CENTENARY RACE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20329, 12 June 1934, Page 5

CENTENARY RACE.

Details of New Zealand Machine.

LATEST TYPE DRAGON GIPSY. (Special to 'he* "tar.”) AUCKLAND, June 12. Additional details of tlie construction of the Do Havilland Dragon Gip«v twinsix biplane which Squadron-Loader J. D. Hevvett and Flying-Officer Cyril Kay, of Auckland, will fly for New Zealand in the Melbourne Centenary air race ha\*o been received in Auckland. These confirm the previous description that the machine represents the most improA’ed model of the type the English company lias yet produced. Known as the D.H.89, the aeroplane is a Rapide model, and maiden flight* of the new type liaA r e proA'ed entirely satisfactory, according to writers in the current issues of the aviation periodicals. It has an ,all-up Aveight of 50001 b, and carries 214911) of disposable load; fully loaded, the D. 11.59 will maintain height at 4000 feet Avith one motor stopped. The cabin behind the pilot’s compartment, which latter is situated in the nose of the. plane, is 13ft Sin long, sft high, and 4ft 2in in Avidth. The span of the plane is 48ft, the length 34ft 6in, and the height 9ft lOin. The wing area, including the body, accounts for 336 square feet. The undercarriage covers are streamlined.

The. performances have been attained by refinement i:i design and the adop-

tion of the form of highly-tapered Avings. As the Aving loading has been kept reasonably low, the Rapide model do.»s not land fast. As already mentioned, the take-off run is only 250 yards, and the one for landing 220 yards. According to the makers, the new type provides high speed transportation Avith a safety margin hitherto unavailable in any twin-engine passenger aircraft. Landing Places. Details are also available of the comDulsory stopping places for aeroplanes in

the handicap section. There are 22 of tnem ( on the route, and they are: .Marseilles, Rome, Athens, Aleppo, Bagdad, Bushire, Karachi, Jodhpur, Allahabad, Calcutta, Akyab, Rangoon, Bangkok, Alor Star, Singapore, Batavia, Ram bang, lvoepang, Darwin, Newcastle Waters, Cloncurry, Charleville and Narromine. These checking points are established at intervals of roughly 500 miles. For the speed section, as previously indicated, there are live stops: 4iagdad (2553 miles), Allahabad (2300 miles), Singapore (2210 miles), Darwin (2054 miles), Charleville (1389 miles). The total distance is 11,323 miles.

The Lockheed Altair machine to be used by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr. P. G. Taylor has a cruising speed of 200 miles an hour, and a top speed of 226. It possesses two-place dual control, low wing retractable landing gear, and is fitted with a ninecylinder Radial Wasp engine, which, at 2200 revolutions a minute, can dc\ T elop 550 horse power. “Smithy” has given his total completed flying time as 6125 hours, and that of Mr. Taylor as 2500 liogrs. Possessing a guaranteed speed of 200 miles an hour, a De Havilland Comet will be flown by Mr. and Mrs. J. Mollison, Britain. This is known as a “hush hush” plane, because particulars of its construction will not be disclosed until the Centenary Air Race Council announces iis official list of nominations. A Comet will also be flnown by a motor dri\*er named Mr. L. Miles, who works for North Sydney undertakers, and who claims more than 2000 flying hours.