Page:Aerial travel for Business or Pleasure - Thos Cook & Son - 1919.pdf/4

 moves, who can say what that trip may not be the harbinger of in aerial travel? Who dreamed in 1841, when Thomas Cook ran his first trip of twelve miles for the more lowly sum of one shilling, of what that trip, was destined to be the forerunner?

The Times seems to have had something of that sort in mind, for it paid us the unique compliment of directing its readers' attention to the announcement by a notice of its own in its personal column.

The success of those short trips on Handley Page machines at Cricklewood, when close upon a thousand passengers made the flight, shows how keen an interest the public take in aviation. Similar flights will be available for some time, as they afford those who are eager to experience the sensation of flying an opportunity to gratify their desire before embarking on a more ambitious journey.



May 1st, 1919.

No. 3 shows the fuselage fitted as an "aerobus." In this arrangement the whole of the fuselage is utilized as a single saloon. Windows extend the full length along both sides, and the seats are all placed facing forward on each side of a narrow central gangway. This arrangement is intended particularly for large touring parties, and enables the fullest carrying capacity of the machine to be utilized.

The Handley Page machines have already had considerable experience as passenger carriers. During hostilities they conducted a ferry service between England and France for the staff of the Royal Air Force, and since the conclusion of the Armistice they have continued the service for the conveyance of staff and Government officials in connection with the Peace Conference and other business. As already stated, one of these machines alone carried over 700 passengers between England and France during the month of March.

The passenger machines of the Grahame-White Company are also a logical development of the aeroplanes used by that Company for bombing.

No. 4 is an illustration of a machine designed to carry between London and Paris twenty-four passengers housed in comfortable compartments, and 500 lbs, of express parcels. It is driven by three 600 horse-power engines and will do the journey in less than three hours.

No. 5 shows that each compartment of this machine carries twelve passengers, six on either side of a central passage-way. The cars are fitted with side windows or port-holes, so that each passenger has a view outwards during the progress of the flight, while in front of the car, as suggested in the illustration, a small observation platform is provided from which passengers may if they wish have an excellent view on all sides.