NEW AIR LINER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25180, 18 April 1945, Page 8

NEW AIR LINER

ARRIVAL IN SYDNEY SERVICE FROM LONDON (R«od. 8.10 p.m.) SYDNEY. April 17 The first Lancastrian air liner in the London-Sydney express air mail service reached Sydney today, having taken 58 hours 12 minutes flying time from England. It is the first of five Lancastrians ordered by Qantas Empire Airways to maintain a regular 70-hour service between Sydney and London. The Lancastrian is a civil version of the Lancaster bomber. It has a speed of 272 miles an hour at 21,000 ft. With a payload of two tons, its range at cruising speed is 4150 miles. A second Lancastrian is expected in Sydney within a fortnight. Both planes will be used for training purposes until the other three arrive and the SydneyLondon service is ready to start. This is expected to be not later than June. A limited number of passengers will be carried. The Lancastrian which arrived today took oil* from England last Wednesday on its 12,000-mile flight. Five stops were made eii route, including a whole day spent at Karachi. The final hop from Western Australia to Sydney was made in 11 hours 25 minutes. "We had to loiter on the way in order not to arrive at Sydney too early," said the veteran Qantas pilot, Captain It. B. Tapp, who commanded the plane. Most of the flying had been done at night.