London, July 21.
A radio message from the seaplane Mercury, the upper component of the Short-Mayo composite aircraft, which took off from Foynes, Ireland, at 8 o'clock last evening, British summer time, stated that the plane arrived over Cape Bauld, most northerly point of Newfoundland, at 9.29 am. today, British summer time.
After her successful crossing the Atlantic the plane continued on her way, and at 2.30 this afternoon, B.S.T., radioed that she was nearing Quebec and might land. Earlier she had stated that she expected to land at Montreal at 330 pin, BST.
The Mercury was in constant wireless communication with the land throughout the flight across the Atlantic.
She crossed the Atlahtic from Foynes in thirteen hours and 29 minutes, compared with fourteen hours and 24 minutes taken by the Imperial Airways flying-boat Cambria from Foynes to Botwood.
Crossing Made at 150 mph.
At the time when the radio message was sent out announcing her arrival over Cape Bauld, the Mercury was flying in clouds, at a height of 5,000 feet, and was heading for Montreal, The Atlantic crossing was made at a speed of just under 150 miles per hour.
Carrying a thousand gallons of petrol and the first commercial freight across the North Atlantic by plane, including films of the Royal visit to Paris, the seaplane Mercury, left Foyne heading for Montreal and New York via Botwood, New-found land.
The Mercury was launched in the air from the back of its mothereraft, ihe Maia, which was subsequently brought back to Foynes by its pilot. Captain A. S. Wilcockson, Chief of Imperial Airways Atlantic Division.
The Mercury is being piloted by Captain D. C. Bernett, also of Imperial Airways. A number of Ministry and Imperial Airway officials witnessed the take-off in favourable weather.
In preparation for her crossing of the Atlantic the Mercury was recently fitted with four new engines.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.