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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1889.PDF
44 FLIGHT. JULY 9, 1936. dustry that, of course, they knew more than he could possibly know about production, and that he would like them to draw up a scheme for producing so-and-so. It is rather intriguing to speculate on what would happen to Lord Swinton's schemes if the Royal Commission were to report in favour of nationalisation and if the Govern ment were to accept that report. It may be sad, but it is a fact that when times are uncertain everyone likes his friends to be strong and lusty. Naturally, if our frontier is to be the Rhine, we should like to think that France was not only a firm friend, but a strong one. It is also certain that the German Government is far more likely to enter into friendly agreements (which everybody desires) with strong Powers than with peoples whose main concern is to put some idealistic theories into practice. G <anopus O N Saturday last Canopus, the first of the Empire class flying boats ordered by Imperial Airways from Short Bros., was launched at Rochester and was taken up for a first flight by Mr. Lankester Parker. That launch and that flight may well be looked on as a milestone in the history of Empire air communi cations. It is a milestone which marks the first stage in the programme of reaching India in three days, Cape town in four, and Australia in seven, and, we all hope, of carrying letters at ijd. throughout the Empire. Twenty-four more sister boats and four variants of the design are due to come out of the Short sheds in succession, and the hulls of a whole batch of them are fast approaching completion. Naturally, there is speculation as to which of the Empire routes will first be converted to flying-boat operation and through run ning of individual machines. It cannot yet be said whether Canopus will fly to Durban or to Sidney. The only thing certain is that she will first make for Egypt, where the two routes diverge. For that reason there is happy augury in her name, for Canopus was an ancient city near Alexandria, probably on the site where Aboukir now stands. It was likewise an inspiration which made the Bristol firm choose the name of Pegasus, the flying horse of mythology, for the engines which will draw the boat to whichever far-off land is to be her destination. The launch and first flight of Canopus have attracted far less attention than did the launch of the Queen Mary, and yet it may well be that the new flying boat ushers in a greater and more evolutionary era than can pos- ably attend the fortunes of the great Atlantic liner. Whether some sister or daughter of Canopus will be able to make a profit out of crossing the Atlantic still remains to be proved. Britain's first and foremost concern is to make the very best of the services to Australia and South Africa, and for these the hopes centred on the Canopus class are very bright. FLEDGED : Canopus, the first of the Short Empire flying boats, took the air at Rochester for the first time last week-end, in the hands of Mr. Lankester Parker. This Flight photograph clearly shows the beautifully clean take-off. A photograph of the machine in the air appears on page 60, and pictures on the slipway will be found in the centre pages.
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