EMPIRE AIR ROUTES
Issued by Lambert & Butler

1: MAP OF ENGLAND - SOUTH AFRICA ROUTE
The most important services operated by Imperial Airways, and Subsidiary and Associated Companies, include: four services a week to Greece and Egypt, two services a week to Palestine, Iraq, India, Siam, Malaya, Australia, and once a week to China: two services a week to Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, the Union of South Africa and places en route: also a weekly service to Nigeria (at present for mails only). Our map shows the route through Africa. The first twenty-five cards in this series describe this fascinating journey over desert, bush, and the big game lands, and the remainder the journey to Australia.
Click here to view enlarged map

2: THE "HERACLES" AT CROYDON
Services leave the airport of London, Croydon, for South Africa every Friday and Tuesday. Passengers are conveyed from the town departure station to the airport in a bus, which is shown in the picture near the air liner Heracles, after passengers' baggage has been loaded aboard the air liner. The first part of our journey is to Paris, and may be made in an airliner of the Heracles class (see card No. 4), or the Scylla class (see card No. 3)

3: GOING ABROAD THE IMPERIAL AIRWAYS LINER "SCYLLA"
The illustration shows passengers going aboard the Scylla at the Airport of London, Croydon, for the journey to Paris en route for South Africa. There are two liners in the Scylla class, the Scylla and Syrinx. They each have a span of 113 ft., a length of 86 ft. 3 in., and a height of 29 ft. 6 in. Their weight, fully loaded, is over 14 tons, and they are capable of a speed of 130 m.p.h. There are four Bristol Jupiter engines, each of 555 h.p. There is accommodation for 39 passengers and a crew of 5, and a kitchen is provided on board from which meals are served. The Scylla was built by Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford), Ltd.

4: THE "HERACLES" LEAVING CROYDON
We show the Heracles, used on the route between London and Paris, being signalled to take up a position on the aerodrome preparatory to taking-off from the Airport of London, Croydon (see card No. 6). There are two liners in the Heracles class, the Heracles and the Horatius. They each have a span of 130 ft., a length of 89 ft. 9 in., and a height of 27 ft. 3 in. Their weight, fully loaded, is over 13 tons and they are capable of a speed of 130 m.p.h. There are four Bristol Jupiter engines, each of 555 h.p. There is accommodation for 38 passengers and a crew of 5, and a kitchen is provided on board from which meals are served. The Heracles was built by Handley Page, Ltd.

5: "ENSIGN" - THE NEW IMPERIAL AIR LINER
Twelve air liners of this class are under construction for Imperial Airways by Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd., for use on the European and Empire services. With a span of 123 ft., a length of 110 ft., and a height of 23 ft., each liner will be fitted with four engines of 750 h.p. each, built by Armstrong Siddeley Motors. Ltd., and giving a speed of 200 m.p.h. (approx.). The weight, fully loaded, will be approx. 20 tons. On the European routes 43 passengers will be carried and a crew of 5. On the Empire routes there will be accommodation for 27 passengers by day, and 20 by night, when sleeping berths will be installed. There will be a crew of 4.

6: "ALL CLEAR" - LOOK-OUT MAN  GIVES TAKE-OFF SIGNAL
When the air liner has taxied away from the tarmac, it takes up a position facing into the wind. Our picture shows the look-out man giving the signal with the signalling lamp for the air liner to take-off. While one of these air liners is leaving or arriving, no other machine is allowed to take-off or land. From the Control Tower, Government officials supervise the flight of air liners on the route to and from the Continent. The Captain of an air liner has two great aids, meteorology and wireless, and in conditions of bad visibility he is able to determine his position by wireless direction finding.

7: CAPTAIN OF THE "SCYLLA"
However perfect an air liner may be, she is of no use unless her Captain and Officers are experienced men; all the Officers of Imperial Airways are men having great knowledge of flying, aerial navigation, wireless and aeronautical engineering. The Captain shown in our picture has flown over one million miles and has spent 10,000 hours in the air, and there are several other captains with like experience. All Imperial Airways liners are dual-controlled, and some of the instruments used in the control of the Scylla may be seen in the illustration.

8: THE "SCYLLA" LANDING AT LE BOURGET
Our route to Paris is over the wooded Kent hills and the green Sussex countryside. We fly out over the coast near Hastings and St. Leonards, and then over the English Channel. Soon we see the fields of Northern France and small woods interspersed with villages. We fly via Beauvais over the river Oise, and a gradual descent is made to Le Bourget, the Airport of Paris, where our air liner Scylla is seen arriving.

9: PASSENGERS BOARDING THE "SCIPIO" AT BRINDISI
After crossing Europe, we go aboard the Scipio at Brindisi, Italy, for our journey over the Mediterranean. There are two flying-boats in the Scipio class, the Scipio and the Satyrus. They have a span of 113 ft., a length of 78 ft. 5 in., and a height of 23 ft. Their weight, fully loaded, is over 14 tons, and they are capable of a speed of 135 m.p.h. There are four Bristol Jupiter engines, each of 555 h.p. There is accommodation for 16 passengers and a crew of 4; a kitchen is provided on board, from which meals are served, and also a library. The Scipio was built by Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford), Ltd.

10: "CANOPUS" - THE NEW EMPIRE FLYING-BOAT
Twenty-eight of these boats are under construction for Imperial Airways by Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford), Ltd., and they will be used on the Empire routes. With a span of 114 ft., a length of 88 ft. 6 in., and a height of 31 ft. 10 in., their four engines, each of 740 h.p., built by the Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd., will give a speed of 200 m.p.h. (approx.). Their weight, full loaded, will be 18 tons (approx.). There will be accommodation for 24 passengers during the day and 16 at night, when sleeping berths will be installed. The crew will consist of a Captain, First Officer, radio operator, ship's clerk and steward. There will be 2 decks, 4 saloons (including a smoking cabin), and a kitchen.

11: THE "SCIPIO" OVER ATHENS
From Brindisi we cross the mouth of the Adriatic, pass over the island of Corfu, and then fly down the west coast of Greece. When over the Gulf of Corinth, we see the Corinth Canal, cutting through the Isthmus of Corinth. The canal was projected centuries ago and was begun by Nero. We then fly to Athens and our picture shows the Scipio flying high above the city. The Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Parthenos, can be seen on the rocky crag of the Acropolis. After having taken fuel aboard at Athens, the Scipio starts on her crossing of the Mediterranean, passing down the islands on the east coast of Greece via Crete, where the Imperial Airways motor yacht Imperia is stationed. She is used as a wireless station and refuelling point.

12: ALEXANDRIA HARBOUR
This photographs shows the harbour where the Imperial Airways flying-boats alight at Alexandria after crossing the Mediterranean. Alexandria is the junction for the Imperial Airways service to Palestine, Iraq, India, Malaya and Australia, and the one through Africa. The city was founded in 332 B.C. by Alexander the Great as a seaport to serve Egypt from Greece. Owing to its important strategical position, it has suffered much through the centuries at the hands of invaders. Modern Alexandria is a great commercial city and a busy port. The picturesque Oriental quarters, with their bazaars and mosques, provide an interesting contrast to the spacious European streets and squares.

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