Laden Lorry Flown to France
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
TAA BRISTOL Freighter aircraft of Air Charter, Ltd., 15 Great Cumberland Place, London. W.1, flew from Southend airport to Calais last Saturday carrying a laden Bedford 5-6-tanner. This was claimed to be the first time a vehicle of this size had flown on a scheduled commercial service.
The lorry belonged to Rotary Hoes, Ltd., West Horndon, Essex, and earned a Howard Rotavator agricultural appliance for a month's demonstration and sales tour in Belgium. The operators had modified the vehicle so that the rear part of the platform could be lowered to facilitate loading.
Placing the Bedford into the aircraft required care, as the loading aperture allowed only a few spare inches on each side of the vehicle and at the top. The outer wheels at the rear had to be removed so that inclined lower members of the aircraft's fuselage structure could he avoided.
The lorry was winched up a ramp backwards, the complete loading opera lion taking about 15 minutes. The wheels rested on spreader boards to distribute the 4 tons 12 cwt. load.
The flight took less than half an hour and unloading occupied less time than loading, as the vehicle was driven out. The fare was £46 return, a few shillings less than surface travel rates.
Air Charter, Ltd., are promoting road-air goods transport to the Continent, and full facilities, including forklift trucks and mobile cranes for handling traffic, exist at Southend airport. About 400 tons of margarine was dealt with during the rail strike. Lorries can he turned round in 15 minutes. In Germany, the company are flying over 2,000 tons of manufactured materials (which the Russian authorities will not permit to be taken by road) out of Berlin to Hanover and Hamburg every month. The goods are distributed by road.
The company operateregularly to Calais and Ostend from Southend, and elsewhere by arrangement as required.