NEW AIR RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22961, 12 February 1938, Page 13

NEW AIR RECORD

409 MILES AN HOUR

EDINBURGH—LONDON FLIGHT WIRING NIGHT STANDART) MACHINE By Telegraph—Press Association-—Copyright 1 (Received February 11, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 11 The record speed of approximately 409 miles an hour for a land aeroplane in a flight after dark was achieved by a new Royal Air Force Hurricane Fighter machine, which flew from Edinburgh to London in 48 minutes. The pilot was SquadronLeader Gillan. The machine was designed for the defence of Britain, not for record-breaking. This is the first time any aeroplane has travelled at 300 miles an hoar or over after dark. The fastest speed of any land machine of this type was previously 379 miles an hour, established by Captain Wurster at Munich' on November 11, while the fastest speed for a seaplane is 440 miles an hour, made by Warrant-Officer Agello, of the Italian Air Force, in October. 1934.

CRASH DURING TRIALS

GIANT GERMAN AEROPLANE DEATH OF PILOT (Received February 11, 6.30 p.m.) AMSTERDAM. Feb. 11 A giant new Junker four-engined aeroplane GU9O, known as the Grosse Dessauer, crashed during a test flight at Nuremburg to-day after breaking up in the air. Two members of the crew of three were saved by parachutes. The pilot was killed.

RUSSIAN DISASTER MOUNTAIN SEEN TOO LATE MOSCOW, Feb. 10 Telling a brief story of the disaster to the large Russian airship V.6, which crashed in a fog on Tuesday near Kandalaksha, 177 miles from Murmansk, the pilot, M. Pochekin, said he saw the mountainside too late, and the air- '

ship pancaked against the mountain through the trees. The . survivors gathered around a bonfire until datfn, when rescuers arrived, on skis/

The airship was Russia's largest and was on a training flight from Moscow to Murmansk and back, preparatory to being used in an attempt to rescue the North Polar scientists. Of the IS men on board, 13 were killed, three were seriously injured and the other two escaped unhurt. Peasants first heard the overhead and then a rumbiing like tfcmder, followed by silence.

ITALIANS' ESCAPE

MACHiNE DES7RSYEO Paris, F«b. 10 Tbe It?I:W \ui Y;jrfpm«st, S ijnor Gianni -1 t from Vilan to Crcyr''*" iiToin where he intended to start gl an attempt to beat Flying-Oflicer A. E. Clouaton's record to the Cape, clashed at Le Bourget. The airman and hia crew of two wera unhurt. The machine wan aesiTOfrad.