FLYING-BOAT FLEET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22708, 22 October 1935, Page 7

FLYING-BOAT FLEET

FOR EMPIRE MAIL SERVICE (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, September 28. Imperial Airways announce that an order has been placed by them with Messrs Short Bros., Ltd., of Rochester, for a fleet of new flying boats for use on the main Empire air lines. These new machines are to be larger, faster and more luxurious than any existing aircraft owned by Imperial Airways, and will be in advance of any similar craft in the world. The placing of this order represents an essential feature of the development scheme now in progress for the carriage of first-class mails in bulk to and from distant parts of the Empire. The Government have intimated that by 1937 it is hoped that all first-class mails between this country and Australia and New Zealand shall be carried by air. All previous marine aircraft on the Empire routes rvore of biplane construction, but the new boats will be of the unbraced, high-wing, monoplane type with wing-tip floats. They will have a span of 144 feet, with an over-all length of 884 feet and a height on the bleaching chassis of 294 feet. They will have a total loaded weight of 17i tons — about 4) tons greater than the present largest Imperial Airways machine —of which 34 to 5 tons will be available for passengers, mail and freight for normal stage flights. They can be given a range up to 1500 miles by carrying more fuel and less load. The machines will have four engines with variable pitched propellers, but the type of engine has not yet been finally decided. The speed is expected to be not far short pf 200 miles an hour. The whole structure of the machines will be of metal, and a new feature will be the two decks in the forepart of the hull. The upper one will accommodate crew, mail, cargo and the ship’s office, and the lower one passengers. The machines are to be fitted with short-wave wireless and direction-find-ing apparatus, and will have equipment for day and night Hying.