FLIGHT ROUND THE WORLD

BRITISH ATTEMPT. TO-DAY’S START FROM CALSHOT

A British attempt to fly round the world will be begun by Squadron-leader A. Stuart Maclaren, D.F.C., from the Calshot Aerodrome, near Southampton, this morning. The first stage ends at Lyons, which it is hoped to reach this afternoon. The route chosen is through the Continent of Europe to Cairo, into the heart of Asia, and on to Tokio, across the Pacific by the Aleutian Islands to Alaska and Vancouver, through the whole length of Canada to Newfoundland, across the Atlantic to Lisbon, with one stop at the Azores, and thence home. The route is approximately 23,254 miles in length, and it is estimated that it can be covered in 292¾ flying hours. Squadron-leader Maclaren hopes to reach Karachi on April 7, Tokio on April 28, Vancouver on May 27, Ottawa on June 5, and London on June 29. He will himself act as navigator and organiser. He will be accompanied by Flying-officer W. N. Plenderleith, who will act as pilot, and by Flight-sergeant R. Andrews, who will be the engineer and mechanic. The flight is not in any sense an official one, though it has received the hearty support of Sir Samuel Hoare, Sir Hugh Trenchard, and Lord Thomson. The Asiatic Petroleum Company, Messrs. Vickers, and Messrs. D. Napier and Son have supplied practically everything that is essential for the flight. Messrs. Vickers have built two amphibian machines specially for the flight. Messrs. Napier have built three special Lion engines for the aeroplane. The Asiatic Petroleum Company have provided stocks of petrol at every place of call round the world. Squadron-leader Maclaren is taking the eastward route round the world in preference to the western, and is flying in the opposite direction from the official American expedition, which set out with the same ambition last week. There is no telling where the two expeditions will pass each other, though it should in the nature of things be somewhere in the region of Tokio.