ATTACK ON AIR RECORDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19942, 29 October 1934, Page 9

ATTACK ON AIR RECORDS

FASTER FLYING IN D.H. COMET PLANS TO REACH LONDON IN FOUR DAYS United press Association—By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyright MELBOURNE, October 27. Ken Waller and Pilot O. CathcartJones, who secured fourth place in the air race in a D.H. Comet, left at 7.5 a.m. They are endeavouring to make records between Melbourne and London, and Darwin and London, The fliers intend to make a non-stop flight to Charleville and thence to Darwin, from which place they will depart at dawn to-morrow.

FLIGHT ACROSS AUSTRALIA HIGH SPEED MAINTAINED United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received October 28, 6.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, October 28. Ken Waller, in a D.H. Comet, averaged 228 miles an hour during the trip from Melbourne to Charleville yesterday. He said the engines were running perfectly. They felt the machine had not altogether done justice to itself on the run out, so they were making the round trip to prove the 'plane’s reliability and speed. Darwin was reached at 5.45 p.m. on Saturday. The fliers decided to stay overnight and set out early to-day if conditions are satisfactory. The fliers had unfavourable reports of conditions northward, and considered it senseless to go on. Purpose of Flight. The decision of Ken Waller and Cathcart Jones to make an immediate return to England was reached at midnight on Friday. They will not attempt to break C. W. A. Scott’s record, but hope to create a record from England to Australia and return. They also aim to prove that the Comet is not a freak aircraft, but capable of continued speed work. They were unable to arrange the expected return race.

ENGLISH FLIERS’ PLANS BIG JUMPS TO ENGLAND United Press Association —By Electrlo Tel egraph —Copyright (Received October 29, 1.15 a.m.) DARWIN. October 28. Ken Waller stated that he and Cathcart Jones intend to reach London in four days 17S hours from Melbourne. They are spending to-night at Singapore, to-morrow night at Allahabad, and Tuesday night at Baghdad. They are not flying at night. En route to Darwin the airmen passed through a dust storm, which they could not avoid even at a height of 10,000 ft.

COMET AT SINGAPORE FAST FLYING FROM DARWIN United Press Association— By Electric Tel egraph —Copyright (Received October 29, 12.45 a.m.) DARWIN, October 28. Ken Waller and Cathcart Jones departed at 7.21 a.m. and arrived at Singapore after ten hours’ flying from Darwin, averaging 210 miles an hour.