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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 0314.PDF
FLIGHT, AUGUST 10, 1933 (U/u&mjum the dowv Utuuk Italian Air Armada Nearing Home AFTER arriving at Shoal Harbour, Newfoundland, on July 26—as reported last week—Gen. Balbo and his 24 Savoia Marchetti flying boats were held up by unfavourable weather until August 8. It had been originally intended that the return flight across the Atlantic should be via Valentia, Ireland, where a large detachment of personnel of Regia Aeronautica had made all arrangements for the Armada's arrival. Owing to the lateness in the season, however, Gen. Balbo decided not to take this route, but that via the Azores, and Lisbon. Thus, at 2.45 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time, or 8.45 a.m. B.S.T.) Gen. Balbo's machine took off from Shoal Harbour, followed at intervals by the remaining 23 machines—the last getting away by 3.9 a.m. After getting into formation all the flying boats made a final circle over Shoal Harbour and then set out on their 1,200-mile trip to the Azores. Just under eleven hours later nine machines of the Armada arrived at Horta and alighted safely, the other 15 machines, including Gen Balbo's, went on to Ponta Delgada, where they were safely moored by 8 p.m. (B.S.T.). At both places the inhabitants gave them an enthusiastic reception, shops, etc., being closed for the occasion. At Ponta Delgada Gen. Balbo and his airmen were entertained to a gala dinner by the Civil Governor. Meanwhile, rapid prepara tions, refuelling, etc., were put in hand in readiness for an early start next day for the trip to Lisbon. The start from the Azores was marred by an accident to No. 13 machine, which overturned when taking off from Ponta Delgada. The four occupants were rescued and taken to hospital injured, and Lt. Squaglia died of his injuries. The remaining 23 machines got away successfully, in two sections, as they arrived, and completed the 78Q miles to Lisbon without mishap. Grierson's Atlantic Flight MR. JOHN GRIERSON, who (as reported the other week) has planned an experimental flight along the Greenland air route to New York to test a method of wireless direction finding, left Brough on August 5 in his " Moth " seaplane and landed at Scapa Flow. Thorshavn, in the Faroe Islands, was reached at 1.45 p.m. next day, and Reykjavik, Iceland, on August 7. Capt. Bremer's World's Tour CAPT. BREMER arrived in Ottawa on July 13 on his way round the world in his 80-h.p. Siddeley " Genet Junkers Junior," having completed the eastern portion of his flight in the following stages:—Helsingfors (depart May 1 l)-Berlin-Budapest-Istanbul-Aleppo-Baghdad-Bushire- Jask - Karachi - Jodhpur - Allahabad - Calcutta - Rangoon- Bangkok-Hanoi-Hong Kong-Shanghai-Keojo (Korea)-Tokio. The journey from Berhn to Tokio was made in 18 days, which included a delay of one day at Istanbul and two days at Bangkok. Having been refused permission to fly up the coast of East Russia to Alaska by the Russian authorities Capt. Bremer's plan for a round the world flight was completely upset. He therefore decided not to fit his floats, which were waiting at Tokio, but ship his machine to San Francisco, the flight to Ottawa was made in stages along the route: —San Francisco-Los Angeles- Phoenix - El Paso - Kansas City - Chicago - Detroit - Buffalo- Ottawa. Capt. Bremer timed his start too early in the year, with the results that he ran into the monsoon in the east and encountered very terrible weather and serious dust storms in Persia. His flight covered a distance of approximately 16,000 miles, during which no trouble of any sort was experienced with his 80-h.p. Siddeley " Genet," which upon its arrival in Ottawa, was running perfectly. At San Francisco the only adjustments required were the grinding in of two valves and slight tappet and push rod adjustments. Capt. Bremer's cruising speed was between 85 and 90 m.p.h. and his petrol consumption 4 gallons! per hour. He carried 12 hours' fuel supply and his schedule flights varied from 8-11 hours' flying over high mountains and long stretches of water. During his two days' stay in Ottawa Capt. Bremer was introduced to the Minister and Deputy Minister