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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0064.PDF
30 FLIGHT. JANUARY 12, 1939 Refuelling will be the important feature of this year's Atlantic experiments as far as this country is concerned. Cambria is shown above taking on fuel (or pretending to, for the benefit of the photographer) from the A.W.XXIII, which has been used for experiments at Ford aerodrome. AKTER an eighteen-month breathing space, while more suitable machines were being developed on each ^ side of the Atlantic, serious full-scale air service operations between this country and the United States are likely to be under way before the middle of the year. The words "full-scale" involve the carriage of a reasonable weight of mails on each trip and, consequently, the appearance of something resembling an economic basis lor a -service which has previously been of an entirety experimental or adventurous nature. Not that, during the first year, the weight of mails to be carried week by week is likely to be of financial benefit unless very high charges are made Cabot, the first of the modified "C " class Short boats, weight of 46,000 lb ; at Foynes this and the three ot On the right is a close-up of ATLANTK This Year's Plans : Take=off Assistan Schedule : What Fran Very briefly, this country's plans—in con junction with those of the U.S., Canada and Eire—involve a weekly service in each direc tion starting on or about June 1. We shall use four of the modified '" C" class Empire boats which, in order to be capable of carrying a useful payload, will be refuelled in the air before starting the long-distance crossing from Foynes or Botwood. Additionally, the two mail-carrying D.H. Albatross mono planes will also be used, though it is unlikely that these will take a part in any regular service, at least until a few test trips have been made. The value of the landplane according to present ideas is primarily that of being able to continue the service during the winter months when ice makes the operation of flying- boats impossible. It remains to be seen whether the snow problem at the new Hattie's Camp airport in Newfound land can be solved by rolling or clearing. Judging from the experience of Canadian operators this problem is by no means insuperable, but the diffi culty is that a wheeled undercarriage will necessarily have to be used, while skis are substituted for floats or wheels on the Canadian charter ser vices. No information has yet been offered about the likelihood of further crossings by Mercury, the upper com ponent of the composite aircraft. So far, and until the refuelling system has fully proved itself, and the land- planes have been given a chance, this machine is the only one that has shown itself capable of carrying a useful load in addition to the neces sary fuel. Possibly Mercury will be used for other purposes until such a time as the landplane composite development is ready for action—and this is not likely to be before 1940. Practical experiments ; the Mayo com posite. During 1938 Mercury made a number of outstanding flights after . taking off with the help of Maia
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