Aviation

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 227, 13 September 1930, Page 12

Aviation

News and Notes

(By

“Wing Tips.”

A Nation’s Civil Aviation Is a Measure of its Commercial Efficiency. The Empire is Handicapped by Air Ignorance—Help Us Conquer It I

SUPER-AIRSHIPS PLANNED FOR A REGULAR TRANS-ATLANTIC SERVICE Regular transport by air of passengers, mails, express and freight across the Atlantic Ocean was brought a long step nearer by the recent signing of an agreement in America. This agreement was arranged between Dr. Hugo Eokener, master of the Graf Zeppelin; a high executive of one of New York’s important banking institutions and other American business leaders representing large interests in air transport, aeroplane manufacturing companies and allied industries. In tho last eleven years, the North Atlantic has been crossed by aircraft 24 times. Four of these crossings took place recently—being Kingsford Smith, East to West; RlOO, East to West to Canada and the return trip, West to East; and the last great non-stop effort of the intrepid Frenchmen Costes and his companions from France to New’ York about a week ago —ten times by airship and 14 times by aeroplane. In speed the aeroplane has shown itself to be almost twice as fast as the dirigible in ocean crossing, but far less safe and with none of the carrying capacity of the airship. Comparison of the performances of tho two types of aircraft over the Atlantic is interesting. Both Colonel Lindbergh and Clarence Chamberlin averaged better than 100 miles an hour with their engines

trottled. The Grad Zeppelin on her maiden voyage ilew 6,000 miles at a little n ore than 50 miles an hour, and on her return voyage, aided by favouring: winds, her speed was close to 70 miles an hour. However, tho airships all carried the equivalent of pay loads, while the ’planes took off with fuel and pilots alone. And, beginning with Hawker, ’plane after ’plane has come down in the ocean, whereas, with the single exception of the Italia, no airship expedition has set out over water for a distant objective that has not come through. SCHEDULE SERVICE It is proposed to establish £i scheduled trans-Atlantic service between Europe and the United States, with aeroplane feeder lines on both sides of the ocean. Later it is proposed to extend the service to South Amo.ican ports. “Much remains to be accomplished before the first ship sets sail,” Dr. Eckener said in an interview in which he touched on all phases of the service. “Wo must make further studies but these, wo are confident, will be completed before tho end of 1930.

In passing, the recent voyage of the RlOO to Canada and back to England proved to the British also, that the vessel was still experimental and the outstanding experience proved that larger, stronger and faster airships must yet be built.

In this service the airports must be selected. In Europe it has been practically settled that Seville in Spain, will be the jumping-off point, because, I suppose, of its geographical position. In America, the meteorological data collected has convinced the service that the best conditions will be found to the south of New York, no further north than Baltimore, Maryland, and perhaps well to the south of that city. v. STEAMSHIP The question of speed is paramount A comparison of the best record made by the Zeppelin with the best steamship record is interesting. The Graf on its second trip crossed in 93 and a fraction hours and returned in a little more than 55 hours, the latter being the fastest time for the trip. The s.s. Europa recently crossed in four days, 17 hours, and 6 minutes—or a little more than 113 hours. With airship* which, Eckener’s engineers tell him, can be built to make a speed of close to 100 miles an hour, there is no reason in the Dr.’s opinion, why a trans-Atlantic schedule calling for two or at the most three days’ sailing over the ocean could not be maintained. “Tho Graf Zeppelin is an experimental airship and is neither largo enough nor fast enough for such a service,” says Dr. Eckener. “Wo should have ships twice the size of our present one and able to maintain a cruising speed of 80 or 90 miles an hour. Wo would start our trips from Seville, where our passengers and mails, coming perhaps by ’plane from all parts of Europe, would be put aboard. “The American airport, must bo south of the line of weather influence, which has its centre over the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Valley, and so it would not bo advisable for them to consider New York. Baltimore in some respects would be ideal. Tho weather there is generally bettor than further north, for it escapes many of the storms sweeping across tho States from the Middle West and gradually moving seaward. ’ ’ NEED FOR SPEED

“Students of air transport, the world over have become convinced in the last two years that air transport to compete with other forms of carriage, must supply not only speed and comfort but offer frequent arrivals and departures. The trans-oceanic service, it is contended, will have to afford weekly sailings at least, a.nd if high speeds with durable equipment cau be maintained, it is considered possible that at the peak of travel, sailings may be scheduled more often than four times a month.

