MODERN FREIGHTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26531, 5 August 1947, Page 6

MODERN FREIGHTER

Merchant Venturer Visits 1 aieri EFFICIENCY DEMONSTRATED “A whale with wings ” is about the most apt description which has been given so far to the Bristol freighter aircraft, Merchant Venturer, which paid a visit to Taieri airport yesterday in the course of its international publicity tour. One of the most interesting aircraft to come off the British post-war production lines, the freighter is an all-purpose machine designed for maximum economy, heavy work, and comparatively restricted landing conditions. The freighter approached the airport from the direction of Flagstaff shortly after 11 a.m., after a smooth trip from Christchurch, which was left at 9.45 a.m. It made a partial circuit of the field and touched down perfectly, making a remarkably short landing run before turning to taxi on to the tarmac. Representatives of civic and business organisations were present to meet the freighter and the crew was welcomed by the Mayor, Mr Cameron.

In addition to- the crew, the aircraft was carrying a full complement of 1(5 passengers, including Mr H. Worrell, a director of New Zealand National Airways, Mr N. E. Higgs. New Zealand representative of the Bristol Aircraft Company, Mr H. D. Christie, president of the Canterbury Aero Club, and representatives of the press, Broadcasting Service and Civil Aviation Department. The Merchant Venturer, as the aircraft is named, is a combination of the Bristol freighter and its passenger version, the Wayfarer. It is able to carry two tons of freight and 16 passengers, the accommodation being comfortable, if not lavish. Visibility is particularly good, as the machine is a high-wing monoplane. One ton of general railway freight was brought to the Taieri on board the freighter, and within a few minutes of landing the bulbous, ciam-type

entered in the Melbourne Cup. The aircraft will carry a consignment of butter to Norfolk Island. The opportunity to witness the capacity and capabilities of the Bristol freighter made it apparent that it would be an ideal type of machine for commercial operation in New Zealand, where the size an,d lack of development of most airfields would be a matter of much less importance than in the case of the aircraft at present in operation. It was a machine of this type which Squadron Leader F. J. Lucas had hoped to acquire to operate a charter freight service from Otago to any part of New Zealand, as reported in a Daily Times article recently. Unfortunately, the establishment of a Government monopoly of air services has so far prevented Mr Lucas from putting his plans into operation. A comparison of the all-up weights of the freighter and the two types of

jaws of the aircraft had been swung open and trucks were taking delivery of the packages. This operation was watched with interest by the crowd, which also spent some time studying the names of the aircraft’s various ports of call painted on the fuselage. Taieri will doubtless be added in due course as the fifty-fifth landing field. The captain of the aircraft, Captain R. Ellison, stated that he had had no trouble in bringing the freighter in to Taieri, and it was obvious that only a small section of the field was needed for its operation. The two Hercules engines of the aircraft enable it to take off in 450 yards, and it is capable of clearing a 50-foot obstacle within 750 yards, or within 850 yards if only one engine is being used. The landing and take-off speeds are remarkably low, being in the vicinity of 80 m.p.h. Captain Ellison, who has been flying for 20 years, is a senior test pilot with the Bristol Company, and was responsible during the war for the testing of literally thousands of the company’s aircraft. The Merchant Venturer, which is due to leave New Zealand on its return journey shortly, left again yesterday afternoon with general cargo for Christchurch. It had previously been announced that there was a possibility of two racehorses and a bull being transported to Australia on board the Merchant Venturer, but this has now been denied. The captain of the aircraft stated that the machine was not designed for hauls as long as the transTasman flight, and that an extra tank would have to be carried in the hold. One of the horses, Bruce, has been

aircraft now on service on the New Zealand airlines—Lodestars and converted Dakotas —is interesting'. The loads of the freighter and of the other two aircraft, with all-up weights given in brackets, are as follows: Freighter. 12,7941 b ' (37.0001 b); Lodestar, 64251 b (18,5001 b); Dakota, 77141 b (25,3461 b). International regulations lay down the length of runway needed for the operation of a Dakota as 4000 feet, while a freighter needs only 2880 feet.