FOKKER PLANES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17094, 29 October 1929, Page 4

FOKKER PLANES

AUSTRALIAN SERVICE MR. ULM BACK PROM EUROPE PERTH, October 16. ' Mr. C. T. P. I'lni. co-pilot with Captain Kingsfurd-Smith on the Southem Cross, passed through Fremanlle to-day ")) tin: Otranto i'wni ■ London. He stated that ho was going to Sydney to arttend to the inauguration of the Australian Rational' Airways service. tie and Kingsford Smith had spent £50,000 in England on . four tri-motor machines, built under license by A. V. Roc, Ltd., the, power units of which were Siddeley-Deasey-Lynx engines of 230 horse-power each. The machines were, the most up-to-date and luxurious, saloon passenger craft, which, on short flights, could carry 14 passengers, and 10 over longer distances. They hoped to commenco Hying on January ,1,. and would open with the service from Sydney to Brisbane seven days a week. This would continue until February, when the night flying equipment would arrive. They iwould then link up with Melbourne, and it would be possible to leave Melbourne after dinner, (all ;it Canberra, and bo in Sydney before midnight. Continuing the next morning, they would arrive in Brisbane 22 hours after leaving Melbourne. The Southern Cross had been pracficallv rebuilt in Holland, said Mr. Ulin. Their success on the flight from Australia, was largely due to the services of Mr. Maidment, who, in Egypt, tuned up their badly worn engines. Kingsford Smith was now in America, completing business in connection with the company's affairs. Litchfield (navigator) and MoWilliams (wireless operator) were awaiting Smith's decision as to whether the Southern. Cross would fly the vUlantic or not. but he (Mr. Ulm) did not think the trip would be made. Ho was •struck with the extravagance of the aerial services in Germany, which were only able to carry on with the enormous Government subsidies. Even then, the services were not as efficient as in Australia, nor did the pilots compare with Australian pilots.