- The book's dedication speaks volumes:
"To Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Kt,
M.C., A.F.C. whose unfailing leadership, sound judgement, and fine airmanship
were grand companions on the Pacific flight of Lady Southern Cross."
- On first sighting the Altair while flying over the
S.S. Mariposa*:
"Flying the Percival Gull in which Kingsford Smith
broke the solo record from England in 1933, I pushed out towards the
Mariposa*, straining my eyes for the first sight of the machine
we knew was sitting on the deck. In the bright sunlight of a perfect
morning I first saw the Lockheed Altair, her tapered wings glistening
below her blue streamlined fuselage, a real thoroughbred: no contraption
of wires and struts and gadgets hanging everywhere; just a wing, a body,
and a tail of perfect form, like a beautiful blue bird poised ready
for flight." (p.5)
* Note: The second edition of "Pacific Flight" (December 1935)
from which this is quoted, shows the name of the ship as Monterey.
Later editions show the ship as the Mariposa. The above quotation
has been amended to show Mariposa which is substantiated by photographic
evidence.
- On having to remove the name "ANZAC":
"In shame at the purpose for which it had been used,
the paper covering the name "Anzac" had blown off one side of the fuselage,
and I saw a very obvious and tough old Anzac standing looking at it.
He had stopped his lorry by the side of the park to come in and see
the Altair. When he saw us he said: 'Yer got a good name for 'er Smithy.
The Diggers are behind yer, boy.' After all, that was what mattered
most." (p.7)
"After some days of negotiation, the machine was registered and we were
permitted to fly her within three miles of Mascot aerodrome. The name
"ANZAC", together with the entire lacquered surface below it , was removed
in the presence of a Customs officer whose duty it was to see that the
name was obliterated before the machine was cleared, and she was christened
Lady Southern Cross, a good name." (p.7-8)
- On being endorsed on the Altair:
"It was shortly after this (a forced landing at Mascot)
that Kingsford Smith offered me the machine to fly myself, so that I
might have it on my commercial pilot's licence. I thought it was rather
sporting of him to allow me to commit aviation in his perfectly good
Centenary Race aeroplane, and the responsibility weighed somewhat heavily."
(p.10)
- On the series of test flights in September 1934:
"The flying tests and practice in our system of working
the machine continued, and Lady Southern Cross had been flown
heavily loaded in good conditions and bad, through day, night, cloud,
rain, heat and cold, up to 16,000 feet, across 2100 miles of continent
in 10 hours; she flew 200 miles at an average speed of 272 miles per
hour and she floated sedately in to land at 55 miles per hour. To our
entire satisfaction and admiration, she had proved herself to be a sound
and highly efficient aircraft in which we could tackle the 12,000 miles
of somewhat concentrated aviation from London to Melbourne with complete
confidence - but she was not yet International Conventionally airworthy."
(p.29)
- On the extra fuel tanks installed in Australia:
"The next day Wackett produced designs for fuel tanks,
and had worked out an astonishing array of curves relating to revs,
horse-power, weight and consumption, which showed that if we ran the
engine at its most economical speed in relation to the all-up weight
of the aircraft, we could fly for a distance of 4090 miles in still
air with the additional tankage that it was possible to fit in the machine."
(p.36)
"Wackett undertook to have all the work on the machine completed by
20 October, and in this he did not fail us; a miracle, and surely the
first time an aeroplane has ever been ready for a long-distance flight
on the appointed date. He designed two new wing tanks, each of 38 gallons
capacity, and one 20 gallon tank under Smithy's seat. This gave us a
total fuel capacity of 514 imperial gallons. The 20 gallon oil tank
was more than enough for the very economical Wasp motor. With full tanks
the wing loading would be 29 lb. per square foot; very high; but a reasonable
power loading of 17 lb. per horse-power brought the composite loading
to 46, by no means an impossible figure. Actually we proposed to take
off with nearly 200 gallons more than we were permitted to carry for
the I.C.A.N. race requirements. It would be interesting to see how she
dealt with it. Neither Kingsford Smith nor I had the slightest doubt
about the ability of the Altair to easily get away with it." (p.37)
"By 16 October things were really taking shape in the preparation of
the Lady Southern Cross. The wing had been opened up outside
the existing wing tanks, two 38-gallon aluminium tanks had been made
and slung in straps between the spars, and the plywood replaced with
a surface that actually was rather better than the original, and remained
so throughout the flight. The front cockpit tank had also been strapped
to the floor, and formed a seat on which it was just possible for Kingsford
Smith to sit without bumping his head on the roof." (p.58)
- With fuel tanks everywhere, where did they put their luggage?:
"Smithy's cockpit is so completely filled with gadgets
that there is no stowage space of any kind. His luggage is a tooth-brush.
I feel a traitor because I have shaving-kit and pyjamas." (p.75)
- Mister Smith:
"For some reason
Smithy is called 'Mr Smith' throughout the length and breadth of Queensland.
It is not done for any apparent reason or from any objection to addressing
him correctly, but he just is 'Mr Smith' in Queensland." (p.75)
- Some more thoughts on the Altair whilst en route from San Francisco
to Los Angeles:
"There is satisfaction in the fact that from a very
unfortunate situation we have emerged with absolutely unshaken faith
in the airworthiness and performance of the Lockheed Altair. As I sit
in the fuselage I have not now the faintest interest in what loading
she was entitled to carry in the race. I know what she can carry,
and am filled with admiration at the way she has done it. Whether British,
foreign, or without nationality, the smallest shred of sportmanship
demands that the Altair receive the credit that is due to her. She is
a remarkably fine aircraft." (p.251)
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