FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1911.PDF
JULY 8, 1937. FLIGHT. 47- (Left) One of the two D.H. Albatross machines which have been ordered by the Air Ministry for transatlantic experiments. Their normal cruising speed is in the region of 210 m.p.h. at 10,000 ft. Below is a photograph of a model of the Mayo com posite, in which a modified Short Empire boat is used to lift a smaller, heavily loaded floatplane into the proportionately more heavily loaded machine into the air, where the latter will be released. Agreements between the Governments of this country, Canada, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland are such that a joint operating company comprising British, Cana dian and Irish companies has the sole rights of using the I.F.S. and Newfoundland for Atlantic flights during the next fifteen years. In exchange for reciprocal landing rights the American company, Pan-American Airways, will also be granted similar facilities. France and Ger many, however, will not be able to use these jumping-off points, and this fact may prevent these countries from going ahead in the near future quite as rapidly as they might otherwise do. Whatever one might feel about the matter, such is business, and it would certainly seem that an Atlantic air line is likely to be of greater value to the United States and ourselves. It remains to be seen whether Germany and France will, in turn, manage to prevent us from using the Azores, which belong to Portugal, for winter opera tions. . Qermany and France Of these two countries, Germany has already carried out very successful experimental flights, with the help of a supply and catapult ship, over the North Atlantic, using a diesel-engined Dornier boat, and on one of these a non-stop flight was made from the Azores to Port Wash ington, New York. D.L.H. have now a new cata pult ship in commission, the Friesenland, which has been built specially for the purpose (see Flight of June 24) and a large diesel-engined floatplane, the Blohm and Voss, may also be carrying out trial flights this summer. At any rate, Germany, with her experience over the South Atlantic, can be considered as a very serious worker in this field. France, also, experienced in long-distance ocean work, has not yet shown what she can do over the North Atlan tic, but a special company has been formed, Air France Transatlantique, and surveys have been made in the Azores. Like ourselves, France has both landplanes and flying boats as likely starters. The four-engined Farman 2231 (Hispano-Suiza 12 Xs), which has been specially built for the North Atlantic trials, has recently made its first flight, and is reported to have surpassed 250 m.p.h. and to have given every satisfaction. It was Air France's entry in the now abandoned New York-Paris air race, and is a close relation to the 40-seater Farman 220, which is still under going tests preparatory to being put on Air France's London-Paris-Marseilles service. America has a big Boeing boat in course of construction and a great deal of experience on the Pacific run. Though the weather conditions on that route are very different from those prevailing over the Atlantic very useful long-distance navigation experience should have been gained during the past year. For the initial Atlantic experiments Pan-American Air ways are using a specially tanked Sikorsky S.42.B, and this machine left Botwood at 10.10 p.m. (B.S.T.) on the even ing of July 5—two hours after Caledonia had left Foynes. 1-, •'"--- '^.txrt-.. ^TJL ..Hi iiiiiiiiiLl_iiiL A ftjjjy' / She was commanded by Capt. Harold Gray, with First- Officer W. de Lima, Second Officer W. Masland, and four others making up his crew. The 42B made the crossing without difficulty in i2h. 34m. at an average speed of 156 m.p.h. Caledonia left the water near Foynes at 7.57 p.m., and arrived over Newfoundland 15 hr. 3 min. afterwards. Her average speed worked out at 132 m.p.h.—which can be con sidered as excellent when it is remembered that she had an unfavourable wind with which to contend. Incident ally, it appears that the often-maligned meteorologists worked out a most accurate weather chart; conditions appeared during the journey just as they had been forecast. Well, it is the meteorologist who is to be the eventual conqueror of the North Atlantic. Without almost super- naturally accurate forecasting no regular service can ever be maintained. In the meantime we must congratulate the respective crews of the two pioneer boats. Everything appears to have gone off with the clockwork precision which always gives confidence to the men and women who will send their letters and eventually travel by air across this 2,000-mile stretch of ocean. Radio for Ronatdsway TO-DAY the new D/F station at Ronaldsway, I.O.M., starts operations. The frequency is 363 kc/s (826 m.) and the call sign is GJE. Meanwhile a second channel, employing the same frequency, has also been opened at Barton, Manchester, and a new com munications area has been established to cover this and the I.O.M. station. The area concerned is bounded by the coast between Holyhead and Aberdovy, a line between the latter and Speke, the coast round to Port William and the Mull of Galloway, a line to a point twenty miles S.E. of Cranfield Point, and another thence to Holyhead. The 363 kc/s frequency should be used by machines bound for, or departing from, the Island while in the area, and by machines operating between areas within the area. Others should work on the normal Manchester channel—i.e., 348 kc/s (862 m.) and 346 kc/s (867 m.). On the same date a controlled zone was instituted at Ronalds- way, consisting of an air space up to 3,000ft. and over an area bounded by a circle of ten miles radius with its centre at the airport.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
