ATLANTIC AIR MAILS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20723, 17 November 1930, Page 9

ATLANTIC AIR MAILS.

PLANS FOR THE SERVICE. ANGLO-AMERICAN LINE. FLYING-BOATS TO BE USED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. WASHINGTON, Nov. 14. The details of a plan for an AngloAmerican air mail line across the Atlantic were said to-day, by W. Irving Glover, second assistant Postmaster-General, to have been settled. Mr. Glover said the Pan-American airways and Imperial Airways, Limited, would operate the service, which it has been planned to begin within another year. Everything has been settled except in regard to equipment, the distribution of weather forecasting facilities and the location of landing fields. The Post Office authorities, who have been aware of 'the negotiations between the two companies for some time, arc prepared to give mail matter to the line whenever it is ready. Charleston, South Carolina, may bo the American terminus because of its location below the bad weather belt."

Flying-boats undoubtedly will be the equipment with which a start will be made. At present the plans are only for carrying mail, but later there may bo extensions to take passengers.

Bermuda and tho Azores will bo bases. The Pan-American company will fly the stage to Bermuda and Imperial Airways will be in charge of the rest of the route. INDIA TO THE CAPE. NEW AEROPLANE TESTED. PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION. LONDON, Nov. 14. Captain Cores made a successful trial flight in the Hannibal-Handley-Page fast 42-seatcr aeroplane, four of which shortly will enter tho India-Cape service, which it is hoped later to extend to Australia. The capacity fully loaded is 13 tons and tho cruising speed of tho machine is 105 miles an hour, with a maximum of 120 miles an hour. The fuselage is 76ift. long and contains two saloons, a toilet compartment, a refreshment ' car and a mail and baggage compartment.

Owing to the measures taken for the elimination of noise passengers will nob suffer more from that cause than in an express train.

The development of aircraft in Britain is not confined to aeroplanes and airships. In a recent article the Times said:—A start is about to bo made at the Supermarine Works of Vickers (Aviation), Limited, at Southampton, on the construction of tlie biggest flying-boat that has ever been attempted in this country, a machine with a hull 18ft. high and 100 ft. long, bigger than the average Thames barge, and standing much higher above the water. The pilots and engineers, in a sort of navigating bridge over the passenger quarters, will be 12ft. above the water-line, and will have the whole of the upper deck to themselves, with access aft of it to the wing and thence to the engines mounted on it. The weight of the flying-boat loaded will be about 33 tons.

This great machine, with room for 40 passengers in five cabins each 14ft. wide, and with sleeping berths for 20, is to be a high-wing monoplane. Some additional idea of its size may bo gathered from the fact that its wing-spread will be 140 ft., and that the thickness of the wing will be 6ft.

The comfort provided for passengers will bo greatly in advance of anything which can at present bo found in a British machine. In each five saloons there will bo eight armchairs in pairs facing each other, like the scats of a train, with a central gangway separating each set of four. These are to be fine, big armchairs, such as may be found in a Pullman car, and a window will serve each pair. Bunks for use at night will fold up over the chairs and will be easy to let down when they are wanted. Aft of the passenger cabins will be baggage compartments, a kitchen for the preparation of meals, and lavatories. The boat will thus be equipped for long, continuous flying, and with her probable range of 1000 miles she will make possible long-distance journeys which will be. interrupted by few halts for refuelling.