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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0470.PDF
JUNE 30, 1927 San Francisco-Honolulu Flight AMERICAN aeronautical circles are now interested in a new conquest of the air. To bridge the stretch between San Francisco and Honolulu, a distance of 2,400 miles, is the immediate intention of various competitors. On June 27 excitement was raised in San Francisco over the prospect of a start. In the hope of beating their Army rivals, the civilian pilot and navigator, Mr. Ernest H. Smith and Mr. Charles H. Carter, tuned up their Travel air monoplane, fitted with a 200-h.p. Wright " Whirlwind " engine, to make a morning start, although a preliminary full-load test had not been done. It is expected that the flight will take about 24 hours. The American Army pilots, Lieut. Lester J. Maitland and Lieut. Albert H. Hegenberger, set out in their three- engined Fokker machine on June 28. In contrast to the civilian machine the Army machine is fully equipped for emergencies, and will be in wireless communication with either place for nearly the whole distance. A third compe- titor is Mr. Richard Grace, while a dark horse in the conquest is a naval monoplane piloted by two Navy men. Round Australia Flight ON their attempt to circle Australia in 11 days, Captain Kingsford Smith, Mr. L'lm and a mechanic covered 860 miles non-stop in 9 hrs. 20 mins. on June 24. They passed over Derby in Western Australia and landed at Broome. The long stage lay over mountainous country, and the engine did not run very well. By working on it all night, however, they were able to continue the next morning, striking for Carnarvon in the North-West Division. Perth was reached at dusk, fog and rain compelling them to descend very low in order to find the telegraph line for guidance. In three days they had covered 4,824 miles. On June 26 they left ior Cook, the weather being very bad, refilled there and reached Wirraminna, South Australia, the same day. And Another A FORMER officer of the R.A.F., Mr. Keith Anderson, left Sydney on June 25 for a flight round Australia, flying a Bristol biplane. Amsterdam-Batavia Flight CONTINUING his flight from Amsterdam to Batavia Mr. van Lear Black arrived at Rangoon from Calcutta at 2.30 p.m. on June 26. Byrd Still Waiting COMMANDER BYRD, who is now the last of the American air men waiting to fly the Atlantic at present, is continually being held up through bad weather. Again and again thousands of people flock to his aerodrome at Roosevelt Field to witness his departure only to turn back disappointed. If such bad luck reigns much longer we are afraid Commander Byrd will eventually set off for his Atlantic flight without a cheer. General Balbo's Visit GENERAL BALBO, Italian Under-Secretary for Air, who recently carried out an extensive air tour of Italy's air posi- tions on the North African coast, will pilot a Fiat R 22 machine from Rome to London, being due to arrive at Croydon this week. His visit will be official, and he will be the Air Ministry's guest at Claridge's Hotel. Accompanying him will be a squadron of Italian machines which, we believe, are to take part in the R.A.F. Display. It was only a short time ago that General Balbo obtained his pilot's licence. His recent tour included a fine flight of over nine hours non-stop, and a sea flight of over 600 miles. The Michelin Cup CAPTAIN CHALES won the French International Michelin Cup for his flight round France, a distance of 1,710 miles, with fourteen landings, in 12 hrs. 14 mins. 37 sees. The cup has been held since 1925 by Pelletier d'Oisy. Cross-Channel 'Plane Mishap THE air liner, "City of New York," of the Imperial Airways, made a sudden forced landing near a farm at Cudham, Kent, on June 27, with nine passengers on board, four of whom were women. One passenger received a slight cut on the face, otherwise there were no personal injuries. The pilot was Lieut.-Col. Minchin, the pilot who is proposing to fly the Atlantic shortly with another Imperial Airways pilot. RECORD BREAKERS : The upper photograph, and that on the left, show the Rohrbach " Roland " three-engined monoplane which recently established world's records over 1,000 km. with useful loads of 1,000 kg. and 2,000 kg. The speed was 196-7 km./h. (122 m.p.h.). In the photograph on the right Chamberlin and Levine are seen during a visit to the Rohrbach works, examining the construction of a Rohrbach all-metal machine. 428 ; ~
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