Faster Than a Speeding Ocean Liner

 

On this date in 1932, Imperial Airways’ Handley Page HP.42, G-AAXF, named Helena, departed Croydon Aerodrome, South London, England, on the first leg of the airline’s new intercontinental mail service to South Africa. The flights would leave Croydon Wednesday and arrive at Cape Town on Friday, ten days later. The route was London, Cairo, Khartoum, Juba, Nairobi, Mbeya, Salisbury, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The initial flights carried mail only, but scheduled passenger service was soon added.  The HP.42 could carry 20 passengers and a large amount of baggage. The cost of the flight from London to Cape Town was $178.00 (£130). The HP.42 had a cruise speed of 96 miles per hour and a maximum speed of 120 miles per hour and a range of 500 miles.