GREAT AIR RACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21951, 7 November 1934, Page 13

GREAT AIR RACE

COMMENT ON VALUE "NO BASIS FOR COMMERCE" IMPERIAL AIRWAYS' PLANS TRANSATLANTIC RESEARCH By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November fi, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 5 Speaking at Ihe annual mooting of Imperial Aiiwavs, Limited. the chairman. Sir Eric Geddes, said no commercial service could base its plans upon a racing event, like the Centenary air race. Imperial Airways had for many months planned a 7}-day service along that route, and the company was not going to he frightened off its policy of steady, efficient progress by any fine air race, however remarkable it might be.

Sir Eric announced that Imperial Airways would immediately inaugurate a bi-weekly service from London to Johannesburg, and was considering a bi-weekly service to Singapore. The board so far was unable to find a way of increasing speed without considerably increasing the cost, which the postal administrators hitherto had been unwilling to meet. Regularity and Safety

The board considered it was most important to provide the highest standards in regularity and safety, while keeping the fares and mail rates as low as possible, hoping eventually to become independent of subsidies. This was impossible if others insisted on a mad race in subsidised air travel.

"We are prepared, however," he said, "to operate any services our clients wish to pay for. The American Post Office loses £4,500,000 a year on fast air mail services, in spite of the fact that fuel in America costs a-third less than in the British Empire." A British official wireless message says plans for a transatlantic air service, prepared after close and continuing research, were referred to, but not disclosed, by Sir Eric Geddes. He stated, however, that as a result of the company's research it was about to order, under agreement with the Air Ministry, aircraft which should provide the range and paying load to meet the requirements of the route more satisfactorily than anything yet projected. Determined on Solution

Without wishing to convey the idea that they would be in a position to establish a transatlantic service before the next annual meeting, said Sir Eric, they were determined on a solution of the problem. Mpanwhile a substantial increase in speed and frequency on existing routes might be expected. The time was approaching when their major fleet would be replaced by faster aircraft, without, however, hoping to reproduce in normal, commercial service the speeds achieved in the recent Centenary air race. It was out of the question to contemplate flying through the night on regular services with the existing aids to navigation on the Australian route. The capacity for and price of fuel continued to be the most powerful deterrent to high speed. Three four-engined and four twinengined aircraft, with top speeds of about 170 miles an hour, were under construction, the former for European services and extensions, and the latter for long distances, tours and overseas charter work. The company decided months ago to order, for experimental work, two flying-boats, one for the New York-Bermuda service, and two land aeroplanes, larger and faster than existing machines.

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN McGregor and walker JOURNEY TO SYDNEY (Received November 7, 12.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 6 The New Zealand airmen SquadronLeader M. C. McGregor and Mr. H. C. Walker left Melbourne to fly to Sydney and landed at Cootamundra this afternoon. They will remain there for the night and'resume to-morrow morning. They will ship their aeroplane to >ew Zealand. DOUGLAS AEROPLANES MANUFACTURE IN ENGLAND REPORTED FACTORY PURCHASE Received November 6, 7.0 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. G The Dailv Telegraph says it understands that Mr. Anthony Fokker has purchased a. large factory near Stockport for the manufacture of American Douglas aeroplanes, of a type, similar to that in which Parmentier and Moll competed in the Centenary air race.

MEDALS FOR WINNERS AWARD BY SOCIETY LONDON. Nov. 5 The Ifoyal Aeronautical Society announces the award of its silver medal to Messrs. C. W. A. Scott and T. Campbell Black, winners of the Lon-don-Melbourne air race. Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Mollison, who abandoned the race after trouble with their Comet machine in India, have arrived at Athens from Aleppo. They will leave for Rome to-morrow.