EVE OF AIR FORCE DISPLAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20763, 25 June 1937, Page 9

EVE OF AIR FORCE DISPLAY

BRITAIN’S SUPREMACY IN AVIATION UNEQUALLED PAGEANT PROMISED British Official Wireless ((Received June 24, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, June 23 The Royal Air Force display which the King and Queen will attend at Hendon on Saturday, will present an unequalled pageant of military aviation in a remarkable formation flight of 250 aircraft in a set piece, showing the attack on and defence of a port. The machines will also participate in individual and formation aerobatics. Interest will be aroused by the presence of the new type aircraft “park,” alongside the latest examples of military aircraft, of one civil aeroplane. This is the Albatross monoplane with four Gipsy twelve cylinder 500 horse power engines, which is designed to cruise at more than 200 miles an hour across the North Atlantic carrying at least 10001 b. of mail. The monoplane represents the land-plane aspect of Britain's comprehensive experiment in trans-ocean commercial flying. Weighing with a full load approximately 28,0001 b., the Albatross is notable for its novel construction. Its tapering cantilever wings have a stretched skin covering of laminated wool, and the spacious monocoque fuselage is large enough to accommodate 22 passengers in great comfort. The machine is built in a new material that may be described as a sandwich of extremely light balsa wood between layers of plywood. The engines are completely housed in streamlined cowls, and obtain cooling air through apertures in the leading edge of the main plane.