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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0777.PDF
Iff1. NOVEMBER 26, 1925 AIR LINES IN BELGIAN CONGO Successful Service with Handley-Page " Hamiltons." :st in three-engined aeroplanes February 12, 1925, and Kinshasa was reached on April 3,. the claims advanced for this the distance of something like 8,500 km. (5,300 miles) having of reliability and immunity been covered in approximately 75 flying hours, a performancelit that a few nnt« nn what io which, in view of the exceedingly difficult country over which the greater part of the flight was made, was regarded on all IN view of the widespread interes for commercial air services, and type of machine on the score „. .^^WLy o.Ilu Illlllmuuv from forced landings, it is thought t fe notes o t is, so far as any British type of three-engined machine is concerned, the only service of which data are available, may be of assistance in giving an indication of the manner in which this type of machine may reasonably be expected to sides as a most meritorious one. The regular air service in Congo was inaugurated almost at once, and has been carried out with good regularity since. The Handley-Page " Hampsteatl " is fitted with three Armstrong-Siddeley " Jaguar " engines. The machines in regular use in Belgian Congo have a Rolls-Royce " Eagle " in the nose and two Siddeley " Pumas " on the wings. This front view shows how the wing engines have been placed farther out so as to get the propeller discs clear of one another. fulfil the hopes of those who are pinning their faith on itfor the solution of the reliability and safety problem. It will be recollected that in the early part of this yeara three-engined aeroplane of the Handley-Page " Hamilton " type, fitted with one Rolls-Rovce|^|jjgjg " in the nose ofthe fuselage and two Smaeley Pumas " on the wings, successfully accomplished the flight from Brussels to Kinshasain Belgian Congo. The machine was built under licence in Belgium by the S.A.B.C.A. company, as were also a number At the moment we understand that six Belgian-builtHandley-Page " Hampsteads " are in service by the Sabena company who operate the Congo air line, four being inregular use, and the other two held in reserve. The air route, which is divided into two main sections, has beenso planned as to connect with the steamers arriving from and leaving for Belgium, and it is claimed that the averagesaving in time effected by using the air service is 14 days for the more distant points on the air route. THE HANDLEY-PAGE " HAMPSTEAD " : Side view. of others of the same type, sent out to Congo by steamer.In charge of the expedition that flew to Congo was Lieut.-Aviateur E. Thieffrv, whose pilot was M. Roger.The third occupant of the machine was the mecanicien, Dc Bruycker. The flight was successfully accomplished, The first portion of the Belgian Congo air route to beopened (the preliminary experimental flights having been accomplished some time previously) was between Kinshasa(Leopoldville) and I.uebo, a distance of 850 kms. (530 miles). This section was officially inaugurated on April 9, when the although adverse weather conditions were encountered Handley-Page O-BAHN made the first regular flight. Thealmost throughout The flight started from Brussels on second section of the route, Luebo to Gule, is slightly shorter 777
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