GREAT AIR RACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21938, 23 October 1934, Page 10

GREAT AIR RACE

DUTCH MACHINE A VERITABLE HOTEL , STRONG RIVAL FOR SCOTT V ' * OBJECTIVE OF PILOT " PURELY EXPERIMENTAL " By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, Oct. 21 The aviation correspondenut of the Australian' Press Association, commenting on the air race situation at 11.30 p.m. to-day, stated that though Mr. C. W. A. Scott, in the British Comet, is accomplishing a magnificent performance and leading the field in a race that is being fought out at terrific speed, perhaps the most meritorious flight commercially is that of the Dutch K.L.M. machine, in charge of Mr. K. D. Parmentier. He is carrying four of a crew and three passengers along with the heavy load of mail which the / K.L.M. had allowed. It is understood that Mr. Parmentier is not making the speed race his chief objective. Consequently a little imagination is needed to calculate what might have been achieved had his passengers being discarded and the large cabin filled with petrol. The Dutch crew remain formidable rivals. They were the least concerned of all the' pilots at Miidenhall, apparently regarding the race as merely a more strenuous form of long schedule flights at which they are adepts. At Allahabad Mr. Parmentier said he was demonstrating that it was possible to travel from England to Australia in six days. The flight was purely experimental and had nothing to do with the prize money. Mr. Parmentier says he is finding the trip tiresome. He remained a short while at Allahabad for the convenience of the passengers. The performance of the Douglas, which is st veritable hotel, eclipses any previous commercial performance, and indicates sn early chance of a regular seven-day service to Australia. PULLED FROM MACHINE INCIDENT AT BAGDAD MISTAKEN FOR INTRUDER LONDON. Oct. 21 When ilr. J. A. Mollison was climbing into his aeroplane at Bagdad a * zealous official mistaking him for a Khurdish coolie owing to his parachute equipment, which is similar to the coolies' dress, grabbed his belt and pulled the airman out of the machine. Mr. Mollison turned in amazement, then smilingly accepted an apology. " I was ahead of everyone," said Mr. Mollison on arrival at Karachi. " It is very bad luck. We will not give in. We shall have' to go full speed ahead to make up for our enforced delay. Had it not been for this we should have been in Singapore on Monday morning." -The repairs to the undercarriage of the Mollistps' machine were not completely remedied until 6 p.m. on Saturday, when they attempted to take off, but the machine developed engine trouble. 'They again started after the repair of the minor engine trouble at 6.30 p.m., but they returned again at 7.30 and said the map witlj which they were supplied at Karachi was apparently an unsuitable guide for night flying. . Mr. Mollison added that the machine had behaved ail right. He and his wife then resumed the flight to Allahabad. The Mollisons' time to Karachi was 22 hoars 10 minutes, as against the previous record of oO hours. This opens up the possibility of regular one-day flights to India. . PILOTS' DIFFICULTIES UNDERCARRIAGE TROUBLE / ' ' FEATURE OF THE COMETS LONDON, Oct. 21 I Paradoxically it is one of the greatest assets of high-speed flying which is causing most trouble to the leaders in the Centenary air race, 3ays the aviation correspondent of the Australian Press Association, namely, retractable undercarriages. Defects in these have held up the Mollisons and caused M. Geysendorfer's cr3sh. Lieutenant CathcartJones' accident was of a similar character at Miidenhall, and but for the enthusiasm of the backer and the efficiency of the manufacturers in making speedy repairs, would have kept him out of the race. The Mollisons' reluctance to proceed until they were confident that the undercarriage was working properly can quite be appreciated, for the seating arrangement of the Comets does not allow the pilots to see whether " the legs" are up or down. Consequently, unless they are absolutely convinced that the wheels are retracting according to the indicator, the pilot would be a prey to doubt. , , , It was a tribute to Mr, Geysendorfer s skill that he landed with a collapsed undercarriage without injury to the crew.