The Australian‐Flight Gull: Details of the Modifications made to Sir Charles Kingsford‐Smith's Machine

Abstract

ON October 4th Sir Charles Kingsford‐Smith left Lympne at 4.28 a.m. (G.M.T.) and landed at Wyndham, Australia, at 9.12 a.m. (G.M.T.), thus setting up a new “record” for the flight from England to Australia of 7 days, 4 hours, 44 minutes. On the way he landed at Brindisi (1,350 miles), Baghdad (1,675 miles), Gwadar, Karachi (1,620 miles), Jodhpur, Calcutta (1,450 miles), Akyab, Alor‐Star (1,570 miles), and Sourabaya (1,450 miles), the last stage from Sourabaya to Wyndham, across the Timor Sea, being 1,270 miles. The merit of his performance is not detracted from by the fact that a few days later Mr. C. T. P. Ulm, with two companions, in an Avro 10 with three Wright Whirlwind engines completed the journey from Heath Row Aerodrome to Derby, Western Australia, in 6 days, 17 hours, 56 minutes. Sir Charles was, of course, flying alone in a Percival Gull monoplane with a single 130 h.p. Do Havilland Gipsy Major engine, and his flight is only truly comparable with other solo flights over the same route.

Citation

(1933), "The Australian‐Flight Gull: Details of the Modifications made to Sir Charles Kingsford‐Smith's Machine", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 5 No. 11, pp. 259-260. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb029737