IMPERIAL AIRWAYS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16230, 3 January 1927, Page 7

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS

« SERVICE TO AUSTRALIA TWO MACHINES ORDERED (Elec. Tel. Copyright-United Press Asm.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received January 3, 10 a.m.) LONDON, January 1. The Air Ministry has ordered two allmetal flying boats which will be used for flights on the Calcutta-Singapore section of the London-Australia air route. Each will carry 15 passengers, is furniched with three engines, and will have a non-stop range of 500 miles. FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA R.A.F. PROJECT LONDON, Dec. 20. If the present arrangements are completed for the flight to Singapore, and possibly to Australia, in 1927, which the Royal Air Force is considering, with a View to carrying out the recently-published recommendations of the Imperial Conference for linlc-ing-up the Empire by air, the start will probably be made in May or June. Those participating will use flying-boats of the Southampton superraariue type, intended for coastal defence and reconnaissance. These machines are fitted with two Napier-Lien engines, developing 500 horse-power. The flying-boats, which arc; of 14,5001 b gross weight, have a speed of 110 miles an hour, and arc able to travel with a single engine, carrying a crew of four or five. The route will bo along the coasts of the Mediterranean, India, Burma, Malaya and north-east Australia, thus avoiding" cross-country flights.

It was announced last month that in the middle of this year the Air Ministry would send" a fleet of flying boats from London to Australia, via Singapore, the machines proposed being of the supermarine Southampton type, with NapierLyon engines of 900 hofse-power each, and carrying a crew of four.