European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 10, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                V amp a Ltd amp aft it a j a. A a a replica of 1919 plane to duplicate historic trip clockwise from above Pilot Lang Kidby stands by the propeller of the Quot Shell spirit of Brooklands Quot i my the reassembled plane sits in a Mildenhall hangar Dan Nelson Lefta senior Fabricator with Vickers Vimy replica gets help from master sgt. Carl Kwiatkowski Center and tech. Sgt. Alan Herzberg both with the 100 Maint so at Raf Mildenhall in attaching a wheel. By Nancy l. Torner us Bureau history will be relived this month and next when a replica of the first aircraft to Fly from England to Australia 75 years ago duplicates the trip. The Quot Shell spirit of Brooklands Quot Vimy a. Copy of a Vickers Vimy is scheduled to take off sunday from the Farnborough International 94 air show about 35 Miles Southwest of London on the first leg of the approximately 11,250-mile flight. The original 1919 flight by a Vickers Vimy a twin engine aircraft built in Brooklands England As a bomber for world War i was made after the War ended. Its australian pilots Brothers Ross and Keith Smith Are credited with expanding aviation possibilities As a result of their flight. The Smiths journey will be retraced in an aircraft piloted by american Peter Mcmillan 35, and australian Lang Kidby 47. The trip is expected to last 35 Days. Quot anyone who travels by air plane today owes a debt to the courageous Crew who risked All Back in 1919 to prove that it was possible for one air plane to travel from England to Australia Quot said Mcmillan a san Francisco stockbroker. Quot not Only was it key to the future of aviation but it also linked the continents of Europe and Asia As never  Mcmillan has been handling most of the financing of the operation while Kidby who flew with the Royal air Force for 15 years has been responsible for getting the aircraft built. Construction took about 13 months and Cost about $1.2 million said Kidby who was interviewed recently at Raf Mildenhall England where the aircraft was reassembled after being transported from the . On a military aircraft Quot we re getting a tremendous amount of help Here at Mildenhall Quot Kidby said. Mildenhall service members helped unload the aircraft from a . Air Force c-5 Galaxy from Travis fab calif., a spokesman for the base said. The 68-foot wings and front fuselage were dismantled and secured on pallets at Travis in order to fit the Quot Shell spirit of Brooklands Quot Vimy into the military plane and when needed Mildenhall personnel also helped the Vimy s technical Crew to reassemble the aircraft the spokesman said. The . Army also contributed to the commemorative flight Kidby said by allowing the Vimy Crew to build and test Fly the aircraft at Hamilton Field in California which no longer is used by the military. Also the . Navy donated a life raft for the aircraft Crew . Major project sponsors  Oil co., which will Supply All the air fuel As it did for the 1919 flight and the National geographic society which will have a news teams flying alongside the aircraft to document the anniversary flight. The flight began As an idea tossed around by the duo during a camping trip Kidby said. Quot i think we had too Many Beers and this is what happened Quot . The primary motivation for following through Kidby said has been that Quot we think it s a very important flight that has been forgotten. Everybody s heard about Charles Lindbergh. But some of these Early pioneers Are completely  the commemorative flight is one that at least Kidby and Mcmillan Are unlikely to forget. They will be flying about 80 Mph at an average Altitude of about 5,000 feet with nothing More than goggles and a Windshield to protect them from the elements. Their journey will require flying an average of five hours a Day although one stretch will keep them in the air for 10 hours. They will Fly Over 17 nations including Egypt saudi Arabia Iran Pakistan India Thailand Singapore and Indonesia Kidby said. Even though the plane can remain airborne for More than five hours without refuelling it s not particularly desirable Quot with your head stuck out in the wind Quot Kidby said. Quot the cockpit in t too bad. But the weather is going to be a  the duo will make 40 stops along the Way to refuel and to abide by customs requirements Kidby said. The original flight took 27 Days and required Only 30 landings . Quot we re making More stops because of customs Quot Kidby said. Quot the airspace clearances have been just  the duo plan to finish their journey on oct. 13 in Darwin Australia. After that the future of the plane is Uncertain. Quot we be got lots of opportunities Quot Kidby said. Quot maybe Well do the air show season around the states maybe Well do the Atlantic flight from the United states to the United kingdom next year. But it All depends on  $ the replica of a Vickers Vimy prepares to land at Brooklands England during a practice flight last month. The aircraft that could ickers Vimy aircraft never got a Chance to serve during War world i As was intended when the English bomber was. Designed and built in 1918 yet the aircraft still managed on two separate occasions to make a name for itself. When world War i ended Vickers Vimy aircraft were converted into airliners for commercial use according to information sheets from the National geographic society and the Brooklands museum in Weybridge England. The aircraft s Story might have ended there had the London s daily mail newspaper not offered the then grand sum of 10,000 pounds in Early 1919 to the pilots of the first aircraft that could Fly nonstop from North America to Europe. T a although Many believed that the Vickers Vimy was too heavy to make such a Long trip pilots John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown disagreed according to the information  two believed that the plane Vyas certain to hold enough fuel to make the trip. The duo took off from Newfoundland Canada on june 14, 1919, and arrived 16 hours later in Ireland. In Spring 1919, australian prime minister . Quot Billy Quot Hughes offered a prize of 10,000 pounds to the pilots who could Fly the 11,250 Miles from England to Australia in less than 30 Days. Many pilots attempted the journey but two Brothers Ross Smith an australian flying Squadron world War i Pilot and Keith a Royal air Force Pilot were the successful ones according to the information sheets. The Brothers Mode of transportation was a Vickers Vimy a eau which Ross Smith nicknamed Quot god Elp All of  the duo took off from Hounslow near London on nov. 12, 1919, and landed in Darwin Australia 27 Days later on dec. 12. Excerpts from Ross Smith s Logbook of the flight reported that during the first 24 hours in the open cockpit the Crew was coated with Snow. Quot the icy wind penetrated our thick clothing and it was with greatest difficulty that i could work the machine. Our breaths condensed on our faces and face masks and iced up our goggles and helmets Quot he wrote. Conditions changed Over Egypt India Thailand and Singapore wher6 the duo encountered melting heat dust and heavy turbulence according to the information sheets. And Many of their landings had to be made on makeshift runways. A Nancy Tomer a amps photos by Marc Mcfann 16 the stars and stripes saturday september 10, 1994 the stars and stripes 17