- 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)
- 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)
|
