Lockheed Plane

For Australia-NG Service

RESIDENTS of Papua and New Guinea will be interested to learn that the air service, at present conducted by Messrs. W. R. Carpenter & Co., between Australia and the two Territories, will shortly be augmented by the addition of new Lockheed-Fourteen planes capable of carrying 12 passengers and 1,500 lb. of freight.

One Lockheed arrived at an Australian port from America early this month, and, as this journal goes to press, preliminary test flights are being carried out. It is expected that the new plane will take its place on the run to New Guinea and Papua at the end of May.

The Lockheed-Fourteen is of similar design to the Lockheed Electra—twin engined, low wing and retractable land ing gear—but is just about twice as big. It has a wing-span of 65 ft. 6 in., length 44 ft. 4 in., weight 17,500 lb., maximum speed 240 m.p.h., and cruising speed 204 m.p.h.

For some time Messrs. Carpenter & Co. have carried on their service with one aeroplane—a DHB6; and, quite recently, they re-arranged the time-table so that the plane flew direct to Rabaul (NG), back to Cairns (Q), returned to Port Moresby (Papua), and thence back to Sydney. It was reported in February that the Co. had been given permission to purchase two Douglas aeroplanes; but, as the Douglas Aeroplane Co. was busy with British war orders, no planes were available. It was then reported that efforts were being made to purchase two Lockheed-Fourteens.