Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/72

AERONAUTICS gigantic craft was 643 feet long, was driven by five engines of 275 horse power each and was capable of a speed of from 40 to 60 miles an hour. She left East Fortune, Scotland, on July 2,, 1919, and landed at Mineola, N.Y., in 108 hours and 12 minutes flying time. The distance was 3,130 miles. Her return to England, July 9-12, was made in 74 hours and 56 minutes. The total distance traveled in the round trip was 6,330 miles, and the time was 183 hours and 8 minutes.

Other notable events in aviation in America were the New York-Toronto air race and the trans-continental race from New York to San Francisco and return. In the first-named contest, the winner was Lieut. B. W. Maynard as regards actual net flying time. He averaged more than two miles a minute for the total distance of 1,042 miles. The same aviator won the trans-continental race, completing the round trip of 5,400 miles in 67 hours, 3 minutes and 40 seconds. In the spring of 1920, a successful flight was made by British aviators from Cairo to the Cape in Africa. On Dec. 10, 1919, Captain Ross Smith, an Australian aviator, landed at Port Darwin, Australia, thus winning the aeroplane race from London to Australia, via India, which had been begun on Nov. 12. The altitude record was made by Major R. Schroeder of America, who rose to a height of 33,113 feet on Feb. 27, 1920.

Aerial mail service has been established in the United States between important cities, and regular cargo and passenger service is maintained by air from London to Paris, Rome to Milan, and from Berlin to various cities of Germany.

Aviation in the World War.—The conflict that convulsed the world for over four years differed from any that