NEW RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23021, 26 April 1938, Page 12

NEW RECORD

DARWIN-ENGLAND BROADBENT'S TIME BEATS JEAN BATTEN MAK6IN OF 14 HOURS By Telfffrnph—Press As:l>clation —Copyright (.Received April 25, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 21 The Australian airman Mr. H. F. Broadbent, who left Darwin at 3 a.m. last Monday morning (5 p.m. Sunday, Greenwich mean time) in aa attempt on the Australia to England solo flight record, landed at Lyinpne at 10.52 p.m. on Friday, breaking Miss Batten's time by 13 hours 54 minutes. Mr. Broadbent arrived at Rome at 1.35 p.m. ami took off for Lympne at 2.30 p.m. Tho weather was reported as being irery bad. , Mr. ' Broadbent was greeted by a largo crowd, who swarmod round the machine. Ho said he folt fine. His time was 5 days 4 hours 21 minutes. Mr. Broadbent has definitely decided against further record-breaking in singlo-engined light aeroplanes, which he considers are too risky, but wants to attack the record made by Scott and Black from England to Drirwin, provided ho can obtain a spccially-built machine cruising at about 240 miles an hour. Originally lie intended to fly back to Australia, but he has sinco decided to sail noxt month after settling his affairs in Britain.

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA ROYAL AIR FORCE SECRET PREPARATIONS LONDON", April 10 Tho tempo of training for the attempt by the Royal Air Force on tho long-distance flight record toward Australia has been quickened and all the preliminaries have been completed. No date, however, has yet been fixed for the start of the attempt. Flight-Lieutenants P. H. Dunn and A. T. D. Sanders, and Sergeant B. N. Phillips Will form the crew. They replace the crew of the Vickers-Wellesley bombing aeroplane which vanished on February 25, while undergoing tests for the flight. Wreckage of the machine was picked tip on tho coast of Norway, More than 360 miles from the Scottish coast, on March 23. The new cfow is busy practising at taking off with a heavily laden Wellesley from the two-mile concrete run at Upper Heyford (Oxfordshire). Since tho flight is still regarded as somewhat in the "hush, hush category, no information is available from the Air Ministry. No newspaper representatives have been permitted to inspect Viekers-Wellesleys of the type to make the flight. Nor are they allowed to talk to members of the crews.

The Air Ministry will merely say: '"Everything is going according to schedule."