The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-25
IEAP FROM PLANE u
|. PLANE EASY---lOCkltAR

New York, June 24.--Lieutcnant
ors{s-' "rkicar. Who has thrilled thou.
sands OF spectators by leaping from
Que an i..a..D e~atn, l..sussn s.iv
air at eighty miles an hour to an
other travelling at similar speed, and
by doing stunts while hanging from
the planes axle by his knees. thinks
no more danger attends his perform
ances thar would be encountered sip.
ping tea at a summer resort hotel.
Lieutenant Locklear is now seeking
backing by Secretary of the Navy
Josephus Daniels for a proposal he
has made that he attempt a cross.
Atlantic flight in an airplane carrying
only one other man.
His theory that plane could be
manipulated by the pilot while a man
stood on the wing was secuted by ex-
perts--but he proved his theory by
actually climbing out on the wing.
His demonstration was OF value not
because OF its success as an acrobatic
stunt. but through the introduction
of a new means of lighting an enemy,
as man on a planes Wing would
have much wider range of vision
and firing direction.
Lieutenant Locklear is twenty seven
years old. was born in Fort Worth.
Texas, and studied mechanical enEi-
~e"-''-~ - he tr~ivers,ty of Texas be-
fore aviation claimed his attention.
- eona4e.erea one of the best pilots
in the world.
Most people say I'm a daredevil"
said Lieutenant Locklear. I'm not.
I'm the most conservative pilot
known.
Il conceived the idea of mounting
guns on the wings OF planes and hav-
ing an airmen fire them in actual
fighting from studying the methods
of air fighting. Aerial combat il q
succession Of manoueuvres, in which
the more adept pilt shoots down hiD
less skilful rival With RVn
mounted forward the pilot is handi-
capped because of his limited power
of detection. With guns on the wings.
however, one could sweep the entire
clrcumefelence of circle and do in
tiniteiy more damage to an enemy
than under the present methods OF
fighting.
II have demonstrated the fact that
il is possible for the pilot to ma
noeuvre the plane while / am out
there With planes specially con.
structed, it would be quite possible
to have a man work the gun while
tire pfetfe- ntaneea%rea for pes4tieH.
There is another thing that cannot be
overestimated and that is the possi-
bility of extinguishing fire on the
wings. Many climb out and fight the
fire.
"Leapirg from one plane to another
is easy enough If the motors OF the
planes function properly. AS a mat
Ter of fact IL is easier TO drop from
one plane 70 another than 10 swing
onto rope ladder, as am doing now.
The reason / changed the method OF
shifting from one plane to another
was because in dropping | very fire.
quently broke through the wing Of
the plane 10 which dropped, In
army experiments this was alt right,
but ii was expensive.
My one worry is the motors r
know that If they stand up l Will ac-
couplish al that / start out to do.
The air resistance is pretty severe,
but one overcomes that by balancing
on the wing II may seem dangerous
to step out on the extreme edge Of
the wing when you are away up in
the air. but it is safer there than If
stood III the center Of the wing. IL
anything should happen I save plenty
OF room TO get down and clutch tina
frame of the wings with both hands"
Suppose that YOU encountered an
air poke, while you were out on the
wing" suggested TO him.
you can always sense an air
pocket before YOU encounter it," he
replied. An air pocket Is nothing
more than descending air column.
Al Atlantic City / met one. and had
to get down fat on the wing. but it
didn't bother me. The controls OF the
machine are so sensitive that YOU can
always adjust the machine for afr
pockets before you actually get into
them
The stunt OF clinging to the axle
81 the plare is not nearly as danger.
out as standing on the wings or
shinning back along the fuselage.
There YOU simply hang on by your
LEGS, ana nothing can happen TO you.
1t locks bad, To be sure. but 1t ID
easy
'I'lt admit that the stunt Of chang
ng planes bother rue a little. Il
takes a bit Of steady nerve to watch
that big plane whirl along right above
YOU. / could reach up and touch tho
propeller. Close plotting is necessary
tc perfect that feat. but my associates
perfected it