New-York tribune., 1919-02-16
j. S. Flying Experts Hope
70 Span Ocean in q Day

Can the Atlantic Ocean be crossed by
likely to be successful? How many
airplanes of this type are there in the
United States? What are the obstacles
to be overcome?
These questions are answered in this
statement made public yesterday by
the Manufacturers Aircraft Associa-
tion:
"The Atlantic, the association be-
lieves, can be crosseL. How soon de-
pends on notifications and experiments
now being conducted, officially and pri-
vately.
The multi-motored machine, prefer
ably the flying boat because of its COM
bned air and seaworthiness, is the
strongest contender. There are to-day
in this country four flying machines
apable Of being altered so as safely to
all-American designed and constructed
Navy n. C. and the Glenn l.. Martin
bomber, the Americana modified Hand
ley-Page of Great Britain and the
Caproni triplane, all of which are to
be features of the aeronautical eXposl-
ton which is to be held in New York
the first two weeks in March.
"Chief among the obstacles to be
overcome are the mechanical problems,
the wing surface, the load and the
motive power. Secondary in character
are the natural difficulties, the un-
known atmospheric conditions, such as
wind currents and fog. flight can
not be BEGUN with any reasonable pros
pect of success, says the statement
unless engineering problems are so
10 r;f, ,oJ thot Tho r,ilOt rOoc sea not
only master of his craft, but with an
advantage sufficient to offset any
troubles he may expect 20 encounter.
GAS in any other pioneer undertak
ing, the transatlantic flight challenges
the sporting instinct, and 1t Is likely
that many attempts will be made by
sportsmen to achieve the passage by
disoounting adverse conditions and
magnifying the chances of good fort
une.
at may be that the fight can be
accomplished in this manner, but as q
commercial proposition or as an actlv-
ity of either the navy or the army. the
transatlantic flight can not and will not
be undertaken. until the correct prin-
ciples are worked out, plan on plan,
and applied. Then, says the Manufact-
urcrs Aircraft Association, will success
be met and permanent results assured.
"Discussion of engineering principles
is necessarily technical. but to clear
away popular misunderstanding, a
member of the engineering staff of one
of the companies in the Manufacturers
Aircraft Association has prepared an
analysis of the transatlantic situation.
Requirements for Trip
"'A study as to the probable size of
the craft, fuel load and power equip
ment necessary to accomplish this trip.
says the analysis, must be made from
two points of view: (a) the minimum
time in which the trip may be made
and (b) the maximum flying range that
machine possesses irrespective of the
time required to make the flight The
most conservative way of analyzing
this problem is to take into considera-
tion such large craft as are designed
and built at present and of which the
performance and characteristics are
known
"'If the proposed craft are to be of
the same type or along the same lines
to those characteristic of the present
tying boats. experience has shown that
the dead load of the hull and panels,
etc. will constitute at minimum about
80 per cent of the total or gross load
OF the flying machine in its initial CON
".''""' C"uSiueiiiS lhe propeller en-
cheney of about 80 per cent and other
current data for gasoIene weight per
gallon, also the weight of motors per
horsepower developed, the maximum
load in gasolene which may be carried
averages about so per cent of the total
load.
"'The highest present design. theo-
retical value of the effectiveness of fly
ing machines is of the order of 90
that is to say, that for every nine
pounds of load that is carried in the
air toe machine offers one pound of re-
sistancc to movement In other words
If /. mnchine were to weigh 5000
pounds it would require tractvc force
or propelling force Of 1000 pounds to
maintain fight, this force being sup
piled throagh the propellers.
"For flying boats, the value Of this