SMITHY HOME

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 326, 20 January 1932, Page 1

SMITHY HOME

FLYER’S NEW RECORD FOR JOURNEY. Lightened ’Plane at Koepang. WILL SHOW SMALL PROFIT ON MAIL FLIGHT. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received January 20, noon.) DARWIN, January 19. Air Commodore C. E. Kingsford Smith arrived at 1.46 p.m. yesterday, local time, bringing the return Australian mail in the Southern Star. By reaching Port Darwin twelve and a half days after leaving England Kingsford Smith has established a fresh record for the journey in a commercial machine. Kingsford Smith made a perfect landing in perfect weather. He said that Koepang was fearfully muddy and there was a lot of water. Thfe grass was very long and it needed 200 natives to pull the ’plane out of the mud before it could move. He was bitterly disappointed at having to turn back yesterday, but was not willing to land at Darwin in the dark. • He had lightened the ’plane and discarded everything not absolutely necessary. He had even shaved so as to have less weight and carried the minimum of petrol. While crossing the Timor Sea he had passed over the steamer Marella, which he saluted. He was glad to get back to Australia again, as were his crew. He received a message from the civil aviation authorities congratulating him on his safe transport of the mails both ways. The total weight of the mails he brought was 7131 b. He expects the trip to show a slight profit. When questioned about the rumours in Sydney that he would possibly be a candidate for the East Sydney Federal seat, Kingsford Smith replied that he had no indention of entering the political arena. He said he would attend Signor Mussolini’s conference of aces, if he happened to be in Rome in May. FINE CHRISTMAS BOX. LONDON, December 30. Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith, who said the other day that he had not received any Christmas presents, explained to-day that he had got one unexpected one. “ I met * Doc ’ Maidment, a pal of mine, who said he knew the very thing for the Southern Cross. He explained that when a storm overturned and smashed the ’plane of the American newspaper owner, Van Lear Black, at Calcutta, after he had flown 200.000 miles in three years, an insurance company shipped the three engines of the machine—they were not damaged—to the Stag Lane Aerodrome, London, where they have remained for two years. “Mr Black, who was a millionaire, did not bother about them. They were still unclaimed after he disappeared off a yacht on the New Jersey coast in September, 1930. “ I interviewed the insurance company just before Christmas, and not only secured the engines at a ridiculous bargain, but three fine propellers dirt cheap. I shall ship them to Australia and instal them in the Southern Cross, restoring her full power and maximum utility.” " Doc ” Maidment is the expert mechanic who went to Australia to overhaul the Southern Cross after her Pacific flight.