AT MELBOURNE

Southland Times, Issue 22464, 29 October 1934, Page 5

AT MELBOURNE

N.Z. AIRMEN McGREGOR AND WALKER CHANCE IN HANDICAP EXCELLENT TIME MADE (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) Charleville, October 28. Squadron Leader M. McGregor and Mr H. C. Walker arrived at 3.28 p.m. and departed at 4.9 pm. They landed at Narromine at 9 p.m. on Saturday night and are staying the night. McGregor and Walker, during the time they were believed to be missing were actually spending the night at Brunette Downs with which there is no radio communication. "Where are Hewett and Kay,” asked McGregor when he landed at Cloncurry, adding "We must not allow them to beat us.” He said they stayed at Brunette Downs to avoid the possibility of being lost in dust storms which were raging during the night. “This is the hardest section of the flight. The engine cowling gave trouble, but after making an oil screen from a kerosene tin to prevent the oil clouding the drift indicator, we were able

to get away.” Explaining the delay between Darwin and here, McGregor said: "The weather was clear when we left Darwin but we ran into bad dust storms just before reaching Newcastle Waters. It was not bad enough to detain us there so we took off for Cloncurry. As we proceeded, flying conditions gradually became worse and at times it was impossible to see more than a few yards ahead. We had passed Brunette Downs when visibility became so bad that it was impossible to proceed further, consequently we returned and landed at the station. The country between Darwin and Charleville is difficult for flying at any time and with bad weather conditions ahead we would have run a serious risk of crashing if we had tried to proceed. Consequently, we spent the night at Brunette ”

The modesty of the New Zealanders created an impression here. McGregor, when told by the Mayor that he was a hero replied, “Oh, no, there’s nothing at all like that about it, I am just an ordinary sort of chap who happens to earn his living by flying.” The New Zealanders are sunburnt because the plane offers no shelter. The pilots sit in open cockpits, whereas the other machines are completely closed in. The Miles-Hawk looks quite sturdy, yet is almost a cheeky little craft when mentally compared with some of the larger and more powerful planes. McGregor’s time from England, to Darwin, five days, fifteen hours, eight minutes, constitutes a record for a single-engined machine. The previous record, held by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, was seven days, four hours, fifty minutes. McGregor’s actual flying time from Mildenhall to Darwin is calculated at 81 hours, 46 minutes and he has an excellent chance of winning the handicap race which, however, was reduced considerably by last night’s delay owing to dust storms and a forced landing. MELBOURNE REACHED SMALL CROWD PRESENT. WELCOMED BY NEW ZEALANDERS. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 11.10 p.m.) Melbourne, October 28. Squadron-Leader McGregor and Mr J. H. Walker arrived at 7.55 a.m. There were only a few people at the Lavcrton aerodrome to welcome McGregor and Walker. The time on the journey was 7 days 14 hours 58 minutes. The welcomers included Messrs W. G. Black, president of the Manawatu Aero Club, R. M. Firth, New Zealand Government representative, Colonel Helier Evans, president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, A. E. Fraser, L. L. Beeson, representing the New Zealand Association in Melbourne, D. G. Sullivan.

Mayor of Christchurch, the Rev. E Cox, Mayor of Dunedin, Lieut. Buckley, New Zealand Air Force, N. C. Chandler, instructor of the Marlborough Aero Club, J. G. Armstrong, a New Zealand pilot. When the tiny machine was wheeled into the hangar, the spectators laughed as it was accommodated under one wing of Parmentier’s machine. “Just a trip,” was McGregor’s comment. “The weather was bad after Darwin and we lost a lot of time try-

ing to follow the tracks people advised us to watch for. These usually petered out at a waterhole.”

Walker added: The cowling worried the life out of us. Every time it stopped we had to repair it instead of resting.

Both pilots are well, but burned by exposure to the wind and sun. The machine is the only one in the race with an open cockpit. Though the handicap points are not calculated for more than a week yet, McGregor on account of the smallness of his machine is expected to be high on the list.

