"THE BRITANNIA."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 28, 7 June 1913, Page 5

"THE BRITANNIA."

NEW ZEALAND'S AEROPLANE. PRESENTED TO THE DOMINION. [By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] [United Press Association.] London, June 6. At the Imperial Air Fleet Committee's dinner, Lord Desborough presented the Hon. T. Mackenzie with the aeroplane "Britannia," eulogising New Zealand's enterprise in accepting the committee's gift. He hoped that it would he the forerunner of similar presentations to other oversea colonies, inaugurating an Empire air fleet.

Mr Mackenzie thanked the committee for the gift.

Sir Joseph Ward proposed the toast of "Commerce." He urged that Britain, Canada and Xew Zealand should arrange a twenty-one days' steam service) between Britain and New Zealand.

THE BLERIOT MONOPLANE. PRESENTED TO THE DOMINION. Some interesting observations on the development of aviation were made by the Hon. James Allen, Minister of Defence, in the course of an interview with a New Zealand Times representative. He remarked that the machine which had been presented to the Zealand Govrnment was a monoplane of the Bleriot type, with 80 horse-power Gnome engines—"one of tile best French engines." "I made many inquiries about the machine, because I realised that if we accepted the gift we would have some responsibility in the matter. I saw that if the machine came out here, we should need some qualified person to look after it. I brought out a good deal of information on the subject, which I have handed to General Godley. Just before I left, they had been trying the machine to see whether it was satisfactory, and Hamel, a very daring and skilful aviator, flew with it over the Channel to France." Asked whether the machine had yet been despatched, Mr, Allen replied, that it would probably be-ship-ped to the Dominion very , soon. It was a military machine, and needed competent handling. /Hie Government would not be justified-in allowing it to> be used for training purposes, and its proper utilisation might involve the appointment of an aviation expert, though that was rather a matter for decision by. the Commandant. One officer had been sent home to be attached to the Aviation School, but so far as Mr Allen knew he had not yet done much in this direction. In order successfully to work the machine, the aviator would need to understand the engines pro perly, as well as air-currents and the behaviour of the atmosphere. At Farnborough, to which place he paid a visit, the use of a good machine would not be allowed unless the aviator had first made an ascent in a balloon to test and observe air-currents. This Bleriot monoplane was not a machine that could be worked by a novice.

Mr Allen, while in England, took a keen interest in aviation generally, and paid a visit to Hendon. He there saw Grahame-Wliite make a skilful ascent, and this aviator remarked that it was as safe in the air as on the sea.