Beavers to Replace

Drovers in P-N

QANTAS announced in Ne Guinea, on August 18, that expected to take delivery four Beaver aircraft by the end ( the year.

They will replace the Drovei which were found unsuitable f( light aircraft work in the Territo] after modifications had been ma( to them. There is only one Drovi there now.

The Beaver has a cruising spec of 135 mph and a ceiling of 19,0( feet. It can be fitted with skis < floats.

Although single-engined, it has high margin of safety. Enginee: will be given special maintenam training for these planes.

Drover aircraft, which were mam factured in Australia, are an al metal, three-engined plane. I originally supplied in NG, they we] fast, with a high rate of climb. Tv serious accidents occurred in tl Territory in the early part of the service there—one plane plunge into the sea off Lae and was neve recovered. The pilot and his hall dozen passengers were killed.

The propeller came off anothe Drover between Wewak and Mam and the three men on board wei rescued —one of them badly injure —after an uncomfortable time in rubber raft. All Drovers—those i Australia as well as those in PNG were grounded for some time afte the latter accident, and modifies tions were made to the propellers.

We understand that De Havilan has now ceased manufacturin Drovers.

Mr. R. W. Robson, editor an publisher of the “Pacific Islanc Monthly,” visited Papua and H Guinea in Aug.-Sept. He will leav Sydney again, for New Caledoni and Fiji, in mid-October.