No. 2—M. C. McGregor Is one of the bestknown pilots in New Zealand. During the war he served with the famous 85 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, which was commanded by Major W. A. Bishop, perhaps the most noted of the British war pilots. He does not talk of his experiences, and many Nevz Zealanders realized the fame ot his squadron for the first time when they read “War Birds," which was written by an American member of the squadron. After the war he flew only during annual refresher courses at Wigram Aerodrome, until 1928, when the first Moths came to New Zealand. For a while he was chief pilot to Hamilton Airways, and later did a good deal of joy-riding throughout the country, and carried several of the experimental air mails. For some time he operated a regular service between Christchurch and Dunedin with the Air Force DHSO machine, and was pilot for the “Chocolate plane. After more joy-riding with an Avro, he was appointed instructor to the Manawatu Aero Club, and during the club’s first pageant took one risk too many and crashed. He was so seriously injured that he had to spend nearly a year in hospital, but he has now been flying again for about a year. He is one of two or three finest aerobatic pilots In New Zealand. His co-pilot, H. C. Walker, is captain of the Manawatu Club. The Miles Hawk Major which they are flving is one of the newest British light aeroplanes. It is very well streamlined, ana has a top speed of 150 miles an hour. It is a low wing monoplane. SQUADRON-LEADER STODART RIGHT HAND INJURED. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) Darwin, October 28. Squadron-Leader Stodart severely injured his right hand only a few minutes after his arrival. He was swinging the propeller to taxi to the refuelling depot when the engine kicked back on the compression and a blade struck a hand, inflicting a wound which bled profusely. Sergeant Stodart piloted the machine when it departed. The Squadron-Leader, who was bom m Victoria, left Australia before the war and this is the first time he has revisited the country. He said that when crossing the Timor Sea they passed through the worst thunderstorm in his experience. They ascended to 13,000 feet, out could not rise above it. They were thrown about like a peanut shell in the wind. The rain was torrential. AID TO DUTCHMEN SOUVENIR FOR ALBURY. (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) Amsterdam, October 27. In appreciation of the help given the Dutch pilots at Albury, a committee has been formed to collect subscriptions to provide a lasting souvenir to be given to the town. FILMS OF RACE SHOWN IN LONDON. (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) London, October 27. The first wireless films of the air race were shown in a hundred cinemas on Friday. The flyers were greeted with immense applause. The 160 pictures cabled cost £39 apiece. PLANE DESTROYED OCCUPANTS LEAP CLEAR. (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) Allahabad, October 26 The Panderjager plane, while taking off after repairs, was taxi-ing to the edge of the aerodrome at dusk when it collided with a motor carrying the beacon light and was immediately set on fire. Geysendorffer and Asjes leap, out uninjured, but the Pander plane was destroyed. AMERICANS’ COMPLAINT BADLY TREATED BY PERSIANS. (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) Karachi, October 26. No. 33 (J. H. Wright and John Rolando) claim that they were badly treated by the Persians. They were given only a sandwich and nothing to drink. They are complaining to the American Consul demanding that Persia refund expenses incurred in the race as they had been baulked of their chances of winning the handicap section. FLIGHT ABANDONED WRIGHT AND POLANDO. (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) Karachi, October 26. John H. Wright has abandoned the flight. He says an air lock in the petrol feed caused a forced landing at Mohammerah and as the runway for a take-off is too small, Rolando, with his kit, started to walk to Abadan seven miles away. The Persian police arrested both, declaring that they were only permitted to land at Bushire or Jask and if forced to make a landin o elsewhere they must take the consequences. The airmen complained but an armed military sentry was posted over them. NEW ZEALAND VICTIMS FUNERAL OF GILMAN AND BAINES. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Naples, October 26. The Consul-General (Mr . H. A. Fisher), representing the British Government; Colonel Hetherington, representing the Air Ministry and the Aero Club; and the entire British colony attended the funeral of Gilman and Baines at the Anglican Church at The church was decorated with Italian and British colours, and masses of flowers covered the coffins, which were carried by Italian Air Force officers, who formed a guard of _honour during the service. Miss Edith Wilson, Gilman’s fiancee, placed her engagement ring on the coffin and knelt beside it grief-stricken. _ After the service Fascist militia carried the coffins to the Anglican cemetery, where they were interred. WALLER AND JONES ATTEMPT TO BREAK RECORD. MELBOURNE TO LONDON. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) Melbourne, October 27. Waller and Jones left at 7.5 a.m. They are endeavouring to make records between Melbourne and London and Darwin, to London. They intend to make a non-stop flight to Charleville and thence to Darwin, from which place they depart at dawn to-mor-row. A message from Charleville states that Waller averaged 228 miles an hour during the trip from Melbourne. He said the engines were running perfectly and they felt the machine had not altogether done justice to itself on

the run out, so they were making the round trip to prove its reliability and speed.

