Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-14
B B|G DEVELOPMENT IN
A|RPLAhE INDUSTRY
Manufacturers, Pilots and Others
Look for Great Future in
Flying.
BY Frederick j. Haskin.

"ef'i''nCS, nrp1crSipnii Hii'aS "hn
Others connected with the industry firmly
believe that aircraft, including the aero
plane, the flving boat and the diriglbe
gas bag re- about to come in for q deoelop
mcnt like that of the automobile ten years
sg,. The a irplanc industry, now strug
Kllng under various handicaps. is induging
IN brilliant and confident dreams OF the
Future. IL is also going IN Tor a great dca
1f practical activity. Sales territory for
Various makes of planes is being divided
up; agencies are being established.
To the average American citizen today
an airplanc is thing away oil IN the SKY
which he still stops 10 look at with curious
interest. In few years that plane VIII
come down and the pilot will ask pcrrnis-
s,on 60 demonstrate its possibilities rs a
safe, cheap. and pleasant means OF trans
por'atlon for the citizen and his family.
There have been two great difficulties
IN popularising the airplanc. One OF these
is cos, and the other is danger. Now
there seems 90 be no doubt but what the
cost is coming rapidly down, Quantity
production and Standardization of matcri-
ais are the two great factors IN bringing
down the cost OF any piece OF machinery.
Quantity production of airplanes Is scarce
In started vet. and the standardization
of materials is Just beginning, yet already
many airplanes arc advertised for $1,000,
and some for 50, 500 That is, good AIR
plane does not now cost more than a
good car. II certainly looks as though
flying might ultimately be cheaper than
travel by road.
NIw ALL-METAL PLANE.
In this connection the new Larsen all
metal airplane, which is the current SEN
sation IN tho aeronautic world, is slgnit-
Icant. The success of this plane Is rev.
olutionary in effect: authorities say 1t
means nothing less than the scrapplng of
all wood and fabric planes. Presumably the
all-mctal plane, when thoroughly stand
ardized and produced in quantity will be
much cheaper than the present wood and
fabric planes 90 build. and II has already
proven much cheaper to operate. This ali-
metal plane. equipped with 165 horse
power engine. carried eight persons with
baggage and fuel The next most efficient
passenger plane uses 400 horsepower To
de- the same work.
Tho factor of safety is not so simple.
II may be argued that the relative number
nf accidents Is not 50 much larger than IN
automobiling hut the fact remains that
a man Fifteen thousand feet IN the air
feels much less safe than ono on the ground
and that IN ease of accident hIs chances OF
getting out alive arc much smaller. NO
doubt 10 viii take generations OF educa-
tiun. rs we'll as mechanical development.
to make man IN general feel al home in the
air But great progress toward making
flying safe II bclng made Various safety
devices have been patented. including =
parachute which is fastened to the bacl.
of the aviator all he time, So that he may
open u and drup tn safety ON very short
notice several companies are offering In
sugancc against all kinds of accidents IN
the air. covering damage both To the tiicr
and Co his machine.
Il would appear that the greatest diff
Guilty here lies IN the fact that a man must
be IN fine physical condition and must
have some speclal aptitudes in order 90
fly plane Colonel Hiram Bingham of
the Air Service SAYS that the experience
of the government during the World War
showed that large proportion OF ac-
cidents were due To the physical con-
dltion of tho pilots The tlicrs were sub
icct 10 nervous aud digestive disturbances
and were under constant care of ply
sicians at the fying schools. Every man
before being allowed Go fly was tested by
being spun around in a swivel chair. Only
those who overcame the resultant diz-
ziness promptly were considered capable
of flyina 4 machine known as the Rug
rles Orientator has now been perfected
which makes 10 possible to test IN perfect
safety a man reactions TO all the move
mcnts an airplane can make.
NOT ALL CAN PLY.
In view Of these facts il would certainly
seem that proper precautions should be
taken 10 see that alrplanes are not operated
~ persons physically disqualified for safe
flying. IL seems rather probable that the
airplanc will never come 10 be. like the
automobile. a vehicle used 10y almost
everyone, but that the licensing OF pilots
will have 20 he carefully controlled.
The great question up for discussion in
aerial circles today j. whether or not
the American manufac turers should be
protected hy q tariff from the sale in this
country OF used European planes. Thou
sands Of these are ready to be dumped
on the market here. and they are said to
have been bought from the European
Governments by the syndlcates propos-
ing 20 market chem, for one TO five per
cent OF their original cost They can
therefore be sold IN this country at much
lower prices than the American manu-
farturcr can make planes The airplane
industry Is already having a hard time
getting the necessary capital to develop
itself, and this will OF course make it still
harder. Hence the manufacturers are
unanimous for a protec tive tariff. 1t is
said that the pilots, however, are in favor
of letting the foreign planes come in
These men who are trying to establish
fiving schools passenger lines and other
organizations for the use of airplanes In 4
this country are said TO be depending
very largely upon the supply sof cheap
planes from Europe. Hence the airplane
industry as whole Is somewhat divided
against itself Some authorities tell US
that these European planes are in such
bad condition that they will fall in the
American market and will not really
present the American manufacturer with
serious competition. They are. OF course,
uf old type, while all the indica tions are
that the new all-metal type will supersede
them Ii is also said BY some that these
planes. because of their condition, are
dangerous To use, and that the buying
public a. well a. the manufac turing in
terests deserve 70 be protected against
them.
FLYING IN SIAM.
There is great aerial activity all over
the world, according 10 Major Glidden OF
the Aero Club Of America, who had just
returned from a trip around the world.
Tie went IN the interests Of the first aerial
DERBY around the world which is soon
10 be held. II Is to be contest for large
prizes open 20 everyone and TO ell kinds
az aircraft lhp Hler may choose his own