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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1263.PDF
NOVEMBER 22, 1934. FLIGHT. HESTON 1267 Commercial Aviation Colour Schemes : Engine Overhaul : A Q.B.I Story : Another Interesting Birkett Charter ACKOPLANES have one advantage over cars in that it ispossible to let oneself go over the colour schemes with-out being accused of vulgarity. People sweep into HesLon in discreetly-coloured cars and transfer themselves and their luggage to aeroplanes of all the colours of the rainbow. Housed at Heston now are some beautiful colours and finishes, the most striking, perhaps, being M. Duprey's Farman in a balanced scheme of cream and navy blue; the most original is certainly Lord Apsley's Parnall " Elf," on which the paintshop appears to have run amok; and the prettiest is Mrs. Spencer Cleaver's Percival "Gull." The latest spray-painting order—for the Standard Tele- phones and Cables, Ltd. "Puss Moth "—displays a broad- minded neutral spirit in the inter-university rivalry over which even diplomats lose their equipoise and scrap like children. Although aero engines of necessity come in for overhaul every few hundred hours, the approach of winter lays up a number of commercial machines and many overhauls are fitted in for convenience at this time. Consequently the shops of Airwork Engine Service, Ltd., are full. Engines now in hand include a further batch of three Wright "Whirlwinds," five " Gipsy Majors," a " Lynx," and a Napier salvaged from the bottom of a canal in Belgium. Airwork Engine Service, Ltd., is believed to possess the only Heenan and Froude universal brake test plant in the south of England. Every engine after its complete overhaul is tested on this plant. The fog which prevailed during the greater part of last week caused several aeroplane owners, who had no wireless, to wander from the straight and narrow path. Two Polish gentlemen, Mr. M. Grabinski and Capt. R. Hirszbandt, began the series of adventures b\ whistling into Croydon against orders when it was in a state of "Q.B.I." "No speak Eng- leesh " was their unanswerable deience. On November 14, Birkett Air Service received a telephone call at 10.30 a.m., ordering a machine to rush a passenger to Havre. The weather was extremely bad, and one taxi firm at another aerodrome had already turned the proposal down on the grounds that it had no aircraft '.'quipped with wireless. A " Puss Moth" with wireless was ready on the tarmac when the passenger arrived, and it left Heston at II.IO a.m. to catch a boat leaving Havre for Plymouth at 2 p.m. The somewhat unusual itinerary is explained by the fact that the passenger, Mr. Sutro, a film magnate, wished to travel on the New York boat from Havre as far as Plymouth in order to discuss film matters during the journey with one of the New York pas- sengers. The aeroplane arrived at Havre, where the aerodrome is only a few minutes from the docks, at 1.25 p.m., thanks to wireless guidance. The passenger caught his boat and left Birkett's pilot to tackle, successfully, the Customs officials in the town. Fit. Lt. Bulman, chief demonstrator of the Hawker Aircraft Co., left Heston for Paris on November 13 in restricted visi- bility, flying the latest "Super Fury," "Hyper Fury," or whatever is the correct superlative to apply to the newest of this prolific family of fighters. [Actually, a " Fury " Mark II Day and Night fighter.—ED.] Mr. Robert Kronfeld, the Austrian gliding expert, visited Heston recently. He is an expert power pilot and gave a very good account of himself when tested out by Wrightson Air Hire prior to chartering a "Leopard Moth." INDIAN DEVELOPMENTS Should Calcutta, Lahore and Bombay be Linked through Cawnpore? : Indian National Airways' Service Extensions : Calcutta's Nezv Airport ALETTER has been addressed by Indian National Air-ways to the Government of India, members of theIndian Legislature, and the Indian and European Chambers of Commerce containing proposals for linking Calcutta in the east through Cawnpore with Lahore in the north and with Bombay in the west. They say that .they look for the night lighting of these lines, and that a machine leaving Bombay in the evening could reach Cawnpore at about midnight and arrive at Calcutta early in the morning. A machine leaving Cawnpore, after the arrival of that from Bombay, could be at Delhi two hours later and at Lahore early in the morning. This could leave Lahore again in the evening and reach Cawnpore in time to meet there the machine from Bombay, so that the loads brought from both sides could continue to Calcutta together. The cruising speed on which the Bombay-Cawnpore-Calcutta service time is calculated is 140 miles an hour. National Airways in their new proposals refer to their pro- jected services as'falling within that northern India area _with which they are particularly concerned, and mention "the south " as the region for air development by Tatas. Incidentally, the Council of the Merchants' Chamber of the United Provinces stress the point that Cawnpore has a better claim than Allahabad to be the principal airport, being the biggest distributing commercial and industrial centre in the United Provinces. In the meantime the decision of the Government of India to improve the facilities for commercial aviation has given an impetus to its development which is reflected in the announce- ment by Indian National Airways of certain extensions. Their existing Calcutta-Rangoon weekly service via Chitta- gong, Akyab and Bassein is to be duplicated. It was proposed to cover this extra service this month, when there will be three services weekly in each direction between Calcutta and Rangoon. . They are also planning to extend their Calcutta service into Assam at the conclusion of the monsoon. The Karachi-Lahore weekly mail service, which is to be operated by the company to connect with the Empire service at Karachi, is expected to start at the beginning of December. This service will carry mails, and passengers, and will be, scheduled to leave Lahore on Tuesday afternoon, and after a halt for the night at lacabbad or Sukkar, will arrive at Karachi on Wednesday morning. In the reverse direction the service will leave Karachi on Thursday afternoon and arrive in Lahore on Friday mornings. The company has taken over the operation and maintenance of the Government's Avro Ten, which, hitherto, has been operated by R.A.F. personnel. This machine will be located at Delhi, and will be used by Government officials for their tours, and will also be available for the general charter work undertaken by National Airways. Calcutta's new airport is located behind the Khidderpore Docks, on land recently reclaimed by the Port Trust. The aerodrome will be triangular in shape, and the ground, being on a high level, drains fairly rapidly. But Indian Air Survey and Transport, Ltd., who are preparing the ground, are laying down an extensive system of local surface drainage. It is anticipated that the airport will be suitable for all types of aircraft during the coming cold weather. It may, however, be necessary to close a part during the next monsoon—i.e., 1935—when a certain amount of settling will no doubt take place on the newly-filled areas. Meanwhile, Karachi is to remain India's leading airport. Administrative buildings, adequate to meet all requirements of the aerodrome control, are to be erected at an early date. In order to meet the demand for land necessary for the purpose, it is likely that more will shortly be acquired. Provi- sion has also been made for a new aerodrome hangar, with a span of 140ft., which will be long enough to take the largest type of aeroplanes likely to operate in the East. Karachi, which is now the most completely equipped aero- drome in the East as regards righting facilities, will also, under the new scheme, be equipped with electric boundary lights. An Indian aerodrome officer will be deputed to take charge of the aerodrome operations, and additional officers, selected by the Public Service Ccmmission, will be attached to the airport.
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