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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1003.PDF
SEPTEMBER 27, 1934. FLIGHT. 1005 ENGLAND—AUSTRALIA Further News of Competitors and Their Machines AS stated in Flight last week, the K.L.M. Douglas will par-/\ ticipate. This will be the only machine of the four origi- 1 \ aal K.L.M. entries to fly the course. It was K.L.M.'s in-tention to enter the Handicap race with the Fokker F.XXXV1, which was to carry passengers, and to take part in the SpeedRace with the Douglas, carrying a special load of mail. The F.XXXVI, however, was not delivered in time for theK.L.M. pilots to get enough experience to fly such a large leroplane in the race. It is not the intention of K.L.M. toStrain after winning a prize. The race has been entered with a commercial purpose in view—to create interest in futureair traffic development and to demonstrate in how short a time passengers may be transported from Europe to Australia,in this the latest addition to the K.L.M. fleet. At first it was intended to prepare the Douglas for the Speed Race by fittingextra fuel tanks and making equipment as light as possible. But as only one K.L.M. machine will fly it was decided to keepthe aircraft in its standard condition. Three passengers will be carried, one, a Dutch banker, having travelled from Riode Janeiro to make the flight. The crew will consist of K. D Parmentier (captain), J. J. Moll (second pilot), Prins (flyingengineer) and Van Brugge (wireless operator). K.L.M. does not expect the machine to win the race. TheDouglas should arrive in Melbourne on, or before, October 29. It will leave Melbourne on November 7, is expected inthe Netherlands Indies on November 9, and will start from Batavia on November 11. The postal authorities in Holland, and the NetherlandsIndies have agreed to have mail carried by the Douglas from Europe to the Indies and Australia, and also from the Nether-lands Indies to Australia. At Hanworth, Fit. Lt. G. Shaw's British Klemm "Eagle"(D.H. " Gipsy Major ") has been completed, and is now living. Iu addition to the standard two 20-gallon tanks, a third tank,with a capacity of 32 gallons, has been installed in the cabin in place of the rear seats. The filler can projects through trx-cabin window. A spare Fairey metal airscrew will be carried, during the race, within the fust-lag.'. Painted on each sideof the cowling is the following inscription: "The Spirit of W. Shaw and Co., Ltd., Wellington Cast Steel Foundry,Middlesbrough, England." Apart from one or two extra instruments, such as drift indicator and turn and bank indica-tor, the machine is. a standard fixed-wing "Eagle." The range should be in the region of 1,000 miles. In the shops of the National Flying Services are two Fairey"Foxes," one entered by the New Guinea Centenary Flight Syndicate, which is to be flown by Mr. R. J. P. Parer, andthe other, nominated by Mr. J. K. C. Baines, to be flown i;y F/O. II. D. Gilman. The N.'F.S. staff has been working veryhard indeed on Mr. Parer's "Fox," which is now almost in racing trim, but is waiting for an auxiliary tank. There willbe one or two other minor modifications of which we hope to say more later. It seems rather doubtful if the other " Fox "will compete. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Messages from Melbourne say that Sir Charles KingsfordSmith has stated that, if he does not get the necessary Certifi- cate of Airworthiness for his Lockheed "Altair " within a weekfrom September 21, he will withdraw from the race. The Lockheed Aircraft Corporation had informed Sir Charles thatthey had forwarded the specifications of the " Altair " to the American Department of Commerce, and that the reply shouldhave been received in Australia. Apparently "Smithy" has received an offer from the Department of Defence to issueto him a C. of A. in a special racing category, sufficient for a flight to England, but not for participation in the Mac-Robertson race. This was regarded as useless. Sir Charles has sent a cable to Mustapha Kernal Pasha,asking for permission to fly over Turkish territory during the race. He states that he is unaware of the reason for theban on crossing this territory, but sincerely apologises if he has given unwitting offence. • ;. (Continued on p. looH.) J FOR THE HANDICAP RACE: The British Klemm "Eagle" ("Gipsy Major"), to beflown by Fit. Lt. G. Shaw, has been fitted with extra petrol tanks, bringing the total capacity UD to 70 gallons. (Flight Photo.)
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