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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 1173.PDF
FLIGHT, .NOVEMBER 17, 1932 Qir transport SOME GRAF ZEPPELIN STATISTICS sf "S recorded last week the German airship Graf Zeppelin concluded the last of her round trips between Germany and South America for the present season when she arrived back at Fried- richshafen from Rio de Janeiro on November 3. It mav, therefore, be opportune if we give the following statistics regarding Graf Zeppelin's past activities, which we think will be of great interest. With the landing in Friedrichshafen on Thursday, November 3 last, the Graf Zeppelin has made 290 cruises, covering 530,600 km. (329,715 miles) in 5.369 hr. Thus an average speed of about. 100 km. per hr. (62 m.p.h.) has been maintained. During these 290 cruises 7,495 passengers have been carried. In 1932 the airship has made altogether 58 cruises covering 180,780 km. (112,336.7 miles) in 1,766.4 hr., and 1,218 passengers, 2 745 kg. (6,052.7 lb.) of mail and 2 021 kg. (4,456 lb.) of freight were carried. In connection with the 290 cruises—during which she has visited various European countries (includ ing England), the Arctic, North and South America—the airship has made 111 landings outside Friedrichshafen, so that in each case unirained persons assisted in the landing. In Brazil also there has been a different squad of soldiers each time to assist. For the last two cruises only, a definite group of workers has been trained. The airship has crossed the Equator 26 times and made 33 ocean crossings. Thirteen cruises have been made to South America and return, of which five were extended to Rio de Janeiro. Four landings have been made in Rio and passengers embarked and disembarked. The longest trip from Friedrichshafen to Pernambuco took 76 hr. 35 min., the shortest 62 hr. 30 min. ; whilst for the return cruises 101 and 67 hr. were taken. In the time-table the trips were fixed at 72 hr. and 96 hr. ; the average times taken were, as a matter of fact, 71.51 and 86.0 hr. With the exception of two cruises this year's programme has punctually been adhered to. In the case of these two cruises there was a 24-hr. delay in starting from Friedrichs hafen, which in both cases was due to the technicallv faulty arrangements of the landing ground in Friedrichs hafen. In both cases, however, the delay was made up for on the return trip from Pernambuco, so that the return could be made according to time-table and the next South American cruise commenced on the scheduled date. Whilst the first South American cruise in the year 193<> must be considered as essentially a trial trip, three such cruises were made in Autumn 1931—one cruise per month —which already showed an increase in passenger and mail figures. The same increase could also be observed in the nine cruises of 1932. On the first trip of this year 10 passengers were on board, whilst on the last cruise the airship left Pernambuco with 18 passengers, three more embarking at Seville. The mail figures this year increased from about 60 kg. (132 lb.) on the first cruise to 160 kg. (373 lb.) on each of the two last return cruises from Pernambuco. With the extension of the cruises from Pernambuco to Rio a large number of bookings immediately resulted. From Pernambuco to Rio the airship was always fully booked (22 to 23 passengers). For the last cruise appli cations from more than 30 passengers were received in Pernambuco. The large majority of return passengers embarked at Rio, from which fact it is apparent that with the exten sion of the airship line to Rio, passenger figures will in future be more favourable than when, as up to now, the airship has only sailed as far as Pernambuco. Zeppelin Airports in Spain DR. ECKENER visited Barcelona last week and dis cussed with the municipal authorities plans to make Barcelona his European terminal for a Zeppelin service between Europe and Brazil, on a schedule which he hoped would eventually permit a weekly trip each way with two airships. He is going on to Seville, which is also pressing its claims as a terminal airport. Birkett Air Service, Ltd. As was announced in our issue of last week under new companies registered, Fit. Lt. G. Birkett, R.A.F.O., with the assistance of Messrs. P. and H. Colin, has inaugurated a new air taxi service to operate from Heston Airport on Puss Moth" machines at a rate of 6d. per mile per passenger. In the spring of next year the company hope to acquire a four-seater which will operate at an attractive price. Although the taxi service has been operating for only one month, well over 3,000 miles have already been flown. Some Australian Statistics THE total number of passengers carried by Qantas Airways, Queensland, for the month of September has been the highest since the end of 1929, according to advice received by the Shell Company from their Brisbane office. The number reached 309, and on taxi flights alone, apart from the regular services, 5,306 miles were flown, including an ambulance call to Longreach, an urgent flight by a Brisbane surgeon to Maryborough, and numerous trips to the Cracow goldfields by business men and investors interested in the latest developments of the field. The freight for the month weighed nearly two tons and was a record for the past year. West Australian Airways, Ltd., issues the following figures for the month of September:—Passengers carried (Perth-Wyndham), 222, (Perth-Adelaide) 315, (taxi and joy ride) 171. Machine flights, 164. Miles flown, 29,700. Letters carried (Perth-Wyndham) 933 lb., (Perth-Adelaide) 1,275 lb. Freight carried (Perth-Wyndham) 12,402 lb., (Perth Adelaide) 3,041 lb. 1095
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