Of special significance in this project, is the participation in it of United Aircraft, one of the largest aeroplane manufacturing and airtransport companies in tho world. Dr. Eckener points out that this is the first time thut definite co-operation hns been attained between the two branches of flying on a large scale. Travel time by ’plane between Berlin and Seville is put down at fifteen hours. Paris. Loudon and Rome to Seville by ’plane will take twelve hours or fess. Thus ’plane and airship together cut travel time in a way that neither form of air travel alone could.

In Germany, Dr. Eckener enlisted strong banking aid, and tho German Air Transport Trust, “Lufthansa” will lend its co-operation for feeder lines to the trans-oceanic route. TYPE OF SHIP The ships planned for use in this service will follow generally the lines and structure of the Graf Zeppelin and the Los Angeles, of the United States Navy. They will more closely approximate the two new navy airships now being built in America. They will be about twice the size of tho Graf Zeppelin and about throo times as large as the Los Angeles, and equipped with more powerful engine units than any airship yet built. Dr. Eckener’s six trans-Atlantic voyages by air, five in the Graf Zeppelin and one in the Los Angeles, or ZR3, as it was then known, have convinced him that the northern or Great Circle route used by Lindbergh, Chamberlin, Byrd and other trans-Atlantic ’plane pilots, is out of the question, although it is tho shortest route between the Atlantic coast of North America and Europe. The estimate for the cost of building four riged airships of tho Graf Zeppelin typo but much larger, in Germany, is about 15,000,000 dollars, this, of course, includes the cost of a hanger at the base. The United States expects to build their two new airships for 7,800,000 dollars, this to include a part, at least, of the cost, of a new hanger or dock.. These, however, are only estimates and hundreds of other items will enter into the final reckoning.

AIRSHIP NOT TO SUPERSEDE STEAMSHIP

That the new line of super-airships to span the Atlantic Ocean will have a profound effect on international economics and increase business for every transport agency, is tho assertion of P. W. Litchfield, president of the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation. Mr. Litchfield, who is also one of the heads of the new transport undertaking, has conferred with tho American post office officials over the possibility of obtaining international mail contracts.

“The Zeppelin airship will not supersede the steamship in tho carriage of freight over water,” says Mr. Litchfield.

“It will not even offer competition. Its field is the carrying of mail, passengers, express, some small package freight where bulk and weight are not great, and where speed of transit is an important thing, The steamship will continue to carry tho great bulk of freight. “However, indirectly the airship should have a marked bearing on freight handling and export business, and, consequently, will increase the tonnage now handled by surface craft. This conclusion is reached from tho following set of circumstances; — REASONS GIVEN “One factor that makes capital, whether American or European or other, reluctant to go into distant parts of tjjo world to develop potential resources is the difficulty in supervision brought about by slow communication. If tho executive head of a corporation must spend six to ten weeks in making a personal survey of a given project or in getting reports of progress from experts sent out from the home office, ho is apt, knowing how difficult it is to find six to ten weeks from his business calender for tho year, to defer tho operation or give it up. “However, if means can bo found, through faster transport, to give the project tho attention that can be given to one of equal moment in his own country or nearby areas, then his attitude towards tho matter will be entirely changed. Faster and more convenient communication will have a profound effect on international economics, will stimulate exploration and development, will increase business for every transport agency throughout the world. [lt is hoped to continue on airships and travel next week.] GENERAL NOTES What can be accomplished by car and ’plane as a means of quick transit was fully demonstrated last weekend. Mr. Harding, solicitor, of Wellington, left Wairakei, Taupo, by car last Sunday morning and arrived at the Longlands aerodrome at 3 p.m. At 3.30 p.m. the same afternoon he left in a Hawke’s Bay Aero Club Moth ’plane for Gisborne, arriving there at 4.45 p.m. taking 1 hour 5 minutes by air. He was able to attend to his engagements on the Monday morning, and made the return journey by air to Hastings, taking 1 hour 40 minutes from Gisborne. He then proceeded by car to Dannevirke and then to Wellington, arriving there the same night. Mr. Harding was able to attend two different meetings within the two days it took him to do the journey, and that time, of course, included all stops. Where it would take a car 14 to 16 hours to Gisborne and back, the ’plane took 2 hours 45 minutes for the return trip, and the weather was not altogether favourable, there being a strong head wind all the way back, which acounted for the extra 40 minutes.

