FOR THE CAPE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 118, 21 May 1932, Page 12

FOR THE CAPE

NEW AIR SERVICE SPECIAL ’PLANES BUILT. Eight fast new monoplanes haw been ordered by Imperial Airways io. the London to Cape air mail service When they are ready, at the end oj this year, they will reduce tho journej from England to nine days, and Ini perial Airways declare that they wib bo the last word in civilisation; anu tho fastest air liners on any British route, says the Cape Times. There are strong rumours in South Africa that Junkers are preparing to tender foi the Union air mail contract, at present held by Union Airways, when it ex pires in August. Work has just begun on the com plete new fleet of eight monoplanes for the London to South Africa route. The new ’planes, of which construction has begun recently, will carry seven to nine passengers and will cost, in all £150,000. Such extraordinary pains have been taken to secure comfort that it is hoped that there will be enough space actually to allow passengers to lounge in deck chairs with footrests. These ’planes should afford a convincing reply to the criticisms con cerning tho slowness of the present mail service and the use to which th' Union’s air mail subsidy is put. The machines will be named Atalanta Amalthea, Andromeda, Arethusa, AH emis, Athena, Astraea, and Aurora. They arc being built by ArmstrongSiddeley and are of revolutionary design.

After passing Uganda, most aerodromes on the Cape route are 4000 or 5000 feet high, making it extremely difficult for a ’piano to take off with a full load. The new machines will therefore each have four moderately super-charged engines and a special high-lift wing giving the best perform ance at 16,000 feet.

They will be the fastest air liners on any British route, with a cruising speed of approximately 120 miles an hour with a miximum of 150 miles nn hour. Instead of as at present running flying boats down tho Nile and then by land machines onward, the Cape mail, when the new ’planes are running, will be carried right from Cairo by land machines.

Imperial Airways claim that these will be the most comfortable air liners in tho world. Exhaustive tests aro be ing made with the best type of seat ing and will probably result in canvas being adopted as it is changeable at each halL

Imperial Airways explain that tho ’piano which recently arrived at Capo Town was not trying to adhere to the mail schedule, but was merely going to tho Cape in readiness for the begin ning of the service and, as an after thought, carried, the Christmas mail from Cairo.

To criticisms of the air mail’s speed the company’s reply is:— “Because Campbell does unheard-of speeds at Daytona, do you ask tho London General Omnibus Company to do the same down the Strand? Could you ask Miss Peggy Salaman to get to tho Capo weekly, year in and year out. with a dozen lives in her charge, in the same time as she did on the record flight? “We anticipate delays and criticism when the Cape mail begins. For the first few months, in any case, the Cape mail ’planes will carry only freight and no passengers, in accordance with tho custom on new routes.’ There has been talk recently of the Air Ministry developing a special highspeed mail-carrier for the Cape service with the subsidy it receives for civil aviation. Specifications have been prepared for a real greyhound christened Vellore TV., but this has boon cancelled owing to the present economy wave. “You need have no doubt that our company will do what it says it. will do,” remarked Cantain Rov Walker manager of the southern section of the Imperial Airways African route, addressing members of the Johannesburg Rotary Club. “Wo have been severely criticised It- has been said that we arc taking too long on our journey, but I put it to you that, it is better to start with some thing of which we are reasonably cor tain and then cut down afterwards than to start with a high-speed service and have subsequent failure.”