SPEEDY SERVICE PLANES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19336, 28 May 1937, Page 5

SPEEDY SERVICE PLANES

MACHINES FROM AMERICA TWO REACH AUCKLAND TESTS' TO BE MADE (Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this (lav. Two of the three Lockheed Electra monoplanes ordered by Union Airways, Limited, for the service it is proposed to inaugurate shortly between Auckland and Wellington arrived from the United States to-day by ’the Limerick. The third machine is being brought to New Zealand by the Waiotapu, which is due from Pacific, coast ports on June 20. In view of their dimensions the two aeroplanes in the Limerick were carried as deck cargo. They were only partly dismantled beiore being placed in the ship and the large fuselages with the centre section of the wings were placed on the deck. The other equipment, which was removed from the machines before they left the United States, was carried in cases in. the Limerick’s hold.

The machines are to be lifted in slings from the deck and lowered oyer the side on to waiting barges, which will then be towed to the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Ilobsonville, Where the monoplanes will bo assembled. Test Pilot’s Visit Test flights will be made in each of the three machines by Mr. Moye W. Stephens, junior, a member of the staff of the Lockheed Corporation, who arrived in New Zealand from the United States a fortnight! ago. Mr. Stephens, accompanied by Mrs. Stephens and Mr. N. A. Adam, aviation officer of the firm of Brown and Dureau, Limited, of Melbourne, were flown from Wellington to Auckland yesterday by Mr. H. C. Walker, of the Vacuum Oil Company proprietary, Limited, in the Wellington Aero Club’s Waco biplane. The monoplanes will be tested from the Mangere aerodrome, where a new hangar has been erected for Union Airways. Instruction Intended At the conclusion of the tests Mr. Stephens will instruct pilots on the staff of Union Airways in the use of the machines, which are fitted with a complete range of modem equipment, including constant speed airscrews and retractible undercarriages. The monoplanes will then be put into the service betw'een Auckland and Wellington.

Faster by a considerable margin than any other aeroplane yet seen in New Zealand, including the PanAmerican Clipper and Miss Jean Batten’s monoplane, the Lockheeds arc all-metal craft, and are powered by two supercharged motors. They carry 10 passengers and two pilots, and cruise at 180 miles an hour, the maximum speed being 205 miles an hour.

The aerodromes which the Lockheeds are likely to use between Auckland and Wellington have been inspected recently by Mr. Stephens. After his flight to Auckland yesterday, lie expressed himself as well satisfied with the landing grounds and hangars Available along the route.