TRANSPACIFIC FLIGHT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 68

TRANSPACIFIC FLIGHT.

THE VENTURE ABANDONED.

FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

INSUPERABLE.

XV ELLINGTON, January 16. A cable message received from Sydney to-day rtates that word has been received there that Captain Kingsford Smith and his companion have abandoned their proposed flight from America to Australia owing to lack of finance. Some interesting particulars regarding the proposed transpacific flight were given by Sub-lieutenant W. A. Todd. R.A.N.R., who arrived by the Makura to-day. Lieutenant Todd was second officer of the Tahiti in August when Messrs Kingsford-Smith, .Anderson, and Ulm went to San Francisco in her to purchase an aeroplane and equipment for the flight. The expedition was backed by the New South Wales Government, the Sydney Sun, and others, and was expected to start early in September. The unfortunate result of the Dole race to Honolulu had clearly showed that a single-engined machine was unsuitable for long-distance overseas flights, and a three-motored Fokker was purchased for the venture.

“ On the next arrival of the Tahiti,” said Lieutenant Todd, “ the aviators approached me with an offer to act as navigator on the Transpacific flight, which was expected to start in the middle of October, and the Union Steam Ship Company having generously granted me leave. I accepted the offer. In the beginning of the second week in October a cablegram was sent to the New South Wales Government requesting a further £2OOO as in purchasing a three-engined machine our assets had been exceeded by that amount, but owing to the defeat of tho Lang Government and the attitude of Mr T. R.. Bavin (Premier of New South Wales) towards overseas flights in land machines this was refused. The expedition was now in a rather difficult position, but we refused to give up hope, and after approaching all the likely people we could in San Francisco for backing to enable us to clear our liabilities and start, we finally obtained a contract with the Associated Oil Company to make an attempt -to break the world’s endurance record, using their products. Had the attempt been successful we would have received from the oil company sufficient backing to enable us to start on our long Transpacific flight. Owing to financial troubles things did not go too smoothly, but after two false starts, which failed owing to structural defects, and several long delays on account of the sodden condition of the runways at the various air ports around San Francisco Captain Kingsford-Smith finally started, but was forced down short of gas after being in the air 49z hours—nearly three hours short of the 52hr 23min "needed to create a new. world’s record. On this flight Lieutenant Pond, United States Navy, accompanied Captain Kingsford Smith, as in order to get insurance on the machine it was necessary that a fully-licensed American pilot should be nominally in charge of the flight, and Captain Kingsford Smith went instead of Mr Anderson on account of his lighter weight. The expedition was now in a very tight place, as in addition to the very large sum in wages due against the ’plane the mortgagees were beginning to talk of foreclosing. Captain Kingsford Smith and the others regretfully decided that as things were there was no chance of the expedition starting for several months if it started at all, and as I had already considerably exceeded my leave and the Union Steam Ship Company had treated me very well as regards tfiat, I decided that my duty to the company demanded my return to New Zealand. I have no doubt that had it not been for the unfortunate financial position the flight would have been successful, as technically the expedition was very fully equipped. The flight may yet be made if the financial obstacles can be overcome regarding the machine and equipment. z “ Our ’plane was called the ‘ Southern Cross,’ though for the endurance flight we were obliged to name it ‘ The Spirit of California.’ It was a Fokker trimotor, and was originally built for Captains Wilkins on his Arctic exploration tour. It had a wing spread of 72ft Bin, and was in as good condition as the day it left the factory. It was powered with three Wright whirlwind J 5 B engines, each developing 220. h.p., and any two of these motors could keep the ’plane aloft with up to four-fifths of the maximum load, and by dumping the greater part of our fuel the engine would have kept us up for about five hours. We were equipped with all the latest necessary flying and navigation instruments and an excellent radio set. The latter was in three separate units, both for sending and receiving, and comprised—(a) a long wave set of from 450 to 1500 metres range, (b) a short wave set operating on 33.4 metres (c) an emergency sealed set, the power of which would have been obtained from batteries carried in the wings. The two main sets had a range of 5000 miles, and the emergency set a range of 250 miles.”.