EMPIRE FLYING BOATS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19125, 21 September 1936, Page 14

EMPIRE FLYING BOATS

SUCCESSFUL TESTS FLEET BEING- BUILT LONDON, Sept. 5. Acceptance trials by Imperial Airways of the Canopus, first of the now 2(H)-inilos-:in-liour Empire Hying boats, at Rochester either on Monday or Tuesday will bring a faster AngloA ust ra li:iii service a stage nearer. it is likely, however, that, a year will pass before the service can he established on a regular basis. If the Commonwealth Government wishes, one of tlie new planes may visit Australia in the next few months on a special demonstration flight. The constructor’s trials of the Canopus were so successful ihat it was not deemed necessary to modify the design of Inter machines. The hull of the Canopus is fitted with a double sound-absodbent. skin', and is equipped with furniture accommodating 24 passengers by day. There are Id sleeping berths. The second of the fleet, the Caledon in. will probably be ready for the air on the same day as the Canopus. It is expected that the machines, in addition to nearly halving the time of flight to Australia, will be able to fly in almost any weather conditions. with a range of nearly 1000 miles against a 40-mile wind. .Most of the first batch will he used on shorter journeys, and the results of observations made will he useful for their ultimate extension to the Australian service. FLEET OF 28 The Canopus goes on the Mediterranean section of till- route to Africa and the Fast immediately after her 1 rials'. The Caledonia is specially fitted with long-range tanks in preparation for the forthcoming trans-Atlantic service. One of her early trips will he a non-stop 2500 miles flight round the coastline of Britain. The third machine, the Cavalier, has been detailed for the New YorkUenmida, service, which, in conjunction with Pan-American Airways, is inaugurating experiments. The next machine, the Cumbria, will be placed on Hie Mediterranean section of the Empire route, and the one after that, the Castor, will possibly go to Ausi ralia. The results of the constructor’s trials have been kept secret. It is known that the expected cruising speed of 140 miles an hour was easily attained, despite high wing loading. The take-off was quick and easy even when the machine was fully laden. The maximum speed was between 190 and 20(1 miles an hour with full load. Production of a fleet of 28 is proceeding smoothly, one boat being launched every three or four weeks.