Evening star., 1937-04-11

the Shannon base and another in
England, now await pioneering the
northern route to North America.
Pan American and Imperial plan al
tentative routes, one by Iceland,
Greenland and Newfoundland and
the other by way of the Azores and
Bermuda.
Pan American, with many crews
trained in the technique of ocean
flying, is ready to get under way on
short notice and is expected to point
the nose of its first big flying boat
toward Europe during the Summer.
Members of Congress who are plotting
the transatlantic airmail appropria-
ton through the congressional shoals
have voiced the opinion that four
round trips q week between the
United States and London will be in
operation by November /.
The trans-Caribbean route from
Miami to Panama, for more than a
half decade the longest unbroken
oVer-water jump on any world trans
port line, has been the great training
ground for ocean crews. From it were
graduated the crews now operating
across the Pacific and from it will
come the men who will fly the
Atlantic.
On December 2, 1880, the first trip
over this route was flown. Since
then Pan-American flying boats of
various types have flown the route
regularly, two round-trips a week,
making a total of more than 2,4O0
crossings of the Caribbean without
incident of any kind and with only
rare interruptions of service during
hurricane periods. The small, twin
engined amphibions with which the
route was inaugurated have been sup
planted by 40-passenger, four -engined
flying boats of the clipper type which
will cross the Atlantic. Flying time
for the 1900 miles has been cut from
two days to IL hours.
INCIDENTALLY, the difficulties
which have arisen to prevent Pan
American AirWays from completing
the last leg of its trans-Pacific service
have been ironed out and regular serv-
ice over the final gap, from Manila to
the China coast, is expected to begin
soon. Scores of schedules have been
flown successfully between San Fran
cisco and Manila. The service already
has proved tremendous boon to busi-
ness between the United States and
the Orient; during the Pacific mar
itime strike, it was the only form of
transportation between San Fran
cisco and Honolulu
Extension of service from Manila
to Macao will complete an Hunted
States airmail route more than half
way around the globe 1t is by far
the longest and fastest interconti-
mental service in the world Airline
distance between New York and Hong
Kong is l1,601 miles. Airline dis
tance around the world in the lati-
tude of New York is about 21,000
miles. Flying time from New York to
Hong Kong is six and one-half days.
Best surface transport time is 31a
days.
Pan-American since 1880 has made
intensive studies in connection with
the coming Atlantic service; a def
mite part of this study relating to
service between this country and Ber-
muda, British possession. I'm
perial Airways also has been active
on the Bermuda United States route.
1t is claimed that any of the four
engined Pan-American clippers now
IN service on the trans Caribbean and
eastern routes to Rio and Buenos
Aires, are suitable for trans Atlantic
service, though the larger types now
in process of development or con-
struction are preferred. Technically,
Pan-American is equipped to go into
full service at any time, it is said.
The Bermuda government, with the
aid of the British air ministry and
Imperial Airways engineers have COM
pleted construction of terminal base
for their service at Darrells Island,
near Hamilton, Bermuda. 1t is there
that the Cavalier has been assembled
and is being made ready for test
flights. Following completion of the
trials, the British are planning a.
series of experimental flights between
Bermuda and various points along the
coast. possibly north to the maritime
provinces of Canada and south to the
British Bahamas. The purpose is not
only for actual surveys but also to pro-
vide a graduated type of practice for
the British flight crews who have not
had comparable over water flying ex-
perience to the Pan-American crews.
A THUMBNAIL sketch OF the new
Empire flying boat would not be
an1iss, since it is likely Americans will
see much of these big aircraft during
coming months. They were built BY
Short Brothers, Rochester England.
and they are an entirely new type of
transport aircraft for the British.
They are similar in keel lines and
other respects to the Sikorsky-type
clippers of Pan-American, although
they are smaller. They are licensed to
carry gross weight of $4,000 pounds,
as against $4,000 for the Sikorsky.
They are 88 feet long and "a feet
high and the wing span is ia feet.
They are powered with four Pegasus
engines Of TAO horsepower each.
Their top speed is said to be about
210 miles per hour, with a cruising
speed of somewhere between 100 and
ITO miles per hour.
As arranged for the 750-mile Ber-
muda-New York hop, they will be able
to carry Is daytime passengers. For