of the Department of National Defence, the Chief of Staff, Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and others. His stay in Canada coincided with the visit of the Italian Air Fleet. The size of his plane, its low power and the reliability of his 80-h.p. Siddeley " Genet " engine was commented on m the press. Capt. Bremer left Ottawa on July 16, for Montreal, Washington and New York, where he will ship his machine to Liverpool. He proposes to fly from Liver pool to Coventry, where he will stay a day or so, and then to London, Paris and home through Europe back to Helsingfors. An Atlantic Flight Fails Two Polish brothers^ Benjamin and Joseph Adamowitz, left New York for Newfoundland, en route for Poland via the Atlantic, on August 8. Their venture met with an early check, however, for on landing at Harbour Grace they crashed, and were injured. An American passenger, Mr. Burgin, was unhurt. Their machine was the Bellanca monoplane in which the Danish airmen, Holvis and Hillig, crossed the Atlantic in 1931. A Cape-London Attempt A Swiss airman, M. Carl Nauer, left Cape Town on August 5 in a " Puss Moth " on an attempt to beat Mrs. Mollison's record for the Cape-London flight. He reached Mossamedes the following afternoon and left again shortly after, but at the time of writing no further news of his progress has been received. American Stratospherical Flight Fails COM. T. G. W. SETTLE. U.S. Navy, ascended from the grounds of the Chicago, Century of Progress Fair at 9.05 a.m. on August 5. He only reached an altitude of some 5,000 ft., as while manipulating the release valve this stuck open and the balloon came down at once. Com. Settle was unhurt, and neither the balloon nor his instru ments were damaged. The Dublin Air Pageant OPENING the Irish Aviation Day pageant in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, on Saturday, August 5, Mr. Sean Lemass, Free State Minister for Industry and Commerce, said that the organisation of air lines between the cities and towns of Ireland was an immediate task, in the per formance of which he could undertake, on behalf of the Government, that every assistance and facility would be provided. The development of air ports to attract private pilots, he continued, was a matter mainly for local authorities but he could also, in this matter, promise full government assistance. A number of aircraft from Mid land and Scottish Air Ferries took part in the display, during which two members of the I.F.S. Army Air Corps lost their lives. While taking part in a mock aerial fight a Vickers " Vespa " army co-operation aircraft of the Free State Army Air Corps spun into the ground from a height of about five hundred feet, causing the death of its pilot, Capt. Oscar Heron, and seriously injuring his pas senger, Private Richard Tobin—an air gunner—who died in hospital on the following day. The machine was " attacked " by three Avro " Cadet " aeroplanes, two of which Capt. Heron had driven off in the course of the combat, when his aircraft was seen to go into a spin from which it did not recover and crashed in front of the enclosure where the pilot's wife and more than twelve thousand spectators were seated. Earlier during the dis play, while taking part in an international relay race, an Avro " Cadet " (flown by Miss Winifred Drinkwater, of Midland & Scottish Air Ferries) nosed over when landing- Miss Drinkwater was uninjured. Korean Airwoman Killed KEIGEN BOKU, the 28-year-old Korean airwoman, was killed near Taga while making a flight from Tokio to Manchukuo. She left Tokio on August 7. Aircraft Models at Helsingfors PART of the British exhibit at the British Week in Finland, to which the Prince of Wales and the President of Finland have given their patronage, will be some 60 t 70 models of various types of British aeroplanes wnic illustrate the history of British aircraft design. The Grade Aero Engine HERR GRADE, the German pioneer aircraft const: uc or, has produced a new aero engine for light aeroj'iane- Known as the " Igel," it is a 4-cyl. in line two-stroke 30 h.p., mainly constructed of' the new lignt(p at y^ " Silumin Gamma," and has recently completed a 20-n bench test. 8C6
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