ALONG THE SKYWAYS

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19545, 6 April 1935, Page 22 (Supplement)

ALONG THE SKYWAYS

IDEAL MAIL-CARRIER. DE HAVILLAND COMET A GREAT DEMONSTRATION 8,882 MILES IN SIX DAYS. No'finer demonstration Of rapid mail carriage is recorded than the flight of the green Comet monoplane, piloted by Mr Kenneth Waller and Captain Franchomme, from Brussels to Leopoldville, Belgian Congo, and hack. And no flight has been more appreciated on the conlinent of Europe and more neglected in -Britain, the country which produced' the aeroplane and Its chief pilot. Truly, we are a strange people, writes a London correspondent-

The bald statistics of the flight to the heart of Africa and hack are astounding. Total distance covered, flyin-g only on three days in each direction, was 8,882 miles. Time spent in tlie air was Aii hours. Average flying speed was 1-99. G m.p.h. The flyers left Brussels on December 20, and returned to 'Brussels, after spending three days in Leopoldville, on December 2-8, bringing with them replies many of the letters which they had carried on the outward run.

•For this flight the Comet, which is the machine flown by Waller and Catilcart Jones to fourth place in the Eng-land-Australia races and from England to Melbourne and back in 13i days, was modified to carry about 500 pounds of mail. The rear tank in the fuselage, of 20 gallons capacity, was removed and the forward tank reduced in size. 'Cargo space thus provided amounted to I’2 cubic feet. Even with the reduced fuel supply, the Comet, which in racing guise has a still-air range of 5,100 miles, can still hold tiic air for more than 2000 miles nonstop. Before the flight began it was named “Reine Aslrid," in acknowledgment of the keen interest ’taken in the exploit by the King and Queen of the Belgians, and the name palinted in silver on the nose of the fuselage.

Clouds to 15,000 Feet. Waller and his companion, who is a well-known Belgian aviator, left Brussels on December 20 at 10.-18 a.m. Waller’s report of the flight begins with recording that visibility at the start was not good—approximately one mile only —and that the base of the clouds was not more than 700 to 800 feet up. They climbed immediately to 13,000 feet, in cloud all the time; at that level they had not reached the fop of the clouds, but decided to fly through flic “stuff” for a while. After ninety minutes they climbed to 1'5,000 feel, where they emerged from the clouds, above them only the lops of a few massive cumuli. The first landmark they sighted was a snow-capped peak in the Pyrenees; the first level ground in the neighbourhood of Barcelona. They crossed the Mediterranean from Alicante to Oran, Algeria: urged on by a favourable wind they Hew the lit) miles over the waler in 30 minutes. Four minutes less Ilian live hours after leaving Brusseli they landed at Oran, having Mown 1,118 miles at Ihe average speed of 227 m. p. Ii-

The next morning they ascended a! 7.30 on tin' second stage, a long iliglil of 1073 miles across the desert to Niamey. They followed the track

PROGRESS .IN AVIATION

(By “Pilot.")

riiarked out by the French regulations governing (lights over the desert. Waller reports that in places the track Is partly obliterated and difficult to follow. Much of this stage of the journey was done between 15 and 20 feet above the ground, with the crew maintaining a close watch on the guiding line. Even so, they lost the track more than once and were obliged to make detours Jo locate it. Flying In a Tornado. They landed at Niamey at 3.30 p.m. and left again at '3.20 the next morning. For the first 400' or 500 miles of the run the route lies over desert, which gradually merges into wooded; country. Near the margin of the desert they,ran into extremely bad weather —tornado, very low cloud and storms. Adverse winds at this stage reached ' sixty miles an hour. Not wishing to lose they way in such circumstances, , Waller and 'Franchomme decided to | make for the coast. They found clouds | down to about fifty feet from the j water and flew beneath them, frequently lower than the tops of palm-, trees on the shore, to 'Polnte Noire, a small emergency landing ground, which they reached at 11.30 a.m. The greatest length of the aerodrome Is only 400 yards and its surface is soft and sandy. The aviators itherefore took on only a small quantity of fuel and set off again for Leopoldville, 250 miles away. They landed at their destination at 2.'50 on 'December 23, and were given a wonderful welcome. The return journey began at 4 a.m. on December 2'G. Lightning was playing on every side when they took off. Incidentally, Waller’s report dispels any illusions about perfect Hying weather in ihe heart of Africa; he says that visibility there is seldom rn'ore than four miles, and that on mostnights it 'is possible to read print by sheet lightning. They followed for some time a course several degrees west of the true course to Niamey, with tlie idea of checking their position from lime to Lime on various prominent landmarks, but made Niamey, —1525 miles—nevertheless in 7 hours 40 minutes. At '6.40 a.m. on 'December 27 the “Reine' Astrid” ascended from Niamey. One intermediate landing was made that day, at 'Colonfb : Bechar,«3oo miles soutli of Oran, where the machine landed at 5.'5 p.m. On December 28 the aviators concluded a magnificent trip by covering ihe IJI-8 miles from Oran to Brussels at an average speed of 228 miles an hoiiy. That was their fastest stage.'

Real High-Speed Malls. The exploits of the green Comet are not yet ended. Waller and Catheart Jones are talking of an attack on Mrs Mollison’s record of 41 days for the (light from England to Cape Town. And a newspaper advertisement, now appearing daily, stales that the Comet is available l’or private charter (lights to anywhere in Ihe world, with Waller at the controls.

