LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHTS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 1872, 13 February 1920, Page 7

LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHTS.

JOURNEY- TO AUSTRALIA. ADVENTURES IN AFRICA. By Cable. — Press Association. — CopyripM. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON. Feb. 10. The secrecy concerning the Cairo to Cape Town flight continues. The competing firms absolutely decline to give any information until Egypt is reached. According to official information, the Australian, Lieutenant Cotton, is still at Le Bourget (in Savoy, close to the Italian frontier), but varying reports are abroad. The Australian Press Association learns from unofficial but reliable sources that his machine did not touch Le Bourget, but made a magnificent 10 hours' flight from Lympne (Kent), and landed in the dark near Brindisi. The longest flight from England yet accomplished is the performance of the South African machine, the "Silver Queen," of 14 hours. After flying all night long in adverse weather, she landed at Solium (on the western frontier of Egypt, on the Mediterranean coast) on Sunday, and proceeded to Cairo, a distance of 300 miles, on Monday. No news of the Handley-Page machine has been received since she left Brindisi. Captain Cockerell's Vickers-Vimy machine is still undergoing repairs at Khartoum. It is understood that the Blackburn Company contemplates entering for the race, and is conferring with Australian airmen. Negotiations are proceeding for securing an engine for the Blackburn "Kangaroo "machine, which was attempting the flight to Australia, and which has been lying at Suda Bay (Crete) for some weeks with one engine disabled. When the new engine has been mounted in the machine, the question of whether the "Kangaroo" will be diverted to the Cairo-Cape flujht instead of using a new machine will be considered. Captain Wilkins will not participate in the further stages of the "Kangaroo's" flight, but may return to Australia, or engage in a few months' study in preparation for Dr Cope's Antarctic Expedition. Lieut. Williams is en route to Australia, but Lieuts. Bendle and Potts and another mechanic are determined to carry on in the "Kangaroo," preferably to Australia, rather than to the Cape. Litigation is pending in reference to the recovery of tbe insurance on the damaged engine. [On January .11, "The Times" secretly dispatched a Viekcrs-Vimy 'plane in charge of Captain Cockcrell, to fly ffom London to the ("ape, with the object of opening up the trade route, in the same maimer as Captain Ross Smith pioneered the route to Australia. "The Times" also commissioned Professor Chalmers Mitchell, of the Royal Zoological Society, to act as their special correspondent and to join the Vimy at Cairo. CAPE TO CAIRO VENTURE.

"SILVER QUEEN" WRECKED. (A. & N.Z.) CAIRO, Fob. 11. The "Silver Queen" machine crashed near Wadi Haifa owing to the evaporation of the water in the radiator. The machine was wrecked. The aviators are safe. [Colonel van Reyneveld and Lieutenant Brand, two South African aviators, were on board the "Silver Queen."] AIRPLANE FOR ANTARCTIC. (A. A N.Z.) LONDON, Feb. 10. The airplane for Dr Cope's Antarctic Expedition is nearing completion. Its trials will be made in Iceland instead of in Norway. ROSS SMITH MAKES PROGRESS. nniSBANF., Feb. 12. Sir Ross Smith, having completed repairs to his machine, flew from Charleville to Bourke, en route to the South. He is expected at Sydney on Saturday. NEW AMERICAN. AIRSHIP. (A. & N.Z.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 11. The Director of Naval Aviation, Admiral Grave, has asked Congress to appropriate $2,500,000 to enable the Navy Department to build a dirigible airship 694 ft long, with an approximate gas volume of 2,700,000 cubic feet. The machine will cost SBOO,OOO annually for maintenance.