FLIGHT POSTPONED

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1935, Page 4

FLIGHT POSTPONED

IDENTITY OF “PILOT X”

DOUBLE CROSSING OF TASMAN.

DELAY OF OFFICIAL INQUIRIES.

VENTURE BY A JAVA. PLANTER. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 11.30 p.m. Sydney, Oct. 16. The mysterious “Pilot X” who was to have flown across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand yesterday is Mr. W. M. O’Hara, a rubber and coffee planter of Java. He was advised that he could not make the flight until the weather improved. He intends to start as soon as possible. The Sun newspaper to-day revealed the name of the pilot because, of the fact tnat the civil aviation authorities at Melbourne are causing a temporary hold-up by demanding specification drawings and the petrol tankage load for the proposed two-way flight. Mr. O’Hara came to -Australia last October and bought a Klemm Eagle monoplane. He possesses an advanced A pilot’s license and is flying to New Zealand for business reasons. Captain E. C. Johnson, controller of civil aviation at Melbourne, expects-the flight will have to be deferred a day or two to enable the petrol load to be checked.

Although not certain it is possible that the aviator will make New Plymouth his objective in New Zealand. O’Hara’s plane will be the first British Klemm Eagle that has arrived in the Dominion, although the machine is common enough in England and not uncommon in Australia. In appearance somewhat similar to the Percival Gull owned by Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, the Eagle is a three-seater low-wing calbin cantilever monoplane of wooden construction with retractable undercarriage. Its clean aerodynamic design came from Germany, but it has been made in Britain for several .years under license. Generally powered with a Gipsy Major engine of 130 horse-power, its top speed is better than 145 miles an hour. It cruises af 125 miles an hour and has a landing speed of 45 miles an hour. It can carry fuel for 650 miles but Mr. O’Hara’s plane would probably be fitted with two extra tanks occupying the space for the two passenger seats. There is an alternative model of Klemm Eagle with a 200 horse-powei Gipsy Six engine which cruises at 148 miles an hour carrying three people and sufficient fuel for 600 miles. Its top speed approaches 170 miles an hour but it lands almost as slowly as the lower-powered model.

An Eagle was used by Flight-Lieuten-ant G. Shaw in the Melbourne Centenary air race, and it was described at that time as the fastest of its class. Shaw misspH his direction over the Pyrenees and landed in Spain, withdrawing from the race.