Crowd greets record breaker
A look back at significant moments in the North’s history
A NEW Brisbane to Townsville flight speed record has been set after a Trans Australia Airlines giant turbopropelled Vickers Viscount – the “Hamilton Hume” – made the journey in two hours and 24 minutes.
The flight crew received a tremendous ovation following its allconquering trip, which came to an end at 8.39pm when the Viscount landed at Garbutt Airport.
Delayed in Sydney by an interconnecting flight, the Viscount left Brisbane at 6.10pm and did not get an assisting tailwind.
The onlooking crowd at Garbutt Airport surged forward to get a look at the impressive aircraft and meet the crew of Captain D. E. Longhurst (British Empire Airways), First-officer L. E. Morey and hostesses S. O’donnell and D. Barrett.
Also on board is the Queensland manager for T.A.A. Alan Mcsweyn.
Captain Morey said on arrival at Townsville that the Viscount had averaged 502km an hour during the flight.
They flew at 16,000ft with the cabin pressurised to 2500 feet, and the cabin temperature was controlled to an ideal 18 to 20 degrees.
“If we had a tailwind we would have clipped at least 10 minutes from the standing record”, Captain Morey said.
“There wasn’t a bump or a ripple on the whole flight.”
Captain Moray said he found the Viscount superior to the Convair in handling characteristics, and that the power was such that it was far in excess of what they would ever need.
He added: “This aircraft lives up to everything that the manufacturers claim.”
The Viscount is also a favourite for passengers with its comfort and convenience, and probably the most outstanding comfort feature is the large oval windows at each seat.
The windows measure 66 by 73 centimetres and provide a full view of the countryside at a glance.
Passengers are seated in a foamed rubber cushioned chair which can be moved to any position, and there is ample room for movement of the legs.
Air in the cabin can be renewed every two and a half minutes, and the airconditioning system pumps in 10 cubic feet of air per passenger per minute.
Each of the Viscount’s four engines is a propeller turbine developing 1400 horsepower and each has a fourbladed rotol propeller measuring 25 centimetres in diameter. The aircraft operates on ordinary kerosene which the engines consume at the rate of 1059 litres per hour at normal cruising speed.
The plane itself is 24m long with a wingspan of 28.3m.
An example of the smooth flying of the Vickers Viscount was given by one of the crew during the flight
A cigarette was placed on its end on one of the aircraft’s attachable seat trays and remained firmly upright, revealing a total absence of vibration.
Passengers were reportedly in the air at Townsville for their follow-up trip to Cairns before they realised it, so noiseless was the takeoff.
During the flight – which took 40 minutes – only a low whine could be heard from the engines, and the flight was again steady and smooth.
The aircraft is capable of carrying 44 passengers with baggage and up to 907kg of mail and cargo.
Despite the late hour at which the Hamilton Hume arrived at Cairns, a crowd estimated at over 3000 people, turned out to see it.
T.A.A. officials were elated at the reception given to the aircraft at both cities.
Mr Mcsweyn said the Viscount’s flight had been arranged especially to give the people of North Queensland an opportunity to see the aircraft.
The number of people that came to see it, however, was “staggering,” Mr Mcsweyn said.
T.A.A. has two other Viscounts on regular service is the south.
They are the “John Oxley” and “Gregory Blaxland”.
Orders have been made for more for service this year.