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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0022.PDF
JANUARY 13, 1927 Cairo-Karachi Air Service THE new Cairo-Karachi Imperial Airway Service between the Persian Gulf and Egypt commenced regular operations at 10 a.m. (Greenwich time) on January 7, when one of the five D.H. 66 " Hercules " machines with "three 400 h.p. Bristol " Jupiter " engines left Basra for Baghdad and Cairo piloted by Capt. Warner. One passenger and 1,000 urgent mails, mostly destined for Great Britain from India, was the load carried. On this new established service the Imperial Air- ways liner is due to leave Basra every alternate Friday at 1 p.m. as a link with the fast steamers that bring the mails from India. Baghdad is a three hours' flight, and on Satur- day morning the flight is extended along the desert route to Cairo, which up to now has been operated by the R.A.F. Vickers' machines for the air mails. For the first thee months Basra will be the end of the service in order to gain experi- ence of the conditions prevailing before extending it to the full distance of 2,500 miles, which includes an isolated section. Also two more D.H. " Hercules " machines have yet to be delivered to organise an effective service. Going eastward, the first machine departs from Cairo on Wednesday, after which the fortnightly service will be regular and likewise linking with the fast steamers from England. The aerial route will mean a saving of four days on the journey to Baghdad and six days to Basra Wireless Stations for Cairo-Karachi Route A CHAIN of new wireless stations is to be erected on the Cairo-Karachi air route, according to arrangements carried out by the Air Ministry. At Karachi the station is to be provided by the Indian Government, and the Iraq Government will be responsible for the small Iraq station. These stations between Egypt and India will be at Heliopolis, Ismailia, Ziza (Gaza), Rutbah Wells, Ramadi, Baghdad, Shiebah (Basra), Bushire, Bandar Abbas, Charbar, and Karachi, superseding permanently those now in operation. They will also receive and transmit at all times during the air journeys. Following in Father's Slipstream THE two sons of Lord Stonehaven have inherited their father's enthusiasm for flying and have recently joined the Melbourne Aero Club, carrying out regular early morning nights. The light aeroplane movement is well established in Australia and receives the keenest support of the Governor- General, Lord Stonehaven, who has long adopted the air as his medium for travel. His lordship's example must inevitably be to the advantage of Australian aviation. To Replace the " Shenandoah " LIKE England, America has faced her disasters in airship development with high courage and optimism. The toll in life and cost has simply been regarded as the inevitable sacrifice of progress in dangerous activities from which lessons must be gathered and incorporated in the future. Thus the House of Representatives adopted on January 6 an amend- ment to the Naval Supply Bill providing for the construction of an airship to take the place of the " Shenandoah," which was wrecked in a storm on a long-distance flight across America in 1925. The new ship is estimated to cost .£900,000. A Schneider Cup Race this Year ? IT is very probable, as a result of a proposal put forward by Italy for an annual race, that the next Schneider Cup Race will be held this year instead of in 1928. Italy is no doubt anxious to repeat her remarkable success of the last race against America. There is much to be said for this proposal, which would maintain a wider and continued interest in the race. The Federation Aeronautique Internationale, who control the conditions of the race, and at their last meeting decided to hold the event every two years, are meeting in Paris on January 25 to make a definite decision on Italy's proposal. The four keenest competitors for the next race, Great Britain, America, France and Italy, are preparing. It is very satisfactory to know that Great Britain has at least three high-speed seaplanes in the course of development with every possibility of being available in time. Southampton-Cherbourg Service THE projected scheme of Imperial Airways to maintain a regular service between Southampton and Cherbourg will not be possible till the French Government permits foreign aircraft to fly over Cherbourg, which is a naval defence port. The Chamber of Commerce of the port has been approached by Imperial Airways, Ltd., and are doing their best to persuade the Government to lift the ban. In view of the fact that occasional flights of convenience for belated American-bound passengers were willingly allowed, there ought not to be much difficulty in doing this. The service would operate to coincide with the arrival and departure of American-bound liners and, with the co-operation of the General Post Office, it would enable a later posting time for American mails. Australian Air Services NEW airports have been arranged at Rochester, Carrathool, Balrandald, Euston, Renmark, Swan Reach and Tartna Point by the Australian Aerial Services, Ltd. (Larkin), but the machines will only land at these places for the convenience of passengers when required. For the time being no mails or parcels will be accepted for air transport to these towns. On the Perth-Derby aerial service alterations have been made in the time table, and these will operate on and after January 1, 1927. The departure from Perth will be 6 a.m. Saturday instead of Thursday, and the return to Perth will be 2 p.m. Thursday instead of Tuesday. This will mean that the trip scheduled to leave Perth on December 30 was deferred to January 1, then will follow the stated Saturday departure. These changes also allow parcels for despatch by air to be received at Western Australia Airways, Ltd.. 35, A.m.P. Buildings, Perth, up till 5 p.m. on Fridays. Another R.A.F. Cairo-Cape Flight PREPARATIONS are in progress for a second R.A.F. flight from Cairo to Cape Town. This will be undertaken by four Fairey-Napier III.F machines from No. 47 Squadron, under the command of Commodore Samson. Each machine will carry a passenger. A flight of South African Air Force machines will fly from the Cape and meet the south-bound Flight at Kisumu, then accompanying them to the Cape. The flight will start in March. Canadian Air Mail Routes SUBJECT to the approval of Parliament air mail routes will be established in Canada this year. Tenders are to be asked for from private flying corporations and preliminary work will be done under contract. Khartoum-Kisumu Air Service THE North Sea and General Transport, Ltd., have been loaned a seaplane by the Air Ministry with which the company will commence operations on the Khartoum-Kisumu service until the D.H.50 " Pelican," which was damaged during a test flight, has been repaired. Swiss African Flight LIEUT. MITTELHOI.ZER, who is engaged in an aerial scientific expedition to Africa, arrived in the Dornier " Mercury " seaplane at Jinja (Victoria Nyanza) on January 10. Amundsen's Polar 'Plane IT is reported that Herr Dornier has re-purchased the Dornier Wai flying-boat on which Amundsen attempted to reach the North Pole in 1925, and that this machine will be put into use on an air service to Great Britain. A Harmony in Blue from Gloucestershire AN extremely handsome souvenir has just been sent to us by the Gloster Aircraft Co., Ltd., of Cheltenham. This takes the form of a large (18 by 20| ins.) coloured plate depicting the " Gloster III " seaplane (Napier " Lion ") flying in the Schneider Cup race of 1925. It is realistically reproduced in full colours from an oil painting by Mr. Geoffrey Watson, whose aeronautical drawings are, no doubt, well known to many of our readers. The general effect of this picture is decidedly pleasing and might be described as a " harmony in blue "—the seaplane with its light blue fuselage, the blue sky only partly obscured with fleecy clouds, the blue sea with patches of sunlight, and the blue distant headlands. Additional " life " is given to the subject by the inclusion of a few sailing yachts in the middle distance. Altogether it makes a delightful decoration—especially when suitably framed—for any room or office. 22
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