Mr. K. O. Short is one of the world's pioneer aeroplane builders, beginning with his two brothers as balloon manufacturers, and in 1908 putting up the first factory in Great Britain solely for aeroplane building. Their second aeroplane won the £1,000 prize for the first machine of wholly British design which should fly one circular mile and return to the point from which it started. Other triumphs of the firm were the first landing on water by an aeroplane fitted with flotation gear; the first flight from the deck of a ship; and the first flight up the Thames.
In aeronautical history Mr. Short will hold an honoured place as the pioneer of stressed-skin metal construction. Over 21 years ago he reached the conclusion that aeroplanes could be built with an outer covering of light alloy sheet which should be strong enough to carry loads and stresses imposed on the structure without depending mainly on internal bracing members. Immediately after the War the Short company began to work on these ideas and at the 1920 aeronautical exhibition in London it showed the Silver Streak biplane freighter.
This was the first stressed-skin aeroplane to be built in the world. It contained no wood or fabric except the wood in the airscrew; the wing coverings were metal With a 200 lip. engine the Silver Streak reached a maximum level speed of 120 m.ph. and had a range, at cruising speed of 90 m.p.h.. of 450 Its pay load, excluding crew, Ib, It went satisfactorily h all of its trials, but Mr. Short was in advance of his time, and quantity production of stressed-skin aeroplanes was not to materialize for many years.
Nevertheless, the knowledge gained in building the Silver Streak and subsequent experimental stressed-skin metal craft provided the basis of constructional technique and was turned-to advantage by the Short company in the building of flying-boat hulls and seaplane floats.
London has been brought within 8% days' journey of Hongkong with ihe new Imperial Airways route between Hongkong and Bangkok. This new air line will be a branch of the main England-Australia air route, connecting with the latter at Bangkok, and will supersede the former air line to Hongkong operated by Imperial Airways by way of Penang.
Stopping places will be Udorn, Henoi, and Fort Bayard. The new branch air line is 1,174 miles long. against the 1500 miles of the former route by way of Penang. The change over will result in a more direct journey to Hongkong. and it will be possible to travel from London to Hongkong by Imperial Airways services in 8% days' instead of 9% days as formerly. The service will be maintained by Imperial Airways liners of the Diana class. One airliner will leave Hongkong each Sunday and another will stop for the night at Hanoi and will arrive at their destinations the following day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.