Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-04-18

| measures. Hawker laughs when the
device is spoken of as daring. Fore ID
landings under such circumstances, of
course, were frequent during the war,
and to him, as test pilot, it is mat
ter of routine to talse chances of this
KIND and to makegFs of such bits of
cunning.
Plan of Iifeboat.
The lifeboat into which the top of
the fusilage, inst ahead of the rudder,
has been fashioned, is less unusual
but may prove to be of Importance to
Hawker. When this boat is part of
the fusilage it shows backbone when
it is in the water this backbone be-
comes keel. The whole thing is
eight feet long. with cockpit rather
less than half that length, 1t will
hold two men, but in order to get in
the first man must shove his legs un-
der the decking till his stomach rests
against the cowl. The second man
then puts his legs around his COM
panion, so that they rest like spoons.
There is an air bag which can be
inflated to the length of about three
feet and a diameter of about one
This is to be thrown over and will
serve not only as buoyancy chamber
d III
not expected to do more than afford
support for brief period In heavy
sea, for overflowed the boat would
last till second wave hit it. on
smooth rollers it might head up for
long time. Real dependence Is there
fore being placed on the life saving
suits, which are of the type developed
by the American navy. Their fabric
is guaranteed to remain intact eight
hours. Soles of the feet are weighted
with lead, and between the shoulder
blades there are air chambers which
hold the wearer upright.
These suits are no protection against
exposure. and if Hawker and Grieve
ever come down in midsea their fate
rests wholly upon the time that may
elapse before they are picked up by
vessel
The men will start wearing heavy
suits of underwear. two pairs of
heavy socks and Eskimo boots of
sealskin under their lifesaving suits.
Hawker will wear a regulation black
leather helmet and goggles, and
Grieve helmet with protruding
chamber over his ears, into which
wires will run, so that he can receive
wireless messages clearly.
The Wireless Device.
The wireless installation of the
plane has a sending radius of 300
miles and is serviceable only for bull
letins of progress and position. The
receiving radius is so short that little
service can be had. Grieves plan as
navigator does not contemplate the
use of anything but his own observa-
tions
While daylight continues the course
will be charted by the sun When
night has fallen, sights will be made
on stars. The purpose is to hold we'll
to the north of direct line from St
Johns TO Cape Clear, This is to make
servant of the drift, which is all to
the south over this section of the At
lantic. Routes heretofore plotted
have involved a drift TO the south
ward from true course, with long
tacks back to true-one about half
way across the ocean and the other a
short distance west of Cape Clear.
Grieve's plan is to head definitely
into the north. and let the drift carry
the ship back to the true course. The
theory of this is to do away with
tacks, and to claim the aid of winds
on the latter end of the flight. whe,l
the fuel is being exhausted and power
is needed on the last lap.
Importance of Navigator.
If success attends the flight. it will
be due more to Grieve than to Haw-
ker, vital as is his function as pilot.
There are hundreds of aviators cap
able of driving twenty or twenty five
hours at a stretch. That is purely a
matter of physical and nervous en-
durance There are hundreds more
capable of meeting emergencies OF
flight. covering both land and sea,
and extended through day into night;
but in this flight all but few miles
of II will be over sea. which has no
3cOntinusd on PsEs FTo.j