HALVING THE TIME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26550, 27 August 1947, Page 6

HALVING THE TIME

LONDON TO SYDNEY BY AIR LORD NATHAN’S FORECAST AIMS OF BRITISH INDUSTRY P.A. AUCKLAND, Aug 26. The eventual halving of the present flying time between London and Sydney by British aircraft, now engaging the attention of designers and engineers, was forecast by the British Minister of Civil Aviation, Lord Nathan, who arrived from Sydney today in the British Overseas Airways Lancastrian, Northampton. Lord Nathan, who was accompanied by Lady Nathan, the' Hon. Roger Nathan and members of his staff, will leave by road to-morrow for Wellington and expects to spend about a fortnight in New Zealand. Lord Nathan is the guest of the Government. Although he referred to some new British aircraft, including the de Havilland 106, which were expected greatly to reduce the present flying time over long air routes, Lord Nathan was emphatic that speed was not the most important factor. The ttritish aircraft industry was endeavouring to build the safest, the most comfortable and the fastest aircraft, but was not making a fetish of speed. Safety was the main thing and then in order of importance came regularity, comfort and speed. New problems associated with flying at high speed and at great altitudes were mentioned by Lord Nathan. He said that nobody really knew much about conditions at between 40,000 and 60,000 feet and extensive experiments were now being made before any direct effort was made to carry passengers at those levels. ”»• Lord Nathan referred to' the progress being made with the construction of Britain’s biggest land plane, the 100 ton Brabazon I. He said that as soon as it had established itself on the north

Atlantic run, he hoped it might fly over the “ Kangaroo ” route to Australia, but whether this would be possible and whether New Zealand would ever see the aircraft depended upon the availability of suitable aerodromes. At the same time, he said, he realised that Auckland possessed a magnificent flying boat alighting area and men-; tioned the work being done toward completing Britain’s other aerial giant, the six-engined Saunders Roe flying boat, to carry 100 people. “ My real object in making this trip was to see civil aviation operating on the great trunk routes and to see people, places and problems for myself,” the Minister said. “I hope to turn abstractions and points on the map into warm realities.” Lord Nathan’s Lancastrian is commanded by Captain J. Weir and the second pilot is a New Zealander, Captain A. C. Bray, D.F.C. and bar, .of Ashburton.