SUSTAINED EFFORT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21938, 23 October 1934, Page 9

SUSTAINED EFFORT

SCOTT'S PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS OF PILOTS PROGRESS OF THE MACHINES BY A WAR-TIME PILOT The sustained effort of C. W. A. Scott and T. Campbell Black is outstanding. After meeting fine -weather conditions on the first stage, they have evidently been fortunate in having very fair flying conditions between Bagdad and Darwin and they hare certainly made the most of them. To reach Darwin in 53 hours is a great performance, and they should be in Melbourne for breakfast. The Mollisons have been most unlucky after their good start, but it is hard to understand why they did not continue if their only trouble was, as reported, a non-retracting under-car-riage. The resulting loss of 15 miles an hour would have been a serious handicap, but would not have put them out of the race, and comparing Scott's time with K. D. Parmentier's, it would appear that Jim Mollison would just about have held Parmentier. Everyone's sympathies must be with Geysendorfer and his crew in their crash at Allahabad. He and his fellowcountryman, Parmentier, appeared to be flying well within their powers. In fact, at normal cruising speed for the types of machine they were flying, both looked certain of finishing in good positions. The representative of a British aircraft firm who passed through Auckland some weeks ago stated that it was not the intention. of entrants of the Douglas, to "race'V, the machine, but to demonstrate its reliability, and that this remarkable machine cruises normally at a higher speed than attained by most racing aircraft. It may be of interest to note that Anthony Fokker, -whose name as an aircraft designer is well known, at any rate to war-time pilots, has bought the European rights for the construction of this aircraft. The Douglas is outstanding as a commercial aeroplane to-day, and is being operated on many routes in America. It will shortly be seen on Continental airways. Cathcart-Jones and Waller, flying another "Comet," are reported to be at Allahabad and they may yet catch lloscoe Turner. They also apparently had some undercarriage trouble. It is most unfortunate that this trouble hai developed, but Messrs. de Havilland are to be congratulated on producing a machine with such a fine performance that has developed so few "snags." Experts all forecast calamities to a machine designed at short notice iand completed only eight days before it was to be subjected to such a gruelling test as the Centenary air raw. The "boosted" engine is also new and has not previously been thoroughly tested in flight. McGregor and H. C. Walker are putting up a very creditable performance and it would appear that they are going ! to cut a very big piece off the record for light aircraft and that they have' at present big claims in the handicap L section. Information regarding t Kay and Stewart has been very meagre. ; Their progress as reported is disappoint- ! ing, hut advice regarding the machine 1 has been conflicting, and it is possible t that it has made better progress than • reported. ; It is unfortunate that J. Woods had the bad luck to turn over his. Vega at Aleppo, but he had had minor troubles , from the start and the position of the machine when it crashed was poor considering the speed of which it is capable. It is very gratifying to find that the two New Zealand crews and also H. D. Gilman, an Aucklander, sre still in the race.