BUILT FOR SPEED

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1934, Page 6

BUILT FOR SPEED

METAL MOTH AEROPLANE. UNUSUAL AIRPORT VISITOR. A speedy visitor to New Plymouth airport yesterday was a privately-owned metal Moth aeroplane specially constructed on order by the de Havilland company in England for, the 1932 King’s Cup air race. The machine, piloted by Mr. E. Liverton of the Wellington Aero Club, who had with him Mr. R. Jenkin of the Wairarapa club as passenger, is en route from Wellington to Auckland and had made a fast trip to New Plymouth from the southern capital, arriving at about 5 o’clock. The airmen decided to stay the night at New Plymouth. With scarlet fuselage and silver wings the plane is of unusual and attractive design, every feature of the design* being rigidly stream-lined, even to exhaust and intake. It is powered by a Gypsy 11. 120 h.p. engine. The owner is LieutenantCommander Home Kidson, of H.M.S. Diomede, well known in the Dominion for his interest in fast moving machines of all kinds. In addition to his speedy plane he owns one of the fastest motorcars' and one of the fastest speed-boats in New Zealand. The plane, which arrived at New Plymouth yesterday, competed in the 1932 King's Cup race and later won the Tour de France. Mr. Liverton remarked that the machine was delightfully easy to handle in the air and possessed a really remarkable turn of speed for its power. On one occasion it made the AucklandWellington trip in three hours. Messrs. Liverton and Jenkin will leave early this morning for Auckland.