ATLANTIC AIR LINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22743, 2 December 1935, Page 7

ATLANTIC AIR LINE

ANTICIPATED SPEED ACCELERATION • From Our Own Correspondent.) (By' Air Mail) LONDON, November 9. Imperial Airways, with the aid of its British equipment, has been able to achieve records in safety, regularity, and commercial rendering superior to those of ahy other air transport company in the world, and it will not embark upon the establishment of an Atlantic air line until it can guarantee results as good as _it now gets upon the European and Empire lines. Sir Eric Geddes, the chairman of the Imperial Airways, states that the flying boat which is to be used for the Atlantic flying experiments will be “of normal characterictics, but of sufficient range to fly the Atlantic.” He expects to start the experimental programme next year. AERIAL SLEEPERS.

Giving some details of the new fleet of aeroplanes which the company has ordered, Sir Eric Geddes says that the new machines will have a carrying capacity of 3J to 5 tons, according to the amount of fuel carried, and that they will provide sleeping accommodation for the passengers. “ The standard of this accommodation,” he says, “ will be superior to anything yet seen in aircraft.” Thus the policy of giving the passengers comfort on the British air lines is to be pursued in the future. On the existing European and Empire services it has proved completely successful. Statistics show that travellers prefer to go in one of the large British aeroplanes, with their spacious and silent cabins, than in machine*? which may be 20 miles an hour or so taster, but which are uncomfortable and, therefore, fatiguing. It is to be noted, however, that with the further enhancement of luxury in the new air liners, will go considerable increases in the speed.