STRANGE CARGOES BY AIR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17436, 7 April 1931, Page 9

STRANGE CARGOES BY AIR

EVEN A LION CARRIED

•LONDON', Feb. 6. One of the romances of modern aviation is the growth in the urgent merchandise. More, than 20 tons of freight frequently pass though «» Croydon aerodrome m a singe day, htrinx a recent period of nine month, oca 'TOO tons of urgent mails and metIn disc were carried by Imperial AnSs! whereas during 1928 the total was only 500 tons. ... Remarkable, too, is the variety of aftborn" merchandise. Often a stranded Inotorist on the Continent cable fot sumo spare part. Nearly 2,000,000 Wlieless valves and some £BO,OOO worth of loudspeakers have been carried by Imperial Airways between London and the Continent. When valuable pictures have to be transported between London and the Continent it has now. become the rule to consign them via, the airway. Perishable goods find their way constantly into aerial cargoes. '. Strange loads are sometimes carried. Au Imperial Airways cargo machine had its interior transformed, temporarily, into a lion's den. In this improvised cage a fully-grown lion, accompanied by it* trainer, Hew from Paris to London to take part in a circus. On another occasion a big Handley Page-Napier cargo-plane, had its hull fitted up as a horse-box in order lo transport a valuable animal from abroad.