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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 1216.PDF
FLIGHT, DECEMBER 14, 1933 there was none of that deafness after landing which is so often experienced after a flight in a relatively small single- cngined machine. In spite of the fact that the wing is placed low under the fuselage, the view from the seats is quite good, thanks to ample window area sensibly placed. The day was rather a " bumpy " one, but the behaviour of the " Courier " was not such as to cause any qualms. After gaining height, Capt. Stack began to draw in the retractable undercarriage. This is done by working a sort of pump handle, and one of the passengers jokingly remarked that he thought that for a moment Capt. Stack must have tried to fly the machine with the pump handle and wind in the undercarriage with the joy stick. How ever, the undulatory movement soon ceased, and except for the bumps the machine was remarkably steady, and with a marked increase in speed. The day was not well sujted to a demonstration, as the visibility was very poor, but the machine seemed to cruise at 135-140 m.p.h. We are informed that the " Colonial " model cruises at 152 m.p.h., and has a top speed of 170-172 m.p.h. In view of the fact that the engine is of 300 h.p. only, and the machine carries six people, this must be regarded as extremely good for a power expenditure of less than 50 h.p. per occupant at cruising speed. The wing loading is fairly high, and so the machine lands fast, but not unduly so, and it pulls up quite quickly after touching the ground. We are informed that the " Colonial " model is leaving this week for a flight to India, where it will be demon strated to interested people. It will carry Lord Ronaldshay as passenger. AIR MAIL DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA e ,APT. TYMMS, Director of Civil Aviation in India, delivering an address at a recent session of the Indian Railway Conference at Simla, made some interesting observations regarding the developments of air transport in India. Referring to the Karachi-Cal cutta line, opened in July last, the Calcutta-Rangoon ex tension opened on October 1, and that to Singapore in December, he said: The Karachi-Singapore section was a joint Indian and British enterprise. The Indian National Airways would operate a weekly service between Calcutta and Rangoon. Thus, there would be two weekly services between Calcutta and Rangoon. The Indian National Airways would also operate a daily service between Calcutta and Dacca. In this service they, as in other cases, would have no contract from the Govern ment, would do it on a passenger basis and simply ask the Government to give them mails to carry, which would be done. The third part of the programme was the air mail ser vice from Karachi to the North-West India. That could only be operated as a mail service, there being insuffi cient advantage to passengers. They would have a con tract, and would operate on the same lines as the Tata service to Madras, but its aircraft must have a minimum cruising speed of 130 miles, being 25 miles more than the machines used for Madras. The service would operate only as far as Lahore. The North-West Frontier Province being a prohibited area for civil aviation, it was proposed to run it up to Rawalpindi, but as there would be no sufficient saving in time, service would be operated from Karachi via Indus Valley to Lahore, the stopping places being Jacobabad and Multan. The Tata service, the Director said, was on ten years' contract. It would be extended to Colombo when the negotiations with Ceylon Government was concluded. Tata's were entitled to every consideration in connection with air services in South India. For five years they have spared no effort to establish the Karachi-Madras service. Only once was the service a day late in going south, and they .have never missed any connec tion with Imperial Airways ; but since Tatas showed the way and the Trans-India service was announced, the Government have been bombarded with proposals to operate air services to and from any part of India. But perhaps the most important reference of all in Capt. Tymms' address was that " the Bombay-Calcutta daily service was obviously one of the developments to come." As an inland system this is destined to be the heaviest traffic-bearing airway in the country. Its terminals are the two largest cities in India and the two largest com mercial and industrial centres. They are separated by a flying distance of 1,050 miles. The distance according to the shorter of the alternative rail routes is 1,223 miles. By the shorter rail route via Nagpur the railway journey occupies 39 hours—too long a period for modern postal transit. Tatas are interested in the scheme of running a daily air mail service between Bombay and Calcutta, and the Government are awaiting proposals from them. So far as the actual date for the start of this service is con cerned, it is at present not possible to make a definite statement, at any rate not before the early part of next year. So far it has been considered that five machines will be required, and these must necessarily be of high speed in order to cover the distances easily within the available daylight flying hours. To provide "lor the increasing requirements of aviation, it will be necessary to undertake the partial illumination of all the chief centres on the air routes throughout India. On the Bombay-Calcutta route the particular sections where such lighting would be vitally needed would be for a distance of about 100 miles beyond Bombay and a simi lar distance to the west of Calcutta, the necessary illu mination to be provided by large beacons. It is esti mated the complete lighting of an air route may be carried out at a cost of Rs. 600 (about £40) a mile. As for the particular type or types of machines which may hereafter be tested on this route, they will have to I FOR FEEDER LINES : This side view of the eight-seater Westland " Wessex " (three Armstrong- Siddeiey " Genets ") emphasises the fact that the passengers can see out of the cabin through large welt-placed windows and that the wing engines impede their view but little. (FLIGHT Photo.) 1254
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