ATLANTIC MR SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1930, Page 9

ATLANTIC MR SERVICE

AIRSHIPS’ POSSIBILITIES DEFINITE FIGURES GIVEN SUGGESTION FOR FINANCE By Telegraph--Press Assn.—Copyright. ’ Ottawa, August 7. Sir Dennistoun Burney, designer of RlOO, addressing the Canadian Club at Toronto . to-day, estimated that it would cost 30,000,000 dollars to establish a fleet of airships for a twice-weekly service between Britain and Canada. He quoted tentative figures for the mail and passenger traffic available to show that the gross revenue would be about 20,000,000 dollars yearly and running expenses 5,000,000 dollars, or less. ' He suggested that the British and Canadian Governments might guarantee 75 per cent, of the initial cost, charging 3} per cent, interest on the investment, constituting a first charge on the ships. lie also suggested that if the two Governments guaranteed six tons of mail per week at the rate of 1000 dollars per ton for transportation there would be a necessary surcharge of only 8 to 10 cents on a letter, which would traverse the ocean in 48 hours instead of eight days. The world •was changing and the Empire to maintain its place must develop a rapid form of transportation. In an interview, Sir Dennistoun said that a multi-millionaire of New York had offered 100,000 dollars for a trip in RlOO from Montreal to New York. He told the bidder jhat the dirigible was at present a Government project and not operating commercially. THE RlOl TO FLY TO INDIA. DIESEL AND REVERSIBLE ENGINES. British Wireless. Rugby, August 7. While the airship RlOO is in Canada work is proceeding on the preparation of RlOl for her flight to India, which takes place next month. RlOl has Diesel oil engines and is the slower of the two ships, but she is being equipped W’ith two new / reversible engines out of her complement of five, and these it is hoped will improve her manoeuvring capacity and provide a cruising speed of GO miles an hour. As a meteorological investigation indicates the existence of an almost permanent north-west wind current in the Middle East RlOl is likely to follow a northern course after leaving Ismailia, while the return journey from Karachi as far as Egypt will follow a southerly route over the Indian Ocean. A new bay amidships is being added to RlOl and’ this is expected to increase the lift.