NOT VISITING WANGANUI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 56, 8 March 1946, Page 4

NOT VISITING WANGANUI

METEOR ON DOMINION TOUR INSUFFICIENT LANDING LENGTH Becau e Wanganui’s airfield is considered to lack length enough to lard the prototype of the record-breaking Gloster Meteor jet-propelled aircraft at present in New Zealand on loan to the k.N.Z.A.F., most Wanganui residents will be deprived of the opportunity of a close-up view of the famed monoplane. The aircraft, which was assembled and stationed in Ardmore, will shortly commence a New Zealand tour, and Air Force officials are, it is believed, now in the process of working out the itinerary for the Meteor. Among the plane’s character!: tics are a short-run take-off and a comparatively high landing speed, requiring longer than average landing runways. From advice received in Wanganui it appears that the local aerodrome is unsuitable for the purpose and therefore this city wilJ be by-passed, so far as the plane landing is concerned. The Dominion tour of the Meteor will require a good deal more plane ning and organisation than for any other plane tour yet undertaken in New Zealand. For one thing, there is the difficulty in obtaining suitable landing fields. The flight duration of a jet-pro-pelled aircraft i$ considerably shorten than for any propeller-driven ail' craft to make a similar tour, and this means more frequent refuellings. Th« Meteor requires servicing by special ists and with special fuel. The ground

staff and fuel have to be forwarded to the airfields to be used some time prior to the Meteor’s visit. These are only some of the difficulties in the way of arranging and successfully carrying out the tour, qnd the people of New Zealand can count themselves fortunate in* being given the opportunity to see the Meteor, even if only in flight and no. at close range on the ground. When and where in New Zealand the Meteor will tour has not yet been announced, but indications are that it will be in the near future, possibly starling within 10 days. Should the Meteor’s itinerary include landing at Ohakea, it will be onen. for exhibition there, in all probability, and if that i: so the more fortunate of Wanganui’s residents will be able to visit the station. Whether or not Ihe aircraft will fly over Wanganui has yet to be announced, but if this city is by-passed there will be many disappointed aeroplane enthusiasts here.