties for future reference. This certificate is posted on the inside of one of the doors of the aircraft for the information of those who load the craft prior to each journey, and who are well aware that overloading is an offence for which no excuse will be accepted. To ascertain the disposable load which the machine might take, it is necessary first to weigh the liner itself. In the case of Imperial Airways machines this operation is performed by placing the wheels on a large weighing machine of the platform type, and the rear skid on a smaller machine, which runs on rails set at right angles to the large platform so as to accommodate aircraft of vaiying length of fuselage. During the weighing operation the aircraft carries everything she will take into the air except the passengers, freight and crew, and it is apparent that by subtracting her weight in this condition from tho " maximum permissible," the remaining weight will be available for her pay-load and crew. Tho aspect that stands out most vividly in the mind of one who has witnessed the process is the simplicity with which the weight of the mighty machine is taken, whilst the strict regard for accuracy that is observed impresses upon one the importance of the weight factor in safe aviation.