The S.S. Westphalen cleared the port of Bremerhaven last week with a curious destination on her logbook: “Long. 25° W. Lat. 5° X.” There, in the South Atlantic. just above the Equator and midway between Africa and South America, the Westphalen was to drop anchor and remain indefinitely as a way station for transoceanic aircraft. Onetime freight steamer of the North German Lloyd, the Westphalen has been rebuilt for seadrome purposes. Most ingenious device is the landing apron, an enormous sheet of tarpaulin criss-crossed by wooden laths. The apron trails in the water from the steamer’s stern. A seaplane or amphibian alighting at the station taxies up the apron to be hoisted aboard— apron and all. For taking off there are catapults on the Westphalen’s deck. Also she provides radio, weather forecasting paraphernalia, fuel etc. The Westphalen was chartered by Germany’s Lufthansa, which hopes to beat both France and Italy in the race for the first heavier-than-air service to South America. If successful. Lufthansa will co-ordinate the schedules of Dornier flying boats with the sailings of the Graf Zeppelin, making a weekly round-trip service.
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