Wings Over Africa

Across Cranwell Airdrome, near Lincoln, England, stretches a mile-long runway. It was built four years ago by the Royal Air Force to launch a giant monoplane on a nonstop flight to Cape Town.

The plane traversed northern Africa, crashed into the 11,000-ft. Atlas Mountains, killed both its pilots. Successive attempts also failed. Under Sir Samuel Hoare and the late Lord Thomson, the Air Ministry kept at the project, less intent upon hanging up a distance record than upon a demonstration of wings-across-the-Empire.

Last week another ship stood at the head of the Cranwell runway. Like the first one, it was a Fairey-Napier. But it was equipped with improvements learned from the previous experiences. A "robot" steering device was installed. Running gear was made double-strong for rough landings. A cabin hatch was cut for observations of the stars. Fuel tanks were built to hold 1,000 gal. In the cabin was a bed for the pilot off watch. Experts spent months in plotting the course for favorable topography and weather.

Into the Fairey before dawn one day last week, climbed Squadron Leader Oswald Robert Gayford, 41, a stolid sharp-beaked pilot long seasoned in the R. A. F. After him went a handsome youngster named Flight-Lieut. Gilbert E. Nicholetts. As the big plane lumbered down the concrete runway, sparks spouted comet-like from her tailskid. It was 7:15 a.m. By 7 :15 p. m. she was roaring across the north coast of Africa. During most of the day, the "robot" controls had steadied her through thick weather. Not until they were over the Sahara that night could the pilots take a star sight.

On the second day, after passing Nigeria, the robot pilot quit, leaving the human pilots to guess their way through rain squalls and the second night.

On the third day the flyers picked up the coastline, had only to follow it as far as they could: Fuel ran low, so they landed at Walfish ("Whalefish") Bay, 770 mi., short of Cape Town. Total distance: 5,340 mi., a non-stop distance record. Flying time: 57 hr. 25 min.

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Capt. James A. Mollison, the Scotsman who flew the North Atlantic "uphill" (east-to-west) last year, flew from Lympne to Brazil in 3 days, 10 hr.

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