The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-10

have oyertaken various other pioneers
in long flights over seas. Claude
Grahame- White has decided to essay
the passage of the Atlantic In an air.
ship during the summer or fall of the
present year.
Grahame-White was the winner of
the Gordon Bennett cup in 1910 and
has been the hero of hundred other
exploits of equal skill and daring. He
is the leading English aviator and
probably one of the most skilled and
daring pioneers of his art.
The details of his latest project are
by no means so complete as to justify
their being divulged in full. Many
essential points are yet to be de-
cided. But the plans for the con-
struction of the machine, are we'll adj
vanced and work on It will be COM
menced at an early date in the
Grahame White Company's factory at
Hendon, adjacent to the London aero
drofne.
AS a matter OF fact, explained
Grahame White recently. upon being
interviewed by a Sun correspondent.
the whole affair is supposed to be
secret. ! had no idea that the news
of 1t had got to America. but the
scheme has been hobby of mine for
a long time past and ! have been
planning at 1t off and on various
ways before deciding upon any def
mite machine or type of machine.
II have got so far as to have drawn
plans Of the projected machine. 1t Is
a hydroaeropiane of great power and
quite unlike any other hydroaeroplane
as yet In existence.
ut will be constructed at our Hen
don works and will naturally require
exhaustive tests before and such en-
terprise as crossing the Atlantic can
be attempted.
Roughly speaking. the plans pro-
vide for huge aeroplane OF great
sustaining capacity, which will be
driven by four engines. each of $50
horsepower, and will he capable af
carrying six people in addition to
sary for the, trip.
1t Is calculated that the COM
,bined engines. producing 1000 horse
power, will drive the machine at a
rate of at least 100 miles an hour
Greater speeds have been attained by
smaller aeroplanes driven by engines
OF a relatively lower power That
should enable us to cover the distance
across the ocean in from twenty to
thirty hours
When questioned as to the parti-
cular type of engine that would be
used, Mr.. Grahame- White frankly
admitted that none had as yet been
decided upon
That" he said, will be one main
difficulty No aero engines of ouch
high power have as yet been designed.
put the constructors Of aeroplane en-
gines are now so skilled that I don't
think there win be any difficulty
about finding a reliable firm willing
want . AA@ - f"'
1t may be mentioned parentheticar.
~ al this point In the interview that
less imam a month ago some remark.
Apie demonstrations were made over
the Seine. at Issy les Moulineaux
near Paris. by the pilot Dugere In a
soisin hydroaerobus, so called. 1t
carried SIX passengers, weighed over
TWO TONS and was propelled by a C,ier
get motor OF 200 horsepower. The
C'srget motors come in three stand
ards: Four cylinders of 50-horsennwer
TOUR cylinders of 100-horsepower'
eight cylinders of zoo horsenower
therefore the problem to he solved
ny Grahame- White in securing a $50
horsepower engine adaptable to the
purposes OF his projected Transatlantic
asro inner Is not too difficult from a
mechanical point of view.
provided there is no dtff,cultv
apout the motors, expect to Be- He
ta make the journey by the end ~
next summer or early In the autumn !"
ne went on. I'VE will make IA az
rangements with outside concerns ia
guard our line of passage. or course
we shall pick out suitable day Win
start oui
Nowadays. with all the wireless
installations afioat, 1t is easier ~
judge ones weather than formerly,
and we will only want to be sura
81 thirty hours OF fair sailing. Doubt-
less accidents will happen, They
happen to railway trains and motor
buses and tramways and even to aero
planes,
When ii comes to aeroplanes
however, the statistics are not 50 fear
ful Dc the. alarmist people seem to
imagine. From figures extending
over couple OF years the French
Aero club estimated that one man
was killed, for every $4,000 miles
traveiled--novice or expert, good
weather Of bad.
We know more about safeguard.
inK ourselves now than. We did year
ago. We know more than twice ID