Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-11
FLY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.
Shortt Brothers Of England Expect to
Make a Start Next Week.

Make start Next week.
Referring to the preparations Of the
Messrs. Short Bros, Of England, to at
tempt fight across the Atlantic from
Ireland, starting on April 16, the New
York Times has the following:
Previous dispatches to the New York
Times have indicated that the Shortt
interest had chosen the Limerick Sec
ton Of Ireland for their starting point,
and that they estimated flight Of ap-
proximately 1880 miles before their
machine dipped down to the Jump
ing-off' in Newfoundland. It is con-
sidered likely that the Short trial will
be the only east-to-west attempt, all Of
the other entries in the Daily Mails
contest having indicated their inten-
ton Of flying eastward.
The machine entered by the Shortt
Brothers is the Short "Shier' airplane.
1t is fitted with 375 horse power
Rolls Royce engine, developing a
speed Of 95 miles an houi. The ma
chine carries a pilot and navigator.
OF biplane type, the machine, its max
ers say, is capable Of a 5000 mile non
stop drive.
In their application to the British
air ministry the Shorts designated
Major James C. P. Wood of the Royal
Flying corps. hs pilot, with Captain c.
c. Wylie, a nephew Of the marine
painter, as navigator. Captain Wylie,
in addition to his experience in the air,
has had considerable experience as a
navigator on destroyers guarding
troopships through the Atlantic sub
marine zone. Major Wood, who has
flown more than 10000 miles, gained
fame as a bomber in France.
The great part which weather will
play in the fight, alluded to in the ca
BILE dispatch announcing the setting Of
the date, was also emphasized recent
ly by Major Gen. Sir F. H. Sykes, chief
of the British air staff. General Sykes
pointed out that the test Of the flight
would fall, not upon the machine or
endurance. of its personnel, but up
on navigation, meteorology and wire
less, all dependent upon good weather
A straight course must be maintained,
he said, by day and by night in thick
and fine weather and in all winds,
even a small error in bearing being
easily sufficient to cause even the best
planned flight to end unsuccessfully,
perhaps disastrously. Because Of the
Importance Of this phase Of the under
taking, special forecasts are to be pre-
pared by the British governments staff
Of experts.
OF the other British machines which
have been reported to be preparing toI
essay the transatlantic flight, there isl
an entry by the. Royal air force, con-
sisting Of a flying boat, the design OF
Colonel J. C. Porte, with three planes
and a span Of 120 feet. This machine
Is driven by five $50 horse power
Rolls-Royce motors driving three
pusher and two tractor propellers.
Another British entry is the Sop
with wo-seater with a twelve-cylinder|
s75 horse power Rolls-Royce Eagle
engine. This machine is now at st.
Johns, N. F., with Lieutenant Harry
G. Hawker, an Australian, as pilot
and Lieut.. Commander Mackenzie
Grieve, R. N, as navigator.
Then there Is the Fairey biplane,
nominated by Sidney Pickles, another
Australian airman, equipped with
a 36O-horse- power Rolls-Royce which
| 1t is said, has done 130 miles an hour.
The other British entry is the White
head biplane, offered by Captain Ar
thur w. Hayne, of which no particu-
lars are available.
In addition to the airplanes, British
also has the admiraltys rigid dirigibles
lR-33, each 623 feet long, with fve
twelve cylinder engines, capable OF
doing eighty hours at sixty miles an
hour, with bursts of speed as high as
eighty miles an hour.
Frances entry, so far as known, con-
sists only of Lieutenant Fonan, with
French military machine. He Is now
somewhere in Africa, preparing to ny
from Dakar, Senegambia, to Pernam-
buco, Brazil, via the Cape Verde Is
lands and st. Paul Rocks.
Several times it has been reported
that the huge Capronis would also trv
for the aerial blue ribbon, but nothing
official has ever supported these re-
ports.
The American contestants consist up
to the present time of three flying boats
of the NC type, 126 feet inches wing
spread, two of them equipped with four
Liberty motors, and one with three.
These machines are now at Rockaway
undergoing final tests and turning up
Several flying boats are also at Hamp-
| ton Roads.