ASSAULT ON RECORDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 837, 4 December 1929, Page 9

ASSAULT ON RECORDS

BRITAIN OUT TO SMASH THREE IN AIR, ON LAND AND SEA British Official Wireless Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Tuesday. The Royal Air Force long-distauce airplane, which in the spring flew nonstop to India, and which has since its return undergone slight alterations at the Northolt Airdrome, today flew to the Cranwell Airdrome, Lincolnshire, which has a specially long take-off, to await a favourable opportunity to start on another attempt to make a long-distance flight record. Squadron-Leader Jones-Williams and Flight-Lieutenant Jenkins, who took the machine on its Indian flight, will attempt to fly over Africa non-stop to the Cape, a distance of about 6,000 miles. , The start will be made in about a fortnight. Britain is also to assault the present speed records on laud and sea. 120 M.P.H. MOTOR-BOAT A motor-boat designed to have a speed of 120 miles an hour is under construction at Cowes, Isle of Wight. It will be used in the British attempt on the water speed record and the International Motor Board trophy on the Detroit River, America, next year. Permission has been obtained from the Air Ministry to use two RollsRoyce engines, similar to those used in the seaplane which won the Schneider Trophy for Britain this year, and which are still on the secret list. The craft will be called Miss England 11. She is being built on behalf of Sir Charles Wakefield, and is being designed by Mr. Fred, Cooper, in collaboration with Sir Henry Segrave, who will be her pilot. The boat will be 381 t long, with a 9ft beam. Her engines will develop 3,000 h.p. MOTOR SPEED RECORD Motor racing experts are to make a careful inspection of Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, to consider the possibility of adapting them to motor record-breaking conditions. Although the sands extend for seven miles, and are in certain conditions of wind and tide suitable for high speed car racing, there is a stream at one end of the run which is considered a dangerous obstacle. The problem is whether this obstruction can he overcome to give a long enough course. The inspection is being undertaken mainly at the instance of the Sunbeam Motor Company. which has constructed the 4,000 h.p. “Silver Bullet” car, in which Mr. Kave Don hopes to improve ou the world record of 231 miles an hour established by Sir Henry Segrave in his 1,000 h.p. lrving-Napier car, the “Golden Arrow.” at Daytoua, America. Captain Malcolm Campbell also has ambitions to establish a fresh record, with the 1,300 h.p. “Blue Bird," designed by himself, and will use Pendine Sands if they can be made suitable.