The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-20
AIR RIDING SOON
IN REACH OF ALL
1t. ADAMS SAYS
Flying Circus Pilot Talks of
Air Transportation.
Tells State Journal 1t Is Safer
Than Many Believe.
Topeka MAY Be BIG STATION
It's Up to City TO Provide Suit
able Landing Field.
'FOrds of Air" May Soon Be
Common in Kansas.
Tells State Journal 1t Is Safer
Than Many Believe.
Topeka MAY Be BIG STATION

The possibility of Topeka being on
one of the twelve great airway sta
tions connecting all parts of the
United States may depend on the
patronage given the passenger air
planes and the practicability of the
landing field the city is able to sup
ply, Lieut.. Ben Adams, in command of
the first plane of the flying CIRCUS"
declared here today, shortly after his
arrival. He pointed out that twelve
great airways have already been
mapped out with the systematic pre-
cision of railway route.
The commercial era of the airplane
is not in the distant future-it is at
hand, he asserted. He recalled the
wonderful progress made in aviation
since 1908, prior to which time a sue
cessful flight had never been made
and asserted that there is no reason
to believe that~the Improvement will
end, any more than it has in the case
of the automobile. He predicts that
within a short time there will be air.
planes capable of lifting fifty Or sixty
tons in general use with motors of
many thousand horsepower and with
the perfecting of such I1a=hiuesf as
these will come the regular passenger
and freight service. There are al
ready planes with $4,000 horsepower
motors and capable of lifting more
than ten tons, he says.
Great Ships i'll Air.
Lieutenant Adams says we will hear
more of the dirigible balloon as time
goes on and quoted instances of inn
proved models built by the British
that are proving quite practical.
The time is not far off, the lieuten-
ant said, when we will have huge
airplanes with many thousand horse
power. capable of carrying scores of
pa assengers, with enclosed cabins,
heated according to certain attitudes
by the engine and they will be just as
safe as your street cars and railway
trains. The possibility of Topeka be-
ing on one of the great airways may
depend on the patronage shown and
the quality of the landing field the
city is able to furnish
The De Haviland plane, such as the
flying circus is using, shows an in
crease of IS per cent in speed, $50 per
cent in endurance, 445 per cent in the
weight it carries, 80 per cent in alti-
tude reached and 913 per cent in in
dicated horsepower as compared with
the best English plane in 1914.
Dangers Are Not Great.
Concerning the safety of flying,
Lieutenant Adams declared that while
there is always a small element of
danger in any kind of transportation,
the hazardous feature of flying is be-
the only elements of danger today
are motor trouble and recklessness of
the pilot. The plane itself, altho still
being improved, is even now as safe
as a motor car. 1t was pointed out
that many pilots try to get 100 per
cent power out of their engines
whereas the driver of a motor car
utilizes only about 40 per cent. If
this policy were followed in flying
there would be far less motor trouble
and fewer accidents. However, the
larger planes of the present day ordi-
narily carry reserve motors, so that
the danger from this source is min
imized.
1.-The day when Just common folks
as the great masses of people call
themselves, will be riding in airplanes
of their own or riding on regular pas
senger planes instead of railways, is
far closer at hand than most people
realize" the lieutenant said. "I predict
that within a short time we will have
regular air service connecting all parts
of the United States.
Already Have "Air Fund"
Capt. James V. Martin, one of the
pioneer aeronautic engineers. has pro-
duced little plane which he calls a
'bluebird' with a wing spread of only
eighteen feet. 1t will travel % miles
on a gallon of gasoline and can even
now be built at a cost of about $4,000.
1t will climb $4,000 feet within half
an hour and can be housed in a shed in
your back yard. The time is not far
off when you may breakfast in New
York. lunch in Chicago and attend the
evening theater in New York. You
might leave Topeka in the morning
and reach San Francisco in time for
the matinee. And that would not be
reckless driving, either. Personally, 1
think the air holds brighter transpor-
tation possibilities than the earth or
water ever did