The Washington times., 1919-12-28
First American Passenger Aeropane for Service With Co
Enclosed Body How Will Co. WatH Costs Run and

"7E think of the aeroplane as an in
~ strument of war something be-
longing to the Army or Navy along
H3th artillery, torpedoes and trench
sssnt the flying machine has taken ON
R1sr field of usefulness than its military
ESiee. In this country the Post Office
E&srtmeut has done little toward using
SEfpplanes in fast mail service, but these
fave been Army machines.
.-2ise first real specially constructed COM
1Refciaf aeroplanes have been built abroad
and put into commission for the London
tsSParis service. This is now regularly
established passenger and baggage service
between these two great European capitals
Fhe distance between London and Paris
isabout 235 miles and the passenger planes
cover it IN about 8 hours. And similar
service In America win soon be in
augurated.
In this commercial service between
Ixrron and Paris the familiar military ma
csnes aue not used. A special design
osxaroplane has. been constructed with all
ts2Jnxurfes Of Pullman car. There is
ia saloon fitted with carpets and fifteen
N3snows
Passengers sit in velvet cushioned arm
q Ibis with receptacles at their elbows for
ID books and papers. A handsome clock
a@ ornate mirrors give tone of elegance
tfhe interior, which is lighted by elec-
tsssity
"a addition to wireless telegraph there
is--a wireless telephone equipment con-
nesting with land stations. There are also
S zeious luggage room and pilots cockpit
ESermschine is designed to carry about
s. so pounds when fully loaded. Two
esstnes of $50 horsepower propel the
a.eriane.
he London-to-Paris service is now in
i;ssfourth month. with increasing patron
az both passenger and freight
The Handley-Page Transportation Com
fshy operates the daily service between
London and Paris, leaving the Hounslow
Airdrome at noon and arriving in Paris at
5 p. m. These machines carry ten pas
sengers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sat
urdays. On Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays smaller machines are used, which
carry only four, passengers. There is no
service on Sunday.
A ticket for the trip, which costs Il
pounds and Is shillings, or at present ex-
change about $50, entities the holder to take
along 20 pounds Of baggage. Any excess
Of This amount is charged fos
The landing in Paris is made at LIE
BoUrget Airdrome, whence passengers are
carried in motor buses to Paris. In Lon.
don motor bus service is maintained be.
t%een Cooks Tours Pail Mall Office, Plea.
df1ly Hotel and the Hounslow Field. This
transportation is included in the cost of
tHH ticket
Englans's passenger air express service
frpm London to Paris has been in opera
tipD since August %, Of this year, and since
then the machines have flown a total of
$4,000 miles.
Although Great Britain has been the
piapeer in establishing regular scheduled
passenger service Of the air, surrounding
the traveller with every comfort of
palatial parlOr car, the United States,
hQUeyer is making rapid strides toward
the. Inauguration of similar air routes for
the transportation of passenges
Already the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor
Corporation has one plane in operation
which is designed for passenger carrying
apd this machine is somewhat similar to
those which are being used on the London
t6-PaTis- route.
The luxurious air limousine which the
CHTtiss company has built, photographs of
Which appear on this page, is called The
Eagle and numerous trial flights have
been made with great success. 1t seats
eight persons in all, or seven passengers
besides the pilot. This is one more pas
senger than even the largest automobiles
seat. 1t is seldom that a private auto
mobile, unless especially designed, is con-
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