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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 2033.PDF
FLIGHT, September 4th, The graceful lines of the De Havilland Albatross are shown in this Flight photograph. At the time of its inception the Albatross was experimental in both construction and its power plants. ^ way as to be especially attractive to business men, the loss in working time being at a minimum: — TIME-TABLE I Depart Gatwick Alexandria. Karachi Bombay Singapore . Darwin Sydney G.M.T. 0.00 p.m. 5.45 a.m. 3.15 p.m. 5.45 p.m. 4.00 a.m. 1.00 p.m. 9.00 p.m. Local Time 7.45 a.m. 7.45 p.m. 10.15 p.m. 11.00 a.m. 9.30 p.m. 7.00 a.m. Arrive Alexandria . Karachi ... Bombay ... Singapore ... Darwin Sydney ..; Auckland ... G.M.T. 4.00 a.m. 1.30 p.m. 5.15 p.m. 2.00 a.m. 11.00 a.m. 7.H5 p.m. 1.30 a.m. Local Time 0.00 a.m. 6.00 p.m. 9.45 p.m. 9.00 a.m. 7.30 p.m. 5.35 a.m. 1.00 p.m. The total elapsed time for the journey Gatwick-Sydney(11,442 miles approximately) is 1 day 22 hours 35 minutes ; Gatwick-Auckland (12,823 miles approximately), 2 daysA hours 30 minutes. The overall speed, inclusive of inter- mediate stops, works out at 243.5 m.p.h. The total flying-time is 43 hours 5 minutes, and the time on the ground at intermediate stopping places is 9 hours 25 minutes. Inter-stage Speeds Average speeds over the various stages of the route may be of interest:— • . . • - -.••-..• TABLE IV Gatwick-Alexandria Alexandria—Karachi Karachi-Bombay Bombay-Singapore Singapore-Darwin Darwin-Sydney Sydney-Auckland Overall average 295.7 m.p.h. (night) 298.7 „ (day) 279.0 „ (evening) 296.1 „ (night) 298.8 „ (day) 298.3 „ (night) 297.7 ,, (morning) ... 296.67 The reduction in speed over the short stage Karachi-Bombay (558 miles) is, of course, due to the lowering of the operational altitude from 28,000ft. to about 10,500ft.To average 279 m.p.h. it will be necessary to cruise at maximum economical speed. Over the last stage, Sydney-Auckland (1,340 miles), only 1,400 gallons of fuel and 98 gallons of oil will be required for a range of 2,400 miles,consequently the payload may be increased up to 32 pas- sengers at 240 lb. and 4,500 lb. of mail and freight. The time-table aforementioned could only be operatedby a number of aircraft shuttling back and forth over one main stage of the route; for instance, a sleeper 'planewould operate over the first stage, Gatwick-Alexandria, making one flight of approximately seven hours' durationevery 24 hours. A day 'plane would operate over the stages Alexandria-Karachi and Karachi-Bombay withaccommodation for 32 passengers over the short stage. On certain of the intermediate stages, rapid change from dayt° night accommodation on the same aircraft may be necessary. Only lengthy experience in operating aircraft in the upper troposphere can finally determine the mean velocityof the wind over a given section of the route. The time- table provides for continuous headwinds up to 40 m.p.h.over the entire route simply by reducing the time on the ground between stages, if necessary, to that required totrans-plane. How fast could the Empire Express fly over the routeGatwick-Auckland? What is the minimum time? The publicity value of a purely record-making flight mightwell be worthy of serious attention. To prepare the machine for a sprint over the course would involve theremoval of all furnishings from the cabin and the installa- tion of extra fuel-tanks to bring the total fuel capacity upto 3,850 imperial gallons. The all-up weight in overload condition would be 65,000 lb., and the range at a meancruising speed of 350 m.p.h. would now be around 6,000 miles, sufficient for a flight to Australia with only oneintermediate stop, preferably at Bombay, and a non-stop flight from Darwin to Auckland. An analysis of a hypo-thetical record flight is given below: — Stage Satwick—Bombay ... Bombay-Darwin Darwin-Auckland ... Mileages (approx.j 4,900 4,500 3,200 12,600 Flight Duration 14 hr. 40 mia. 13 hr. 25 min. 9 hr. 42 min. 37 hr. 47 min. Speed 335 m.p.h. 335 330 „ ':•:' Allowing 1 hour 13 minutes on the ground for refuelling,we get the extraordinary time of 1 day 15 hours at an over- all average speed of 323 m.p.h. A round-the-world flightcould be completed in 3J days. Attracting Passengers Not unnaturally, the Empire Air Express will not beeverybody's idea of travel de luxe, despite the best efforts of decorative artists and furnishing experts to provide forthe comfort and general sense of well-being of passengers. For some time after the inauguration of the service it isprobable that only mail and freight would be carried, and then, perhaps, a few business men or Government officialson urgent matters. It might take a number of years to \ work up to a respectable passenger list for each flight. Butthe mere fact of it being possible to get a reply from a letter written to someone in Australasia within a weekwould alone justify such a service. Quite apart from mails, an increasing number of parcels will, in the future, go byair. As already indicated, the frequency of service will begreater with medium-size air liners than with aerial colossi. With the former equipment, daily departures forthe Antipodes are indicated, thus giving the travelling and corresponding public an impeccable service. With the
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