The sun., 1919-10-05
PLANES TUNED FOR
CROSS-U s. RACE
Eighty-three Of the Best Air
Pilots in Country Will Com
pete in Race.
HOP OFF ON WEDNESDAY,
Filters Start simultaneously
From Mineola and San
Francisco.
HOP OFF ON WEDNESDAY

At least four Colonels Of the Air Ser
vice will be among the eighty contest
ants who will climb into ships" next
Wednesday morning for the 2.7oo mile
serial dash across the continent
The Colonels and q dozen Lieutenant
Colonels and Majors are by no means
| aged, as officers of high rank 30 in the
army, but most of them are we'll beyond
their twenties, and every man of them
is out to show the youngsters in the big
race-probably the biggest ever held
that there Is absolutely no truth in the
statement, oft repeated. especially by
Second Lieutenants, that 1t takes a
young man to fly q plane With much
the same spirit the First and Second
Lieutenants. and the bulk Of the con-
testants will be Of these ranks. will leap
lightly into their ships to prove that any
one with moro than one bar and twenty
Ave years belongs on the ground. And
the Captains, who are neutral both In
age and opinion, will get into their ships
to prove that both their juniors and Sc
niors are wrong. But on one thing the
senior officers with their experience and
Judgment, and the Junior officers with
their dash and youth. and the Captains
with their half and half, are agreed. 1t
| is going to be a man size job to drive
| roaring plane across the plains and
mountains of the United States In all
sorts of weather faster than seventy-nine
of the best airmen In the United States
l L.. ~ sI.NlA
try.
Real speed is -oing to be made in that
race, for every machine in 1t has a tested
speed of 100 miles an hour, and most of
the planes are rated at over 100. Cadet
A. ]. Nassanier, the only man without
commission in the race, has LIE Pere
with a speed OF 130 miles.
AS in the men who pilot them. there Is
variety in the planes. Most Of those in
the race will be De Havilands, heavy ma
chimes with 400 horsepower Liberty mo-
tors. which are built to make 124 miles
an hour. In addition, however. there are
entered several Fokkers captured from
the Germans, two Martin bombers. big
two motored machines built for carrying
heavy loads, but which can nevertheless
make 112 miles an hour lie Pere planes,
also with 400 horsepower Liberty mo-
tors. and some British Sc (Scout Ex-
pertmentaD planes.
Conditions of Contest,
At least fifty-three planes will start at
0 A NJ. Wednesday from Hazelhurst
Field, Mineola, while more than thirty
will start from the other end of the con-
tinent San Francisco. There will really
be three winners OF the race. for since
1t Is not primarily a sporting contest. but
one to arouse interest in aviation, pro-
mote the establishment of landing fields,
and gather scientific data, the following
orders have been issued by the Air Ser
vice concerning the winners:
l. Time competition. First place in
this contest to be awarded the pilot
crossing the continent in the shortest
time. irrespective of stops and actual
flying time.
2. Speed contest. In this there will
be as many classes as there are types
OF machines First, second and third
place in each class will be awarded the
pilot in order respectively having the
shortest actual flying time.
8. Handicap competition. This will be
based on actual flying time. but each
class (type Of machine) win be given
handicap percentage. based upon its
reputed speed as computed by the tech
ntcal section (air servics) in their Of
ficial tests.
This third competition is Identical
with that originated by the American
Flying Club in determining the winners
of the New York-Toronto contest.
The matter OF timing the fiiers and
checking of the planes as they reach
the twenty control stations 1T which
they must alight on their way across the
, continent has been placed by Major
Gen Charles Menoher. chief of the air
service, in the hands OF the American
| III % ~
club will be at each OF the stations. as
| we'll as at the start and finish points.
with synchroni1ed watches. Tho regu-
lations provide that each machine must
stop for at least thirty minutes at each
, control station in order that the officer
in charge at the control or the Ameri-
can Flying Club man may see that the
plane is In perfect shape to continue the
journey. Any one remaining at a con-
troll station longer than forty eight
hours will be disqualified unless. in the
Judgment Of the control officer the
weather is too bad to proceed. The days
! when a brisk wind meant danger in the
air are past, and, as was shown in the
recent New York-Toronto race, II takes
terrific weather to keep an army pilot
on the ground. The officer at the sta
ton will be held responsible for the
: condition OF each ship when 1t leaves
for the next point
Many former air service pilots and
others interested In aviation expressed
the hope that the race would awaken
the people to the need for a department
of aeronautics separate from the army
: or navy. as is the case in England. AL
most all those interested in aviation
favor this.
: List of Contestants.
A complete list of those who will fly
r in the race Is not available at the pres
ent time, owing to the fact that no
! entry blanks are required for the con-
, test The Government pilots merely
! send through formal requests to be as
, signed to the race, and II the air ser
vice officials at Washington think the
o1ficer competent and have a fast ship
, available he Is assigned to the contest
Those who have already entered to fly
from Mineola are as follows:
Machine Speed Motor and power
Col. c. C. Brant, DH|, i24 MPH., Liberty,
, 400 H. p. :.
4 Col. 9. g; Culver, FOkker, 100 MPH,. Mer,
Col. T F. Dodd DH4, iss MPH.. ILIberty
! u Lieut., Col H. Il. Hartney, DH4, l,a MPH,
'tos I1eas. Col. @ = :. 4 Reynolds, DH,. ia. MrH.,
Major N. +. Davis, Martin Bomber. Iii
Major A % Mssweli II Kirby, Fotssr. 100 MpH
! AsISsos'' Ssior Henry = Abbey. DH4. ia MrH.,
Major d. y. Miller pH-A In NPH