BOOM IN AVIATION

Southland Times, Issue 21194, 22 September 1930, Page 7

BOOM IN AVIATION

BRITISH AIRCRAFT A BUSY INDUSTRY ORDERS EROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, September 19. Orders for aircraft worth several hundreds of thousands of pounds have been received in Britain from abroad during the past few weeks. Britain ,is at the head of the list of countries exporting aeroplanes and air machines. The Japanese and the French Governments are among those which have bought for their navies allmetal flying boats made in England and equipped with English engines. In addition to large orders for- light aeroplanes, several fleets of monoplane passenger liners are being built in Britain for air routes abroad. One important Home order just being completed is that of eight forty-seater Handley Page air lines, which Imperial Airways is to use on the service to India. These giants, which have a 140 ft wing span, with slots as large as the main planes of Moth machines.- have each a speed of 120 miles per hour and accommodation which includes'.two lounges and a bar equipped with armchairs, and two huge holds for luggage and freight. AIRSHIP IMPROVEMENTS RlOl NOW WORLD’S BIGGEST AIR LINER. Rugby, September 18. Before very long the British airship RlOl will be able to sail the skies without taking any petrol with her. Hitherto she. has had to carry a certain amount of motor spirit for starting the mechanism of her heavy oil engines.. Recently, however, such satisfactory tests were made with the compression and the ignition of the starting engine with which she has/ been equipped that similar models will eventually be fitted to all five of her engines. This develop ment is of obvious importance in removing the danger of fire, especially during a flight in hot climate. The airship has also been fitted with two new engines in which the reversing problem has been surmounted. Hitherto one engine had to be reserved for taking the ship astern, and consequently a 600 h.p. forward drive was lost. This is no longer the case, and while in the future the vessel will be able to reverse if required, all her engines will at other times be available, and her speed will thereby be improved. The length of RlOl has been increased by 50ft. A new envelope has been fitted and a new bay installed, increasing her lift to 166 tons. She is now the world’s biggest airship. She is expected to undergo further trials next week prior to her departure to India in a month.