AIR ROUTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22005, 11 January 1935, Page 6

AIR ROUTES

THE EMPIRE SERVICES

SPEEDING-UP NEEDED

LESSONS OF RECENT RACE

Britain has lagged behind Holland, 'America, France and Germany in the operation of its internal national air service. In extending the air routes to the ends of the Empire, the work of Imperial Airways has remained unsurpassed, but it has been subjected to great limitations throughout its entire existence by only small assistance from the British Government. The subsidy granted in the first year Imperial Airways commenced was small enough and the amount has been steadily reduced each year.

This strict control of the monetary cide has prevented Imperial Airways •from improving the performance of its aircraft in proportion to its immense undertakings. The directors are concentrating upon making a profit on tho year's workings to the exclusion of some important details which are both necesisary and costly. The chief aims of the company are to operate under conditions of safety, comfort and economy. The speed factor has not been sufficiently attended to. This is borne out Iby the fact that it took almost the isame time to fly by Imperial Airways from London to Paris in 1934 as in 1929, and with the exception of two types, the fleet is exactly the same. Neglect ol Night Flying Another important point is the meglect of night flying on the national iservice. While other countries, such as Germany and France, are busy extending night air lines, England has only gone so far as to inaugurate a short •trip above London in the summer months for those who wish to have dinner "far from the madding crowd." This does not train pilots in the difficulties of flying over an air route by :night, and already there is much leeway to be made up before Imperial Airways could seriously challenge some of the foreign services.

Where England will directly benefit from its success in the Melbourne air race is in the speeding-up of its air services and the inauguration of night flying. Congratulations for the winners of the air race were soon replaced by some searching criticisms of British commercial aviation and its lethargic attitude to adopting faster aircraft. The excellent performance of the K.L.M.'s Douglas standard type air liner, flown by Dutch pilots, which came second, was responsible for some comparisons to the detriment of Imperial Airways. It is already common knowledge that the K.L.M. company had made an offer to extend its Amsterdam-Batavia service -to Australia without subsidy, and that the offer was not accepted. The saving in time by the Dutch air line over the proposed schedule of Imperial Airways from London to Sydney leaves no doubt as to which line would have secured all the trade. It is generally agreed that Imperial Airways will speed up .its services in the future, but its present policy is not keeping pace with the majority of other countries, and consequently England is lagging behind in world competition. Ability of Designers The design in only nine months of a racing machine of the type which won the air race is a fine achievement for the de Havilland Aircraft Company, and it proves the ability of British designers and manufacturers to compete successfully with other nations when Ihe need arises. The need has already arisen for faster services along the Empire air route, and the air race has called attention not only to the inferior speed of British machines in operation, but to the extent to which this can be improved upon. Now . that aviation has been "boosted" to higher speeds, many will be wondering what point will be considered the "maximum efficiency" cruising speed. A simple calculation will illustrate the progressive saving of time by increases in speed. On a flight of 1000 miles, an increase of 50 miles an hour on a cruising speed of 100 miles an hour will save three hours 20 minutes; the next increase of 50 miles an hour will save a further 1 hour 40 minutes; the next increase, only another hour; and at 300 miles an hour only an additional 40 minutes is saved. It seems very likely, therefore, that the economical cruising speed of future years will be 250 miles an hour