NEW AERODROME

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 20932, 11 January 1938, Page 9

NEW AERODROME

•WIGRAM OF THE NORTH” By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, January 10. The plans of the Roya. New Zealand Air Force for a new station at Ohakea, on the Sanson-Bulls highway, have been set in motion by the calling of tenders for the construction of hangars. The Wigram of the North Island will be situated near the bridge over the Rangitikei River, which is crossed by the road between Sanson and Bulls. The township of Ohakea, in Manawatu County, is 24 miles by road from Feilding and about two miles east of the Levin-Wanganui main highway. Two hangars of similar construction are shown in the plans for the whole station, though space is provided for more if required and the successful tenderer will have 15 months in which to complete the work. They will be 220 feet in length and 190 feet in depth, built in ferro-concrete. A notable feature will be 10 concrete arched ribs which will replace the steel roof hitherto seen in this type of building. The sliding doors will be in contrast to the verandah type at Wigram. The height of the doors will be 25 feet. At the sides and rear of the hangars will be complete accommodation in the way of offices, workshops and facilities for aeroplane crews. Comprehensive plans have prepared for the new station, though it is understood they have yet to be finally approved. They include a lay-out of modern barracks with numerous residences for officers, non-commissioned officers and men, and a main building with a large gymnasium, numbers of workshops, designing and photographic rooms, depot for petrol waggons and so on. It is not known how long the complete development of the station will take or how soon the construction work, apart from the hangars, will begin.