Imperial Airways Map of the Air Route

[Doug E Style]

I have recently acquired a box of odds and ends from a long-deceased relative who used to work at Filton during the Concorde era. The most interesting item is an Imperial Airways Map of the Air Route between Egypt and Australia dated 1935-6 (price 2 shillings). It's about the size of an Ordnance Survey map and folds out like a concertina to over two metres long. It's double sided with maps showing the route and the many refuelling points along the way with the magnetic course and distance between each. There are also black and white photos of some of the en route landmarks.
Does anybody know if this is a particularly rare item? I've been checking Ebay for a while and haven't seen any there yet but there does seem to be quite an interest in Imperial Airways memorabilia.

[Fantome]

Give Alexander Frater a ring, author of 'BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON', the marvelous story of his retracing of that Imperial Airways route. He probably still lives in London and is a most approachable fellow. Seem to recall I found him in the phone book living in Windsor. Anyway, there was at the time only one A Frater listed.

[WHBM]

Similar to this, which is April 1935 ?

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttima...s/iaw35u-3.jpg

You will find all the pages of the Imperial timetable this map was taken from here, just select the relevant "click to view the complete timetable" item.

Imperial Airways - Indian Trans-Continental Airways

[Doug E Style]

WHBM, it's much more detailed than the map you posted the link to but there is no timetable information. At the start it says:

"This folder has been specially produced as a guide and souvenir for passengers. The map included is accurate and drawn to a scale of 64 miles to one inch, and conforms in detail as far as possible to the Pilots' flying maps produced for Imperial Airways Limited by "RaynOil" Maps Limited. Mileages and magnetic courses are shewn (sic) throughout the map and the air views are of towns or places all of which are either flown over or passed near by.

It should be particularly interesting to passengers to calculate roughly the flying time from place to place, and then with the air view as reference be able to locate one's approach to a place of landing.

We particularly mention air views of towns and harbours between Singapore and Port Darwin, most of which are flown directly over.

All the air views in this folder are located on the map by the name of the town or place being framed in red."

I will gladly email some photos of the maps if you send a PM with your email address.

[WHBM]

Raynoil were the cartographers who produced Imperial Airways' charts through the 1930s, and did some maps like this one aimed at the retail market as well. Two shillings would be about £5 nowadays.

1939 | 1861 | Flight Archive

Mrs WHBM sends her greetings, but regarding your kind offer wishes it to be known that the house has quite enough old air timetables in boxes all around, without getting into maps as well !