AT DARWIN.

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) Darwin, October 28. Waller arrived at 5.45 p.m. on Saturday and decided to stay here overnight and set out early to-day if conditions were satisfactory. He said that there were unfavourable reports of conditions northward and considered it senseless to go on. ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE AVERAGE OF 210 MILES AN HOUR. (United Press Assn—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 12.45 a.m.) Singapore, October 28. Waller arrived at 3 p.m., 10 hours from Darwin, averaging 210 miles an hour. Waller stated that he and Jones intend to reach London .in 4 days 171 hours from Melbourne. They are spending to-night at Singapore, tomorrow night at Allahabad and Tugsday night at Baghdad. They are not dying at night. En route to Darwin they passed through a dust storm which they could not avoid, even at 10,000 feet. A SUDDEN DECISION. (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) Melbourne, October 28. Waller and Jones’s decision for an immediate return to Eng’and was reached at midnight on Friday. .They will not attempt to break Scott’s record, but hope to create a record for England to Australia and return. They also aim to prove that the Comet is not a freak aircraft, but is capable of continued speed work. They are unable to arrange the expected return race. THE COMET RACER TESTS BEFORE THE START. NOT "A RACING FREAK.” As all the world now knows the speed race was won by a de Havilland Comet. The following letter, dated London, September 18, shows how the Comet came through its trials, arousing expectations that were splendidly fulfilled:— , , Flying trials of the de Havilland Comet racing aeroplane, on which rest Britain’s chief hopes of victory in the “speed” race from England to Melbourne next month, have shown that the designers’ expectations will be realized. The craft easily attains its guaranteed maximum speed of 200 miles an hour and at the same time should be able to carry enough fuel to make the longest stage of the race--2530 miles from Mildenhall, Suffolk, to Baghdad—non-stop. Whatever be the fate of the three Comet machines in the race, that is an outstanding technical achievement, because the Comet conforms to the strength and take-ofl requirements demanded of an ordinary commercial aeroplane. It is not a racing freak. . Work is proceeding day and night on the machines, to ensure that they are ready in every detail well before the start of the race at 6.30 a.m. on October 20. The de Havilland technicians, whose chief thought in every waking hour all this year has been the progress of Comet design and construction, are leaving nothing to chance. All of the resources of the firm are engaged. When they ascend from Mildenhall, the three machines will be as nearly perfect as the aeronautical engineer, in the light of existing knowledge, can devise. A "Motor Boat” Skin. Experts in aircraft construction are perhaps chiefly interested, among the many novel details of the Comet design, in the "stressed skin” covering of the wings. The cantilever plane is the thinnest yet built, measuring only eleven inches at its greatest depth, and offers, therefore, the least possible parasitic resistance to movement through the air; its abnormal thinness is feasible because all shear stresses are transmitted to the covering, which is built up exactly like the skin of a racing motor boat, Ovei’ the greater part of the length of each wing the skin consists in a double diagonal layer of spruce which is reinforced _by a third, and even a fourth, lamination towards the centre section. _At its greatest depth the skin is nine-six-teenths of an inch thick, diminishing to about one-eighth of an inch at the wing-tips. The result is a wing system which is enormously strong without the employment of massive spars or internal bracing. _ . « . The total laden weight of the Comet is 5250 pounds, which includes the weight of two pilots and of 258 gallons of fuel. Its wing area is 212.5 square feet, and the wing-loading is, therefore, 24.7 pounds per square foot, decreasing after 90 per cent, of the fuel carried is consumed to 16.1 pounds per . square foot. The maximum loading is high, but far below the figure reached in the British 1931 Schneider Trophy seaplanes—4l.3 pounds per. square foot. Airscrews of adjustable pitch assist the take-off of the Comet and also make for maximum airscrew efficiency in level flight. The special Gipsy-Six racing engines develop on the bench a maximum output of 224 h.p., running at a speed of 2400 revolutions a minute. In flight, performance is improved by the effects of the high forward speed on intake of air to the carburettors. At a height of 10,000 feet above sea-level the fullthrottle output of engine is maintained at 160 h.p., obtained on the extremely low fuel consumption of 11 gallons an hour.