AIR TRANSPORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 156, 4 July 1934, Page 8

AIR TRANSPORT

PROGRESS IN BRITAIN. THE “COMBINE” COMPANY. LONDON. April 19. Announcement of a second order for aircraft for services operated within the British Isles by the new 4 ‘ combine” company, which associates Imperial Airways with the four big railway groups, makes a fresh step forward in the planning of Britain’s home airways. Thus a movement which was born scarcely two years ago, to-day gathers momentum at a rate which is expected to bring nearly 5000 miles of air routes into existence before the end of this year. And on the knowledge gained in the next few months of working those routes may be based the future organisation of routes which, within a very few years, will cover the whole of the country and rival in length the 20,000 miles of railroad. ■ The new order, like the first, goes to the de Havilland Company. It concerns a number of the new “Dragon Rapide” biplanes which derive power from two “Gipsy-Six” 184/205 h.p. six-cylinder air-cooled engines, and are designed to cruise, with eight passengers on board, at a speed of 115 miles an hour. This speed equals that attained by the ‘‘Diana” airliners, the world’s fastest four-engined commercial transport machines, a fleet of which was ordered by Imperial Airways only three weeks ago for their continual services and for operation by the rail-air combine in this country The “Dragon Rapide,” like the “IDiana,” is a logical development of the well-known “Dragon” craft. Its performance on the power of any one motor is impressive; with full load on board it can maintain level flight on either engine at heights up to 4000 ft., which implies an ample margin of safety for operation over the British Isles. The new machines will be employed on a route linking Plymouth, Bristol Cardiff. Birmingham, and Liverpool. Last year the sections of this route between Plymouth and Birmingham were operated experimentally by the Great Western Railway, which chartered air craft and personnel from Imperial Air ways for the purpose. The service showed a loss on the season’s working but knowledge accrued which v’ill be valuable this year. Till the “Dragon Rapides” are ready—the first machine of the type will probably make its trial flights within the next few days—the service will be run with standarc “Dragons,” one of which has already been delivered to the rail-air combine