The De Haviland 4’s were built in large numbers by Dayton Wright Company and equipped with Liberty engines for fighting on the western front. Some of these rebuilt machines are being used for aero mail service between Chicago, Cleveland, and New York.
Foreign Aero Mail Service
Aero mail service has been started in nearly every country in Europe, and many South American countries are also making plans for carrying mail by aeroplane. In May, 1919, Mr. Joaquin Bonilla, son of the President of Honduras, visited the United States to see about arranging to use New Orleans as one base and Tegucigalpha as another for the aero mail landing-places.
Mr. V. H. Barranco, of Cuba, is also in this country for President Menocole, of Cuba, to arrange aero mail between Key West and Havana, Cuba.
The French aerial mail service officially started on March 1, 1919, between Paris and Bordeaux, Marseilles, Toulouse, Brest, and St. Nazaire, under the supervision of the director of civilian aeronautics.
The Paris-Lille Mail Service.—The aeroplanes engaged in the Paris-Lille mail service which had been instituted in April, 1919, started from the Le Bourget aerodrome. The machines and pilots engaged had been lent to the postal authorities by the military authorities.
A daily postal service has been started between Avignon and Nice also. An aeroplane carries mails for Nice left at Avignon by the Paris-Lyons train which arrives at midnight. A machine will also deliver mails from Nice at Avignon in time for the midnight train for Paris. A regular postal service by aeroplane is also announced between Rabat (Morocco) and Algiers.
Great Britain.—London-Paris (240 miles). Daily passenger service, weather permitting, by means of twin-engined D. H. 10 biplanes. Now being jointly organized by the Aircraft Transport and Travel (Ltd.), of London, and the Compagnie Generale Transaerienne, of Paris. Average time, two and one-half to three hours.
British aerial highways now in operation: (1) London to Hadeigh (79 miles). (2) London to Dover (65 miles). (3) London to Easteigh (53 miles) to Settenmeyer (152 miles). (4) London to Bristol (95 miles). (5) London to Witney (55 miles) to Bromwich (51 miles) to North Shotwick (72 miles), and to Dublin, Ireland (143 miles). (6) London to Wyton (63 miles) to Harlaxton (41 miles) to Carlton (28 miles) to Doncaster (28 miles) to York (27 miles) to Catterick (38 miles) to Redcar (26 miles). Catterick to New Castle (42 miles) to Urnhouse, Scotland (95 miles) to Renfrew, Scotland (40 miles). New Castle to Renfrew (124 miles). (7) London to Hucknall (114 miles) to Sheffield (50 miles) to Manywellheights (97 miles). Hucknall to Didsbury (52 miles) to Scalehall (50 miles) to Luge Bay (99 miles) to Aldergrove and Belfast, Ireland (55 miles). Luge Bay to Renfrew, Scotland (72 miles).
Italy.—(1) Civitavecchia-Terranova, Sardinia (150 miles). Daily mail service by means of flying-boats. Inaugurated June 27, 1917; temporarily discontinued during the winter of 1917-18; reopened in March, 1918. Average time, 2 hours. (2) Venice-Trieste (170 miles). (3) Venice-Pola (80 miles). (4) Ancona-Fiume (130 miles). (5) Ancona-Sara (90 miles). (6) Brindisi-Cattaro (150 miles). (7) Brindisi-Valeona (100 miles).