AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20330, 11 February 1928, Page 11

AVIATION

LAUNCHING OF AIRSHIPS. NO DEFINITE DATES FIXED. (British Official Wireless.) fPre«» Association—Bj Xeiegrnob —Copyright.) RUGBY, February 9. , The Secretary of Air was asked in the House of Commons whether he could give definite dates for the launching of the airships RIOO and RlOl. He said that he hoped that both these airships would be flying before the end of the year. The RIOO would be flying before the end of the summer. Replying to another question, Sir Samuel Hoare said that experiments in the United States with a Neon gas beacon for the purpose of emitting rays which penetrate fog for the guidance of aircraft were being closely watched by the Air Ministry. The Neon beacon was, in fact, in regular use as a part of the landing system at Croydon. It was installed as long ago as 1924, and was the first beacon of its kind to be used for aviation. TRANSATLANTIC SERVICE. MAILS AND PASSENGERS. WASHINGTON, February 9. The Government fully approves of the plan of the British group to begin a regular dirigible transatlantic mail and passenger service. Mr H. C. Hoover (Secretary of Commerce) made this announcement on Thursday, and the cooperation will be effective for the first trial trip of RIOO within three month's. — A. and N.Z. Cable. NEW FIGHTING ’PLANE. A SUCCESSFUL TRIAL. LONDON, February 9. (Received Feb. 10, at 9 p.m.) The Air Ministry has made a successful trial of the new fighting ’plane WestlandJupiter. The machine carries two small cannon firing explosive shells, instead of machine guns. It is understood that the new gunplanes solve the difficulty of recoil.—A. and N.Z. Cable.