Evening star., 1919-10-11
T0|MPRESS
PUBLIC BY AIR RACE
Participation of Planes IN
Coast-to-Coast Flight
Marks Progress.

NEW YORK. October 1.-THE par
iticipation Of several American air
planes in the New York-San Fran
cisco race will afford an opportunity
for the general public to see just
what the airplane can do.
Heretofore the planes have feen
tried out under conditions strictly OF
military nature or controlled by the
war in one way or another. Inc
manufacturers knew approximately
what a plane should do when it was
built, but due to wartime conditions
and the fact that the government
plans then did not provide means OF
proving the commercial value of the
flying machine and its endurance
over long stretches of country. its
staying qualities and comparative
value commercially have not been
subject ed to competitive trials.
Each plane is expected to main
kain 100 miles an hour or better
Some are calculated to make more
than $50 miles in so minutes-two
miles and a half a minute. faster
than any other carrier yet offered by
human genius.
Desire to Impress Public.
1t is from this idea of impressing on
the public the possibilities of quick pas
ScHSeT anu Transportation ScFVlCe, dS
well as the necessity for a separate
air force. that the air service has
gone to such lengths in preparing
for the race.
This initial step in commercial avia-
tion on the part Of the air service
partment of aeronautics. The results
of the race and the considerable
quantity Of valuable data obtained
from the log books ,.0d Of pilots tan and con-
expected. the need for systematized
service.
Test in Laboratories.
Heretofore the speed of an airplane,
its endurance under conditions and
difficult and trying circumstances
have been principally tried out by
laboratory tests.
Among the American machines en-
. tered are the Mar Martin bomber. pro
pany in Cleveland. Ohio; the Thomas
Morse F. B.-3 Fighter" from the
Thomas Morse factory in Ithaca. N. Y;
the v E,7 sBlyebirS" from the ;op plant ;d
Long Island City.
which. while of foreign design, origi-
nally are of American manufacture
L. W. F. Engineering Corporation of
College Point. L. l., and the LIE Pere,
the latter designed by French engi-
Motor Car Company. in Detroit. 1t
might properly be known as an
American machine.
The Martin bomber is the largest
and NEST Is Gssrn.a for IN
tance bombing raids: carrying on
these flights a crew of four men and
ave machine guns in addition to
regulation load OF 1850 pounds Of
bombs.
It's reputed speed is liz miles an
hour. The wing spread is II feet s
inches. and the giant body measures
As feet from nose to tail. The ma
chine stands IA feet high and derives
its power from two 4eo-horsepower
liberty motors, one on each side of the
fuselage. The pilots sit side by side
in, the cockpit in the forward part OF
the plane, and ahead OF them are
other passengers.
not as fast as the little scouts and
two o-seated fighters. the bomber is a
great deal faster than any other plane
Of the same size and power made in
make a splendid showing In this re-
liability contest, where its ability to
perform consistently despite weather
conditions will assist in overcoming
the greater speed Of the smaller ma
chimes
The vought E-7 entered from Hazel
hurst, with Maj. A. H. Gilkeson as
pilot, is known as q 'Bluebfrd type.
It's wing span is 81 feet, 8 inches, its
length a feet inches. It stands
only 8 feet Tx inches high. yet car
ries useful load Of $50 pounds. The
maximum speed claimed for 1t is 110
miles per hour, with a Hispano-Suiza
model "A" motor Of $50 horsepower.
Motors. too. will be shown up
in a practical light in this race.
While the Hispano-Suiza and liberty
"twelves" predominate in point of
number among the entries, there are
also the Mercedes 1870 horsepower in
the German Fokker plane, the Cler-
get motor in the Nieuport, the Rolls
Royce In the British Bristol fighter
and the Mono-Soupage 100-horse-
power motor in the Thomas Morse
plane.
The Thomas-M Morse plane has a wing
span of 26 feet and il - feet long.
standing feet high. A speed Of
more than $50 miles an hour is
claimed for 1t.
ROBBERS AS PASSENGERS