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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 2338.PDF
148 FLIGHT. AUGUST I8, 1938. BERLIN-NEW YORK-BERLIN New D.L.H. Focke-Wulj Condor "Brandenburg" Reaches New York in 24 hr. 56 min. and Returns in 19 hr. 54 min>, WITHIN twenty-five, hours of leaving Berlin, the new Deutsche Lufthansa Focke Wulf Condor, Brandenburg, landed at Floyd Bennet'Airfield, New York. Two days later the return flight was made in a few minutes less than twenty hours. The departure of the Brandenburg on its outward journey was kept a complete secret. In fact the first news the world had of the flight was the receipt of a radio message announcing that Newfoundland had been reached. ' Actually the start was made from Staaken. the military aerodrome near Berlin, at 39.30 hr., on Wednesday, August 10th. Capt. A. Henke was in charge of the flight, and was accompanied by his co-pilot. Fit /Capt. R. von Moreau, a radio operator and a mechanic. Flying a Great Circle course, the Condor passed over Scot land and reached Newfoundland shortly after 14.00' hf. the next day. According to reports, fine weather conditions pre vailed over the Atlantic, but headwinds were encountered when flying down the coast of Canada towards New York. The total distance covered was 3,970 miles and the total time taken was 24 hr. 50 min. On landing at New York it was discovered that an oil lead to one of the four B.M.W. Hornet engines had fractured, as a result of which the return flight was postponed for a day. By last Saturday the Brandenburg was ready for its homeward flight. With close on 2,000 gallons of fuel on board it left Floyd Bennet Airfield shortly before 9.00 hr. (14.00 hr. B.S.T.), heading direct for Berlin. With fine weather once again favouring him Capt. Henke was able to increase his average speed, on account of a steady following wind. The British Isles were crossed shortly before 07.00 hr. last Sunday and three hours later the Condor touched down at Templhof, Ber lin, having accomplished the journey in the record time of 19 hr, 54 min., bettering the late Wiley Post's time by nearly five hours. Two interesting points arise out of this brilliant achieve ment. In the first place the Brandenburg is one of a fleet of Focke-Wulf Condors ordered for Deutsche Lufthansa and was to all intents in standard trim except for the extra fuel tanks fitted to give it a wider range. Incidentally, the normal range when carrying a full load of 26 passengers, mail and freight is claimed to be just over 1,000 miles. The second point is an assumption, based on the lack of reports ef the Condor's progress both on the outgoing and on Heroes of the moment, the crew of the Brandenburg prepare to face a typical Berlin welcome. Capt. A. Henke leads his co-pilot, Fit./Capt. von Moreau, down the steps. They are followed by the mechanic, Dierberg, and W/O Kober. the return flights, that the fullest use was made of the • machine's own D.F. radio with, possibly, the addition of accurate back bearings from home stations. Full details of the Condor were published in Flight of Decem ber 23, 1937. while "Indicator's" impressions of a journey in one were published in the issue of June 30. Briefly, the Condor is an all-metal monoplane with a wing-span of 108ft. It is powered by four B.M.W. Hornet engines, with which it is capable of a cruising speed of 205 m.p.h. at 9,850ft. In the near future the type will be fitted with the more powerful B.M.W. 132 Dc. engines which will raise the speed by 25 m.p.h. In Berlin it is hoped that the Condor's fine performance on its first flight to New York will pave the way for a regular service between Berlin and New York. It was not in any way looked upon as an attempt to break or make records. In greeting the crew on their return, General Milch inferred that they would have at their disposal a machine (possibly a Condor) with which to break Howard Hughes' world flight record. » 1 ! •"?"•""»•' _••. _ .-1.. «W*/« In spite of a heavy downpour, a vast crowd waited at Templhof, Berlin, to give the Focke-Wulf Condor, Brandenburg, a tumultuous welcome on its return from New York in under twenty hours. On the outward journey it covered the 3,97° miles in 24 hr. 56 mm. , . .
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