FLIERS MISSING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22262, 9 November 1935, Page 13

FLIERS MISSING

ANXIETY CAUSED SMITH AND PETHYBRIDGE OVERDUE 'AT SINGAPORE BELIEVED FORCED DOWN A STORM REPORTED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 8. 8.25 p.m.) SINGAPORE. Nov. 8 Anxiety has been caused in Singapore by the non-arrival of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his copilot Mr. T. Pethybridge, who left Lympne on Wednesday morning in the Lady Southern Cross on a flight to Australia.

Since leaving Allahabad the fliers have been in the air 16 hours and their petrol was not sufficient for that period.

The airmen are now five or six hours overdue. The general opinion is that they have been forced down somewhere in or' near Burma. The pilot of an Imperial Airways liner near Penang reports a storm in that vicinity.

The airmen had hoped to beat the record of Messrs. Scott and Black by reaching Melbourne on Saturday. Sir Charles and his companion landed at Allahabad at 5.25 p.m. (local time) yesterday. They were then 2 hours 47 minutes behind the time of Messrs. C. W. A. Scott and Campbell Black in the Centenary air race. They left again at 6.25 p.m. for Singapore and passed over Calcutta at 9.6 p.m. Sir Charles washed and had refreshment at Allahabad. He said nothing untoward had occurred between Bagdad and Allahabad. SEEN OVER BENGAL BAY DESCENT ON SEA FEARED PREPARATIONS FOR SEARCH (Received November 8, 11.45 p.m.) SINGAPORE, Nov. 8 'Mr. C. J. Melrose, on his arrival at Singapore, stated in an interview that he had seen an aeroplane wliieh undoubtedly must have been that of Sir Charles Kingsford 'Smith pass 200 ft. above him at 2 a.m. to-day over the Bay of Bengal, 150 land. Mr. Melrose said ho saw a flame in the darkness which seemed to come from Sir Charles' twin-exhaust. It is believed that Sir Charles and Mr. Pethybridge were forced down on the sea between Rangoon or Akyab and Victoria Point, Burma. The authorities at Singapore are sending out a wireless S.O.S. to all ships to keep a watch for the missing men. Squadron bombers at present up country have been ordered.to prepare to leave for a'search. , LADY SOUTHERN CROSS VIRTUALLY NEW MACHINE PILOT'S MANY ADVENTURES When §ir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr. T. Pethybridge left Lympne at 6.27 a.m. on Wednesday their permissible load of petrol was 138 gallons, giving the machine a range of about 1100 miles when cruising at 190 miles an hour. It was stated that in Europe the fliers might take on additional petrol. It was Sir Charles' ambition to reach Melbourne at noon to-day (Australian time), which would have beaten the record of Messrs. C. W. A. Scott and T. Campbell Black in their de Havilland Comet which won the Centenary air race a year ago.

Although the Lady Southern Cross is virtually a new machine, Sir Charles has already had many adventures with the Lockhoed Altair monoplane. He bought it in the United States in June last year, and had it shipped to Australia, where ho established a number of speed records. The Altair was entered for tho Centonary air race, but after many delays tho airman met with misfortune on the flight from Sydney to London for tho start of the race. The engine cowling was damaged, and in

spite of every effort being made to effect repairs in time, Sir Charles was obliged to withdraw. As soon as the Lady Southern Cross was ready for the air again, Sir Charles, with Captain P. G. Taylor as co-pilot, completed his second Pacific flight, taking the Altair from Brisbane to Suva, Honolulu and San Francisco in three hops. Shortly after its arrival in the United States, the monoplane was attached and an action was filed against Sir Charles. A settlement was ultimately reached out of Court. The Altair was offered for sale, and Sir Charles returned to Australia by steamer early this year. Last May he attempted to fly the veteran Southern Cross to New Zealand, but was forced back when one mqtor stopped. The Australian coast was regained only after a grim struggle. Subsequently, the old Southern Cross was bought by the Commonwealth Government for the National Museum at Canberra. Sir Charles passed through New Zealand in July on his way to,the United States, where he took over the Lady Cross and had it shipped to England for his present flight.

With Sir Charles on his latest venture, which was to bo his "last long flight," is Mr. T. Pethybridge, a young Australian. Mr. Pethybridge is a highly qualified engineer and aviation expert who has been associated with Sir Charles for many years, and visited New Zealand with him in the Southern Cross. The Lockheed Altair monoplane used for the flight is a development of the commercial model, the Orion. It is a two-seater, single-engined craft, with retractable undercarriage and variable pitch airscrew. The monoplane is particularly fast, its maximum speed being quoted at about 250 miles an hour, under favourable conditions. __ f BROADBENT'S JOURNEY MAKING FOR BATAVIA NIGHT LANDING INTENDED (Received November 8. 10.5 p.m.) SINGAPORE. Nov. 8 Mr. H. F. Broadbent, who left England the same day as Mr. Melrose on a flight to Australia, left Rangoon yesterday for Singapore. The airman passed over Singapore at 1.42 p.m to-day. He dropped a note saying he would make a night landing at Batavia. i MR. C. J. MELROSEJ GOOD PROGRESS MADE ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE (Received November 8, 10.5 p.m.) SINGAPORE, Nov. 8 * Mr. C. J. Melrose, the young Melbourne airman who left England on October 29 on a flight to Australia, arrived at Calcutta at 6.36 a.m. yesterleft for Rangoon at 8.15 a.m. Ho duly reached there and left again for Alor Star. Mr. Melrose arrived at Singapore at 2.25 p.m. He is overhauling his engine and expects to leave for Sourabaya tonight. CAPE TO LONDON LLEWELLYN'S PROGRESS • {Received November 8, 6.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, Nov. 7 Flying-Officer David Llewellyn and Mrs. Jill Wyndham, who are attempting to establish a new record for the flight from Capetown to London, arrived at Kisurnu, Lake Victoria, at 8.45 a.m. to-day, and left one and a-half hours-later for Juba.