THE CENTAURUS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23364, 2 December 1937, Page 11

THE CENTAURUS

TEST FLIGHT TO DOMINION ITINERARY ANNOUNCED LONDON, Npv. 30. Imperial Airways announce that the Centaurus will leave Southampton on December 3, and will arrive at Darwin on December 18. It will spend Christmas in Sydney, then fly to Auckland on December 27, Wellington on December 31, Christchurch on January 1, and Dunedin on January 2, returning to Auckland on January 3 and Sydney on January 10, leaving for England at the end of January.. It will carry a crew of five under the command of Captain J. W. Burgess.

A message received on November 11 stated: The Centaurus has been selected for a test flight to Neyv Zealand, so that Australia and New Zealand will see a modern flying boat. She will be fitted with extra tank's. Nevertheless, she will have room for passengers. The personnel of the craft has not yet been selected. THE PAN-AMERICAN CLIPPER WELLINGTON VISIT UNLIKELY (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 1. The Pan-American Sikorsky Clipper will arrive in Auckland before the Empire flying boat Centaurus, and though Wellington had hopes of seeing the clipper in the harbour also, Mr Harold Gatty stated in an interview to-day that there were unfortunately difficulties in the way of a goodwill flight to Wellington. The Sikorsky, he said, was required to commence schedule flying in the New Year and the time available in New Zealand would be extremely short as the Clipper had to return north in the Pacific in time to permit the regular overhaul that was made after each long, ocean flight before a regular service was commenced. There was a possibility, however, that a flight could be made to Wellington in the short time available.

Officials of the company in New Zealand have not yet received advice of the Clipper’s movements, although they expect that the original arrangement for the flight to Auckland to commence in the first week of December, will be kept. The Clipper to make the second of three survey flights which must be completed before mail can be carried over the route is the Sikorsky 5.428. machine that flew from San Francisco to Auckland in 48 hours 20 minutes flying time late in March this year. On her return flight she was intercepted at Honolulu and diverted to the Orient route, and since then has been in regular service on the final section of the long ocean airway. Before the second survey flight can be commenced, the long-range tanks installed in the Clipper for the first visit to New Zealand will have to be mounted again. This work will presumably be done at the company’s base at Honolulu.

Since the Clipper’s second flight southward will be of only 4350 miles, compared with the 6750 of the first journey from San Francisco, her flying time will probably be in the vicinity of 30 hours. She should fiy from Honolulu to Kingman Reef, where the company has provided a floating base in the ship Margaret Sterling, a distance of 1100 miles, in about eight hours. The next section of 1400 miles, to Pago Pago, should occupy 10 hours, and the final section, from Pago Pago to Auckland, 1850 miles, between 11 and 12 hours.

Arrangements for bases along the route were made by Mr JT. McKenzie, Pacific division airport engineer of the company, who is at present superintending the provision of facilities in Auckland. He said on Tuesday that the Margaret Sterling had left Seattle in ample time to have reached Kingman Reef, and the base at Pago Pago was complete. Work ii progressing rapidly in Auckland. The airport building is taking shape, and the- floating gear is nearing completion. Special radio sets have arrived, and are to be installed at the company’s two stations, one at Russell and .the other in Auckland, .within the next few days. Meanwhile communication with Pago Pago is being maintained by the sets sent from the United States and installed in Auckland prior to the first survey flight. When she first visited Auckland the Clipper was commanded by Captain Edwin C, Musick, who had with him a special crew. The personnel for the next flight has not yet been announced. CORDELIA’S SURVEY FLIGHT i

LONDON, Nov, 30.

The flying boat Cordelia arrived at Southampton after a survey flight of 16,000 miles to Singapore. The Cordelia returned from Singapore in six days, carrying a passenger from Australia and the India mails.