Strong fears have been current in Gisborne that work would have to cease on the formation of the Municipal aerodrome. It is now nice to know that the difficulties with the Government have been got over and the large band of unemployed are back on the job again. Flying took place in the early hours of last Sunday morning, but operations were suspended later, and for the rest of the day, owing to the high winds, which were not altogether suitable for flying instruction around the aerodrome.

I have been asked to give a few statistics on the working of the Hawke’s Bay Aero Club since its inception. The following will be interesting:—

Flying hours, 1150 (approximate). Passenger and training flights, 3,000. Pupils gaining “A” licenses, 20.

Number of pupils who have done partial training, 66. Of this number some have discontinued, while some are still carrying on spasmodically.

The original Moth 'plane N.Z.A.A.B., that the club started with, has flown something like 900 hours and the aerodrome contacts (landings) this same machine has done totals about 4,000. This machine is the first Moth (Cirrus Mark 11. engine) landed in New Zealand, therefore the oldest Moth still in flying trim.

N.Z.A.A.B. has flown, working it out at 70 miles an hour, a distance of 64,000 miles, since it took the air.

* * * Names are still coming in for enrolment as members of the Junior Air Club, but up to now they have not been coming in as fast as the promoter would like. Fifty of a membership is a big objective for a start, but every hope is entertained of that mark being reached during the next two weeks. Here is one sample letter of a joint application for enrolment, received during the past week: Dear Sir, —We wish to become members of the Junior Aero Club now being formed in Hastings. We are both 17 years of age, and a pair of keen chaps. We hope that you will fix this matter up for us. Yours truly, etc.” Now this is only one instance just to show that we are getting in applications and that a Junior Air Club is about to be formed. An outline of the general scheme to be followed has been submitted to several active members of the present Senior Club and they have endorsed the proposed scheme as a very fine thing for the young lads of this district. The “Wait and See” lads will be falling over one another to got in, once they find the list closed for membership. Next Tuesday evening at 7.80 at the Drill Hall a full muster is called for when names will be enrolled, for those not already on the list. Last Tuesday evening a member of the Senior Club keenly interested in this movement addressed a fair number of prorpective members. he outlined the proposed working of this junior club and received a very patient hearing. He is confident now the membership applications will probably exceed the fifty mark. Don’t forget next Tuesday evening at the Drill Hall!

A new cure for the blues is a few trips in an aeroplane to the higher and exhilarating atmosphere. London’s Harley street specialists have been prescribing half-hour and onehour periods at varying altitudes in an aeroplane. From one to several trips have been the means of effecting complete cures in many supposedly chronic cases. The cost for the cure effected in this manner is small compared to some doctor’s bills, with no result for the expense incurred. “Get off the ground and take a trip into the air, for there is no finer tonic than the higher zone." TUNNEL BETWEEN AIRPORT AND CITY One of the problems that must be overcome in inter-city travel by air is that of delay between airport and city centre. A departure from the ordinary connection by road is planned at the Chicago terminus of the airline operating between New York and that city. There tho difficulty will be overcome by a tunnel through underground rocks along which tho aeroplanes themselves will taxi passengers from the airport to a central destination. The system will have the great advantage of saving tho time and trouble involved in changing from one type of transport to another at the airport, which has always mitigated from the success of inter-city air travel.—Shell Company of New Zealand Ltd.