This last achievement emphasises and confirms I lie quality of (lie Comet, which must lie considered Ihe outstanding aeroplane of 11134. Never before lias such performance been allied with immense range and conformity lo Ihe ordinary airworthiness standards imposed on commercial aircraft. And it is notable that Ihe performance is gol from the moderate power provided by two Gipsy Six 225 li.p. engines. Resign as near aerodynamical pciTeclion as has vet been achieved ami Ihe use of rctraclilc undercarriage, conii‘:.i!iablc-jiileh airscrews and il.ips on Ihe rear edges of Ihe wings lo steepen gliding angle and increase

lift at the lower * end of the speed range, explain it. Already it is plain that the De Ilavilland designers have again led the way in creation of a type of flying machine. Already machines closely imitated from the Comet are taking shape on the drawing boards of foreign constructors. It is an ideal mail carrier, fast, robust, dependable, and not costly to operate.

FASTER ’PLANES. ROYAL AIR FORCE. THE LATEST MACHINES. FOREIGN CRAFT SURPASSED. Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary of State for Air, revealed in the House of Commons recently that the latest type of aeroplane to be supplied to the Royal Air Force attains in level flight a speed in excess of 230 miie-j an hour. This speed, reached with full military load on hoard, surpasses that of any fully-equipped foreign military aeroplane yet supplied to an air force, excluding experimental machines which are still milder trial. Sir Philip added that, apart from certain type's with a better performance already, flying but still in the development stage, the design of a new machine with markedly higher performance i-s well advanced, though It would not he in the public interest to disclose precise particulars at this stage. Basing an estimate on recent advances in aircraft and aero engine design, it is expected that a British warplane capable of maximum level speeds in the neighbourhood of 300 miles an hour will take the air before the end of 11)35- . I

The machine which the Undersecretary had in mind is the Gloster Gauntlet, a “day and night” singleseater fighter biplane powered with a Bristol Mercury engine supercharged to develop full rated power up to a height of 15,500 feet above sea level. Its maximum level speed, checked at Martlesham Heath experimental station by Royal Air Force pilots is 231 miles per hour, and it climbs to a 'height of 20,000 feet in 9 minutes 25 seconds. Performance has been improved since trial flights earlier this year by adopting a Townend resistance-reducing ring of better shape for the engine and by a little “cleaning up" of other components.

v Speed Most Desirable. Sufficient Gauntlets to equip a squadron of the Home Defence Force will be delivered within the next six weeks. Incidentally Sir Philip Sassoon made the legitimate point that certain fast foreign civil aircraft -would have their speeds 'substantially reduced if they were re-equipped as military machines with means of defence. Speed is a most desirable attribute of any aeroplane, military or civi+; but there is a danger that, some present enthusiasms may obscure oilier equally vital needs. Probably no fair comparison can be drawn between civil and military craft. Just,before the England- Australia races one of (lie Comets which eventually won the races was flying near Halfleld aerodrome when it came up with one of the new Handley Page Hey ford night bombers now going into service with llu: R.A.F. The Gomel, which is much the faster machine, and incidentally is aerodynamically a better flying machine lhan any American 'or air transport 'plane, began a mock "doglight" with Ihe big biplane bomber. The result was inlorcsling. No mallei' how the pilot, of the Gomel employed his superior speed he failed to find a vulnerable spol from which to a I Inc k Ihe lie,'Toni, In every evolution ihe fas'. ii'.iVliine was covered by one or more of the machine guns mounted in the bombor.

LOCAL JOTTINGS. ACTIVITIES AT TE RAPA. Although weather conditions have not been ideal for flying this week quite a fair amount of flying has been recorded while thei4 w r as a large number of visiting planes. Last Friday Squadron Leader L. M. Isilt flying soiu in a Government Moth called in on ills way hack to Hobsonville from Rotorua. On Saturday Mr. L. W. Swan, 'secretary of the Auckland Aero Club, flew from Mangere to Te Rapa In Z.K.-A.A.T. He had Mr O. Tristram as passenger and the pair returned the same day.

On Tuesday one of the De Ilavilland Dragon machines for tiie East cuusi passenger service passed over Hamilton on its way to Gisborne. It did not land. Mr. E. F. Harvie who was a passenger in the plane stated that -he had an extremely comfortable trip and expressed the opinion that the machine should prove most suitable. On Wednesday Squadron Leader Isitt in a 'Government Moth and Mr A. Breckon in Z.K.-A.D.G. called at Te Rapa on the way from Auckland to Hastings. Mr. Breckon came back i;gain on Thursday and brought -Mr. E. F. Harvie back as passenger.

Two more lpcai pilots have gained their “ A ” license endorsements permitting them to carry passengers. 'Mr. R. Kemp successfully passed his lest last Friday while the Aviation scholarship winner, Mr W. Horton flew Z.K.A.GjG. solo to Auckland and return on Saturday and passed his test later in the afternoon. Both have senl their licenses down to the Director of Air Services, Wellington for endorsement and cannot carry passengers until tiic licenses arc returned. There was a good muster of pilots on Hie ’drome on Sunday and all had a flight. There were more visitors than usual and besides conducting instruction FlightLieutenant W- 11. Lett took up several passengers.