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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 0905.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 2, 1933 QAA y^ctsHJjboW. COMMERCIAL AVIATION IN CHINA T 'HE Chinese are supposed to be the most enigmatic race in the whole world, and probably less is known about their country than about any country throughout the world. The Chinese Republic, which includes the auto nomic states of Inner Mongolia, Outer Mongolia, Tibet, Sin-Kiang, and Manchuria, covers an area of just over four million square miles, and possesses a population of nearly 450 million persons, a quarter of the population of the world, which represents about 97 persons to every square mile; as a matter of comparison it is worth recording that the population of Europe is roughly 130 persons to a square mile. As regards roads and railways China is very badly developed, and the continued state of banditry in which the country seems to remain makes travelling still more precarious. It would seem, therefore, that there should be a tremendous scope for aerial transport. If this be so then it has not been taken advantage of, for the number of air lines #in China, considering the size of the country and its population, is small and seemingly inadequate. The first attempt to establish civil aviation in China was made in 1919 when contracts were entered into by the Government with the Handley Page Co. for 6 passenger planes, with the Vickers Co. for 40 commercial and 40 training machines, and with Avro for 65 machines; the Vickers contingent included some " Vimys," which are reported to be still crated up untouched. Elaborate schemes were drawn up for the establishment of a network of airways, and an aviation school was opened at Nanyuan near Peking. Civil war, however, made all these schemes impossible. In the year 1929 the Ministry of Communica tions intended to operate a service between Shanghai and Chengtu, but in practice it never went further than Nanking. China Airways also maintained a service between Shanghai and Hankow on a contract basis for the Govern ment. In July, 1930, this company was combined with another, and a new company was formed which was called l hina National Aviation Corporation. Meanwhile another Sketch scheme had also been inaugurated. As early as 1928 the German Luft Hansa approached the Chinese Government with a view to forming a company to form aerial com munications between Berlin and Nanking, and as a result of protracted negotiations the Eurasia Aviation Corpora tion came into existence in February, 1930. These two companies represent all that is being done in China in civil aviation, but they are complementary to each other, not rivals. The China National Corporation is chiefly con cerned with the development of internal lines, while the Eurasia Aviation Co. aims at establishing communications between China and Europe. The details of these com panies' activities are as follows: — China National Aviation Corporation. Shanghai-Hankow. Operated daily except Mondays, with stopping places and aerodromes at Nanking, Anking, and Kiukiang. This service was inaugurated in 1929. Hankow-Chungking-Chengtu. Two flights a week, with A Stinson cabin monoplane used by the China National Aviation Corporation. 1091
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