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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 1060.PDF
FLIGHT, OCTOBER 20, 1932 Air> 'Spajrvsnopr Imperial Airways Directors' Report THE Directors' Report of Imperial Airways, Ltd., reveals a net profit for the year ended March 31 of £10,187 as against £27,140 for 1930-31, and the dividend is being maintained at 3 per cent, by drawing on the balance forward, which is reduced from £31,556 to £25,201. Traffic had increased during the spring and summer months, although freight decreased, but the financial results were adversely affected by the late delivery of certain new aircraft, the lack of which restricted the earn ing capacity of the services and delayed the opening of the African route extension to Cape Town. During the six months to September 30 last 37,465 passengers were carried, as compared with 30,624 for the whole of the pre ceding year. Referring to Empire services, the report states that that part of the new fleet destined for the Eastern section of the Indian route was put into commis sion during the latter part of the year under review, and the passenger traffic on this line had improved. Owing to the uncertainty of tenure of the Persian coast route, arrangements were made to operate along the alternative Arabian coast route. Permanent arrangements for the extension of the route to Australia were now under con sideration. The Empire services also showed an increase in the passenger traffic, 2,130 being carried during the first six months of the current year as against 2,050 in the whole of the preceding year. Air Mail for Southern China THE Postmaster-General announces that air mail corre spondence for Southern China may now be sent by air via Saigon in French Indo-China. The time of transmission is 13-17 days to Hong Kong and the air postage rate is 2s. per £ oz. for letters, 8d. per \ oz. for printed papers and 8d. for postcards. The latest time of posting in the air mail box outside the General Post Office, King Edward Street, London, E.C.I, is 6.30 a.m. on Wednesdays. The rate of 8d. per \ oz. applies also to printed papers for French Indo-China. Air Services to Hong Kong THE following statement regarding passenger and mail services to Hong Kong, issued by Shell Aviation News, no doubt has some bearing upon the above " P.M.G." notice. The statement says that the Air Orient are very shortly transferring the terminal base of their France-Indo-China mail service from Saigon to Hanoi, and extending the line to Canton and Hong Kong. In consequence, Bangkok and Saigon will no longer be on the main route, and this will in future pass through Pitsanuloke and Vientiane. The manner in which these two places will be connected with the trunk line has not yet been decided, but it is probable that shuttle service will be operated from Pit sanuloke to Saigon. The Aerial Transport Company of Siam plans to operate an air service in conjunction with the Far Eastern Aviation Company between Rangoon and Pitsanuloke, Hanoi and Hong Kong. Actually the Far Eastern Aviation Company would function on the route Hanoi-Hong Kong whereas the Indo-China-Burmah sector would be flown by aircraft belonging to the Aerial Trans port Company. It would seem as if there is likely to be some Anglo-French competition to obtain the bulk of the mail, and later on no doubt the passenger traffic, on this route, as well as whatever concession the Canton Govern ment is prepared to offer towards subsidising the new line. There have been persistent rumours that the local Government is prepared to pay a sum of (Hong Kong) $300,000 (approximately £20,000) over a period of five years, of which amount $100,000 (£6,666) will be allotted for payment in the first year, the balance being divided equally over the remaining years. However, when ques tioned in the Legislative Council, the Colonial Secretary stated that while the Government is not prepared to insti tute air mail services, it remains ready to accord sympa thetic consideration to any practical suggestions that may be put forward, but in the absence of concrete proposals the policy cannot be more closely defined. The Colonial Secretary further stated that by sympathetic consideration he meant that the Government contemplated the grant of financial assistance if an application for the mainten ance of the service met with approval. Regarding new aircraft for the Air Orient, the statement reports that this company had under consideration the purchase of three Fokker aircraft to be constructed in Holland, but as the result of an injunction from the French Minister of Air only one machine was bought, which was delivered and flown out at the beginning of September to Damascus by M. Winckler, chief pilot to the company. To take the place of the other Fokkers two Wibault 280 aircraft have been ordered. These machines are still under construction, and the choice of power unit that will be fitted has not yet been made. It is known that M. Balazuc, the managing director of the Air Orient, is very interested in the new Hispano-Suiza engine (Wright licence) type 9Qr, and if tests that are now under way prove satisfactory it is more than probable that the Air Orient will adopt this type of engine. Short " Kent " Flying-Boats Give Good Service THE Short " Kent " flying-boats (four Bristol Jupiter X-FBM) Scipio, Sylvanus and Satyrus, that have been in Imperial Airways' service in the Mediterranean since May, 1931, had covered up to the end of August last 98,270, 90,565 and 77,484 miles respectively (a total of 266,319 miles) without suffering a single mechanical breakdown resulting in the interruption of the scheduled service. Imperial Airways state that the period of operation of the boats has been singularly trouble-free and what little attention they have required has easily been provided. These flying-boats have used exclusively Aero Shell lubri cating oil and Shell aviation spirit. " Kent " flying-boats, it may be added, will in future be known as the " Scipio " type. ^f * #"%» I ^1 A I * #"% * «»JT * la mm » DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT IN AUSTRALIA : Some of the Q.A.N.T.A.S. company's fleet—(left to right) " Moth " (Cirrus III) ; " Moth " (Gipsy) ; " Puss Moth " ; D.H.61 (Bristol Jupiter XI F) ; D.H.50 " Giant Moth " (450 Jupiter VI). Photo. Shell-Mex and B.P.) 988
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