The sun., 1918-07-21

the bulkiness of freight of this desenp-
ton, which calls for disproportionate
space.
Therefore, if these machines can make
the journey under their own power there
will be much gained. Our shipping faeili-
ties would not be disorganized, the air
craft could effect the passage In about
thirty-two hours of actual flying, and they
would escape the hazards incidental to o.
boat activities. Not only that; each trans
atlantic flyer would represent an individ-
ual risk or loss in ease of disaster, instead
of far greater loss should whole ship
load of them be sent to the bottom by
storm, collision, mine or hostile subma-
rine.
What now are some of the past per-
formanees that point TO the praetieability
of sustained flight such as would be re-
guired in crossing the Atlantiei In June
of 1916 Lieut.. Antoine Marehal of the
French army made a nonstop flight from
Nancy, France, to Chelm, in Russian Po-
land, covering a distance of S07 miles.
Capt. Marquis Giulio Laureati, on Au-
gust %, 1917, made the aerial passage
from Turin to Naples and return, a dis
tance of 920 miles, without a halt. His
craft, an ALA machine, carried a mechanic
as passenger.
German Aviator Up "a Hours
Since then, so it is reported, another
Italian aviator has covered round 1000
miles without stop, and German pilot
is said to have remained aloft In continu-
GUS flight for period of "a hours and II
minutes. If he covered but fifty miles an
hour this would represent a straightaway
passage of quite ! ,2l0 miles. The proba-
bility is that he was able to fly consid-
erably faster.
And now for the geographical aspect
Of transatlantic flight. The undertaking
divides itself naturally into three bload
propositions: nonstop passage from
New York to Ireland, straightaway
journey from Newfoundland to Ireland
or three stage trip from Newfoundland
to the Azores, from the Azores to Portu-
gal and from Portugal to Southampton
or any convenient point upon the coast
Of France :;
The first undertaking would involve
sustained flight of about 5000 miles, the
second passage would call for in the
neighborhood of 1900 miles and the last
route would demand on the flight from :.
Newfoundland to the Azores from 1882
to 1,540 statute miles, depending upon
which of the islands was the objective. !.
While We are assured that the big ma
chimes could in all probability manage
TO do 5000 miles uninterruptedly, still as
a military measure and for the sake Of
reducing the risks it would seem that the
three stage run is preferable, because the
succeeding legs from the Azores to Portu-
gal and thence to England or France
would each be several hundred miles
shorter than the first lap. There is no
doubt about any Of these giant aircraft
having sufficient endurance to cover twelve
or fifteen hundred miles without stop.
But endurance on the part of the engines
and a suficieney of fuel are only one
phase Of the problem.
The most difficult aspect of the matter
is that of keeping the right course. Nav
igating through the air and sailing upon
the sea are radically different PROPOSE
tions. Aloft one great difficulty lies in
determining the effect of air currents,
which may drive the flying machine side.
wise, for instance, when the pilot may
think he is forging steadily ahead. In
the case of projectile this movement is
termed drift, while for a water borne craft
the sailorman calls it leeway.
Difference From Seafaring.
The seafarer can judge the amount Of
this departure by the force of the wind,
its direction in relation TO the course Of
fha chin ond oIco nv tha knoun COT of the