AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22256, 8 May 1934, Page 7

AVIATION

ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA MISS BATTEN TO TRY AGAIN. LONDON, May 6. Miss Jean Batten arrived at Lympne from Rome in her repaired machine and continued her flight to Brooklands. She expressed her determination to try again as soon as possible in order to avoid the monsoon. Miss Batten added that everyone in Italy had been most kind, but her return to England was impossible until an Italian aviator lent her the underwings of his machine. She must have new ones made because her old type were now not stocked. She would return the Italian’s wings and start immediately her own were fitted. Miss, Jean Batten, the New Zealand airwoman, who left Lympne on April 21 on a solo flight to Australia, crashed just outside the. walls of Rome. She had a miraculous escape, making a “pancake” landing in the darkness in a .field full of aerial wires. EXPRESS GOODS PLANES. SERVICES IN ENGLAND. LONDON, May 6. Express goods planes will shortly be introduced for internal air services, travelling from London to Manchester in 76 minutes. AMPHIBIAN PLANES. NUMBER FOR VICTORIA. MELBOURNE, May T. The Minister of Defence announced that 24 Seagull V amphibian planes had been ordered from England, the cost of which landed in Australia was £345,000. These machines may be catapulted from cruisers or seaplane carriers. They have a speed of 120 miles an hour at 5000 feet, and can dive at the rate of 200 miles an hour. Their range with a ; full bomb load is 300 miles. THE CODOCK MONOPLANE. AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFIED. MELBOURNE, May 7. The Civil Aviation department does not intend to accept the suggestion from New Zealand to prohibit the flight in the Codock monoplane over the Tasman. The Superintendent of Flying Operations (Mr Ross), who participated in the Codock’s trial flights, certified to both pilot and . machine, therefore Squadron-leader T, W. White is able to carry out the flight provided he carries no passengers for hire. Squadron-leader White, who is now in Sydney, declares that there is no hope of flying the Tasman before May 18. PLANE AND PILOT. BOTH SUITABLE FOR FLIGHT. (Peb United Pbesb Association.) AUCKLAND, May 7. The organiser of Dominion Airways, Ltd., said he believed the message from Melbourne relative to the flight of the Codock monoplane over the Tasman was sent under a misunderstanding. There was never any intention to prohibit the flight, but, as announced by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith on Saturday, the flight had been cancelled owing to his departure for America and also the fact that the New Zealand summer was over and the joy-riding tour, which it was proposed should follow the Tasman flight, would be unprofitable. Mr Withers said there had not at any time been any question of the suitability of the plane or the pilot for the flight.