FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0860.PDF
SEPTEMBER 20, 1926 THE START OF A GREAT ADVENTURE The Amsterdam-Batavia Air Mail Service WHAT promises to be one of the most impressive demon-strations of trans-Continental flying was inaugurated on Thursday of last week (September 13) by Lieut. G. A. Koppen,the well-known Dutch pilot. Promptly at 6 a.m. his machine, an Armstrong Siddeleythree " Lynx " engined Fokker VII-3m took the air on the first stage of the 14,000 km. (8,750 miles) air mail journeyfrom Amsterdam to Batavia. It carried 2,251 registered letters and 18,631 ordinary letters. This journey is to be which are the large diameter landing wheel brakes. Thesebrakes are of the enclosed expanding type similar in design to those used on motor cars. The brake lever is compensatedand located between the two pilots and is connected to the tail skid to enable the machine to be turned quickly on theground by braking the wheel on the inside of the turn. It is said also that its application reduces the run of the machineon the ground from 250 to 100 yards, and that the operation is so gradual that there is no chance of the machine pitching. THE AMSTERDAM-BATAVIA AIR MAIL: Five Amstrong Siddeley "Lynx" engined Fokker VII-3mmonoplanes lined up on Schipol aerodrome, Amsterdam, for inspection by Dutch Government officials prior to their departure for Batavia. made in twelve stages, the stopping places and intermediatedistances being as follows :— 1st stage2nd „ 3rd „4th „ 5th „6th ,, 7th 8th 9th „10th ,, 11th 12th .. BudapestConstantinople BaghdadBender Abbas KarachiAllahabad CalcuttaRangoon BankokMedan Palembang Batavia 875 miles875 1000 ,,906 750 ,,875 ,, 469 937 „ 368 „844 619 303 . The other machines are scheduled to leave at intervals ofone week and having arrived at Batavia will undertake local postal services on behalf of the I.L.M. (Indiache, Luchtvaart,Maatschappij) a concern allied with the K.L.M. Royal Dutch Air Lines. Next year the Amsterdam-India-Batavia servicewill be still further developed. The Fokker machines, which carry two pilots and an engi-neer, possess certain new features, the most interesting of The wheels are shod with Goodrich tyres and run on rollerbearings. The cabin is ventilated by a new design of Louvre controlled from the interior.The Armstrong Siddeley engines, with which the machines are equipped, are the standard seven-cylinder air-cooledradial " Lynx "-type which develop 200-225 h.p., the same type of engine being used by Lieut. Koppen on his experi-mental record breaking Amsterdam to Batavia and back flight last year, and its success on that occasion largelyaccounting for its selection for the new service. The latest engines are fitted with metal propellers, the wingengines using two blades and the central engine three. A top speed of approximately 120 m.p.h., a cruising speed of 104m.p.h., and a landing speed of 61 m.p.h. indicate the capa- bilities of the machines.On the afternoon preceding the send-off of the first machine an official reception was held by the K.L.M. at Schipol Aero-drome near Amsterdam. The aeroplanes were lined up in front of the enclosure and a large number of guests of theK.L.M. besides large crowds of the public inspected them. Most of the afternoon was occupied in broadcasting thespeeches of Ministers and important men in the Dutch financial and flying world. Air Mail in the Yukon MESSRS. GREENFIELD AND PICKERING, who, for manyyears, have held the mail-carrying contract between White- horse and Dawson, Yukon Territory, have decided to adoptaeroplane services during the coming winter. After passing through many stages in the development of transportationin the far north, including dog sleds, horse-drawn stages, motor trucks and caterpillar tractors, this pioneer firm haspurchased two 'planes, a Fairchild all-purpose monoplane and a De Havilland " Moth." A feature of the latter is the slotted-wing equipment, the first 'plane on the coast to^havethis safety device. Both 'planes will be fitted with skis and will have pontoon and wheel landing gear as well. TheFairchild 'plane will be used for express and freight, and for occasional passenger carrying as well. It will be used alsoin carrying freight for the Treadwell Yukon Mines Company, which is engaged in mining operations near Keno City. Thedistance between Dawson and Whitehorse by overland trail is, approximately, 362 miles, and from the junction to KenoCity is 72 miles. 796
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
