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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0413.PDF
JUNE 9, 1927 NEW YORK-BERLIN (NEARLY) Clarence Chamberlin Goes One Better Than Capt. Lindbergh ONCE again has a non-stop flight been made across the Atlantic from New York to Europe, this time bettering — as far as distance is concerned —Capt. Lindbergh's historic flight. On June 4, Mr. Clar- ence D. Chamberlin—one of the bunch of American pilots that had teen waiting an opportunity to set out on the New York-Paris flight for the Orteig Prize—accompanied by Mr. Charles Levine, managing director of the Columbia Air- craft Corporation ..(Bellanca), set out from New York in the Bellanca-Wright mono- plane with the intention of beating the worjd^s non-stop distance record set up by Lindbergh. On June 6,they landed some 100 miles short of Berlin. Thus, although they failed to reach their goal (Berlin), they succeeded in attaining the object of the flight. At the moment it is not possible to give the exact distance flown—for what with dodging storms and missing their way, the actual route taken was at times somewhat devious—but the flying dis- tance between New York and Helfde (where they landed) is given as 3,905 miles. Of course, they flew a much greater distance than this, something over 4,000 miles, but it is clearly established that Lindbergh's effort has been beaten by several hundred miles. They were in the air about 43 hours. It is of interest to note that Chamberlin's machine was the same Bellanca monoplane (220 h.p. Wright " Whirlwind ") on which he and Bert Acosta recently established the world's duration record of 51 hrs. 11 mins. Chamberlin and Levine left Roosevelt Field, New York, at 6.4 a.m. (11.4 p.m. B.S.T.). and flying along the coast north- wards passed oveT Halifax, Nova Scotia, at 7.40 p.m. (E.S.T.), and a few minutes later left the mainland at Cape Race, The 220 h.p. Wright " Whirlwind " engine used in theBellanca monoplane. Newfoundland. The next reliable news of their progress came on Sunday, from the Cunard Imer Mauretania, in^a wireless message stating that " at 3,30 p.m. G.M.T. mono- plane NX 357.140 circled the ship and flew away, steering eastward." This was at about 300 miles from Yalentia, Ire- land, or 350 miles from the Stilly Isles. Then, at 9.10 p.m., the Bellanca was reported from Plymouth, having also been seen at certain points in Corn- wall. Uy this time the airmen were beginning to encounter bad weather, and had to dodge about to avoid storms, for a.fter leaving the Channel they were reported seen from such varying points as Normandy, Holland and Saxony ! Apparently, Chamberlin was having a try for Rome at first, but head winds and dwindling petrol decided him to make for Berlin, and at 4 a.m. he came down low over Dortmund to find his way—this being signalled to him. After this he lost his bearings and eventually ran out of petrol, necessi- tating a landing at Helfda, near Eisleben. 100 miles from Berlin, at about 5.30 a.m. Some fresh petrol was obtained here, and after a stop of a.bout 4 hours, they pro- ceeded on their way to Berlin. Once again, however, they lost their wav. and after flying for some three hours again ran out of petrol and landed in a marshy field near Kottbus (60 miles S.E. of Berlin). In landing, the airscrew was damaged, and the machine sank into the mud. Naturally, they met with an enthusiastic reception from the inhabitants, and before long representatives of the Government, news- paper reporters, etc., arrived—by air—from Berlin, where they had been awaiting their arrival. Next week, we will describe the reception in Berlin, whence they flew on June 7. The Bellanca monoplane on which Messrs. Chamberlin and Levine flew from New York to within 100 miles of Berlin. 375
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