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Official Guide to the Government Court: N.Z. Centennial Exhibition

Air Department

page 7

Air Department

The great expansion of air services throughout the world during the last few years has brought aviation more and more before the general public, and there can be no doubt that people are, to-day, more "air-minded" than ever before. In New Zealand last year 53,039 passengers were carried on the regular air services, and, but for the outbreak of the war, no doubt this figure would have been considerably increased this year. The transtasman and Pan American Pacific services were also to be inaugurated this year.

The Air Display has been arranged to show how aviation has progressed from its infancy to the present day. One exhibit, "See How They Fly", consists of a series of dioramas and photographs depicting the development of flying from the earliest I known form of life to the modern aircraft, and shows just how engines are able to lift aircraft.

There is a large revolving globe showing various air routes of the world. Another item which is of great interest is a large oval map of the world showing, by means of many little lights shaped like aeroplanes, the routes over which the Royal Air Force and the Dominions' Air Forces fly for service purposes.

The more mechanically-minded visitors will be greatly interested in the sectioned and full-scale working models of the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Bristol Pegasus engines. There are also exhibits of various engine parts and instrument equipment.

Quite a number of models of aeroplanes are on display, while a full-size cut-out of a Wellington Bomber is hung in the Motor Court and gives a good idea of how these machines look when actually flying.