EMPIRE AIR SERVICE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3867, 24 April 1928, Page 7

EMPIRE AIR SERVICE.

LINKING UP THE DOMINIONS.

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE FUTURE.

WELLINGTON, April 16. Prior to his departure for New Yor|j and thence to England LieutenantCommander W. H. Watt, R.N.R. (retired), formerly a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force, when interviewed gave some information relative to the Empire airship programme. He was senior flying officer at several of the largest airship stations in England and commanded H.M. Airship R 26 which saw extensive service in the North Sea. The total distance flown was approximately 6175 miles. “ Airship performances,” said Lieuten-ant-Commander Watt, “ include two flights across the Atlantic from east to west. How many people realise that this western crossing, the attempting of which bv aeroplane has been responsible for the lives of a number of our leading aeroplane pilots and caused such worldwide comment, has been accomplished on two occasions by different airships as a matter of routine? You will see also from the above-mentioned flight* that airships have flown under climatic conditions ranging from those of the tropics of Africa to those of the'North Polar regions. They have definitely proved their capacity on occasion to fly fast and continuously by day and by night through great distances over sea and land, carrying relatively heavy loads. Airships. RlOO and RlOl, now under construction, will each be of 5,000,000 cubic feet gas capacity, twice the size of any ship previously built, and will have a maximum diameter of 130 ft. The RlOO will be 709 ft long, while the RlOl will be 730 ft. They will have a speed of from 70 to 80 miles an hour, and a flying range of 4000 miles. Both ships are designed to carry 100 passengers and the accommodation on board comprises sleeping cabins, promenade decks, lounges, and smoking-rooms, as well as dining-rooms capable of seating 50 passengers at a time. . It is intended that one of these ships will be flown to Canada to carry out transcontinental flights there, while the other, in the first instance, will make flights to India and Africa. Later, ships for regular pas-— senger service will be built of twice the capacity of RlOO and RlOl, and it is hoped then that Australia will enter into the programme and erect mooring masts to receive the air liners and assist in bringing these far-distant dominions within reasonable range of England. New Zealand is dependent upon the Commonwealth’s attitude towards airship development, and until a mooring tower has been erected on the western side of Australia and another on the eastern side the job will be too great for New Zealand to enter into the programme. “ It is not the intention of the British Government to launch out into a rCtkless gamble so far as the airship programme goes ; but it is its intention, knowing the immense possibiltes arid the value of the airship as a means of bringing the Empire closer together, to demonstrate this by practical flights and to carry out the ground work with a view to assisting commercial enterprise. In the initial stages of airship transport it would be impossible for any concern to finance an Empire airship organisation without the financial support of the Imperial Government and the assistance of the various dominions; but later, when practical demonstrations have been made, ciyil enterprise will enter and I take over the airships on a commercial I basis, similar to the shipping companies. “ Tn view of this fact New Zealand cannot in the meantime do anything of greater value to airship development than progress with its meteorological organisation, and later, when the present programme has been fulfilled and Australia combines with a view to extending a service completely link up the' Empire it will be in,the interests of ths Dominion to join in and enjoy the advantages of being within 10 or 12 days’ journey from the Homeland.