THE SOUTHERN CROSS

Opunake Times, 12 January 1934, Page 3

THE SOUTHERN CROSS

A REMARKABLE PLANE. The “Southern Cross,” which will shortly be arriving here piloted by Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, is surely the most remarkable aeroplane that the world has seen. Not remarkable perhaps, for its appearance or construction, but certainly for its performances and its \ istory. 4 It is the only ’plane that has encircled all the big oceans. It is the only 'plane that has crossed the Pacific Ocean from the Continent of America to the Continent of Australia. It has down from Australia to England (in then record time) and is on© of the thrae planes that have made the hazardous crossing over the Atlantic from east to west. Erom New York it has flown across the Continent to its starting point on its world wanderings, near San Francisco, thus encircling the globe at its widest part,. It has flown the Tasman to and from New Zealand five times, and also non-stop across Australia.

Even before these wanderings started, however, the history of the “Southern Cross” was a romantic one. It was built in Amsterdam by the Fokker manufacturers to the order of Admiral Byrd for a trans-Atlantic flight. Negotiations between Admiral Byrd and the American Government Id l tin. urti Mi l u.e ’pla:m was acquired by Sir Hubert Wilkins (then Cipt. Wilkins) foi Arctic exploration work. With another plane they were abandoned in the frozen wastes of Alaska many mouths, owing to mechanical defects.

When they were finally recovered, parts of both were found to be badly damaged by the heavy masses of ice and snow that had covered them during their period of exposure. However, they were fiualP' repaired and were duly flown down to Seattle. Prior to its acquisition by Kingsford Smith and his then partner, Charles Ulm, the “Southern Cross” was used for some months for commercial in various parts of Abierica. It was while it was engaged in this work that the aviators procured it to attempt their flight from San Francisco to Brisbane, Of course, prior to this ,the first big successful undertaking of the “Southern Cross” (as it now became known) the machine was thoroughly overhauled and provided with extra fuel tanks and equipment to fit it for its long flight. D was cvaiiauled again in Sydney before the journey to London and again prior to taking off on the recent fifth Tasman flight. On. its arrival in the United Sta tes, back in the land from which it commenced its romantic journeyings, the ‘Southern Cross’ was the subb t .-.I careful iu.»]ection by experts, while each of the engines was taken down and examined. These were pronounced in perfect condition, not a single mechanical defect being discovered. In a speech after bis arrival, Kingston! Smith, in referring to the splendid way the engines I functioned throughout the Atlantic flight, said:—“My experience with Plume and Mobiloil on many flights led me to select them for the flight of the ‘Southern Cross’ from Ireland to New York. The motors worked spehdidly every moment of the trip, and I know that much of their splendid performance was due to the h igh lubricating quality and thorough dependability of Mobiloil and Plume.”

Other than certain replacements and repairs the “Southern Cross” is the same machine that has performed the above history-making records and she is still as stout and efficient as when first built.