AIRTRANSPORT NEWS
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COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT WHICH FLY AT 200 m.p.h.
The Melbourne Centenary Air Race from England to Australia, which starts at Mildenhall to-morrow (Saturday), at dawn, has an air-transport aspect of keenest interest. We have always said that when cruising speeds reached 200 m.p.h., commercial flying in this country would start to reveal real possibilities. Commercial machines with such speeds are in this race.
British hopes centre, to some extent, around the de Hayilland Comet, although the Airspeed ASS is another fine aeroplane, and has the added interest of being a commercial type.
The Comets are flying, with full load, on full throttle, at 1,000 ft., at about 235 m.p.h. They 1.veigh about 5,300 lb. all up, that is, with two pilots and 260 gallons of petrol. That is a sufficient quantity of petrol for about 3,0,00 miles (more than 10 m.p.g. for two persons and a ton of petrol, at 235 m.p.h., compares well with road motoring). The shape of this machine is not suitable for passengers, but it might be modified to carry mails; also, it may serve as the prototype for a fast passenger aircraft. The two engines give 450 h.p.
The Airspeed AS8 weighs, all up. 6,400 lb., including two pilots and 270 gallons of petrol. It has two bigger engines giving together 580 h.p., and it will cruise at about 130 m.p.h. Its roomy cabin will accommodate six or eight people.
The American Douglas DC2 (of which several have been ordered by European transport companies) carries, on 1,400 h.p., 14 passengers at about 200 mph.
Brighton Aerodrome Project.
Development of the joint municipal airport at Shoreham for Brighton, Hove and Worthing Corporations is likely to start before long. This will be an important step for commercial aviation in Southern England. The 146-acre site was purchased for £10,000, and sanction was obtained ta spend £39,000 on development.
Brighton Council has now advertised for tenders from contractors for the development work. Three separate groups of tenders are invited and forms and full details can be obtained from the architect, Mr. Stayers H. Tiltman, 42, Middle Street, Brighton. Haulage contractors in the Brighton area should keep in touch with this airport development.
Aberdeen-Glasgow Winter Plans.
Aberdeen Airways, Ltd., has completed arrangements for its winter air service between Aberdeen and Glasgow. It has been decided to run a service twice weekly, weather permitting, on Wednesdays and Fridays. The aeroplane will leave Dyce Aerodrome, near Aberdeen, at. 9.15 a.m., and arrive at Renfrew 'Airport at 10.40 a.m. It will leave Renfrew on the return journey at 2.30 p.m., reaching Dyce at 3.45 p.m. Passengers will be conveyed to and from the aerodrome by bus.
London-Belfast Service Withdrawn.
Hillman's Airways, Ltd., has this week withdrawn the daily air service between London (Essex Airport) and Belfast, with halts at Liverpool and the Isle of Man, The service has been run Since July 16, the day after Mr. John Sword ceased operating this route. Mr. Hillman's Paris service continues to work with regularity.
Liverpool as a Leading European Flying Base.
The scheme for Spoke Airport, Liverpool, which has been approved, provides for such development as will make this one of the finest aerodromes in Europe. The first part of the work will be the extension of the landing area from 155 acres to 316 acres, and later to 406 acres. This will give a minimum runway of 1,270 yds. and a maximum of 2,200 yds.
The next step will be equipment for night flying, and this, at an estimated cost of -£6,000, is already in hand. A radio beacon of medium wave-length is being considered, and £2,000 has been vofed for preliminary radio apparatus.
A sum of £100,000 has been voted for the first hangar unit of the group, the terminal building, roadways, etc. Si OBJECTORS TO MANCHESTER AIRPORT PLAN.
The inquiry by the Ministry of Health and the Air Ministry into the proposal of Manchester Corporation to spend about £180,000 in the purchase and development of a new airport site at Ringway started on October 9 and continued for several days. This scheme contemplates cutting the loss already incurred on the existing municipal aerodrome at Barton.
Protagonists for the corporation's plan argue that Manchester must have a first-rate airport. The population, within a 25-mile radius, is about 4,354,000. A comparison to bear in mind is that £21,000,000 was spent on the Ship Canal, against £180,000 for this scheme.
Objections to the scheme have been lodged by 51 parties, including Cheshire County Council. The objections appear to be based on doubt as to whether a bold airport scheme is economically sound, and whether Ringway is so much better than Barton: also on the argument that surrounding land will depreciate in value.
Mr. Nigel Norman, the well-known consulting aeronautical engineer, gave his opinion, in evidence, that Manchester alone will require several airports as years go on. He has advised the corporation to spend about £24,0011 on improving Barton in the hope of obtaining a tenant for training or aircraft manufacture. The result of the inquiry will be announced in due course.
A.A. and Hereford Aerodrome Scheme.
The Automobile Association has expressed regret that Hereford Corporation proposes to use the racecourse for purposes other than as an aerodrome, because that was the only available aerodrome site near the city, and would enable Hereford to become the aeronautical centre of a wide district. The site would also be a convenient port of call on the Birmingham-Cardiff air route.
The estates committee has, however, decided to obtain a valuation of the land necessary for a municipal golf course, as shown on previous plans.