The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-11
To Conquer Elements.


wind and bad weather do not trouble
Us in the air; flying with certainty in
fog will be made easy by the develop
inent of directional wireless. and our
airpIanes will find their port by its
means as liners do now by their sub
marine signals.
"The possibility Of human fight with
out engines is q special study on which
we have been working for some years
now There Is energy in the air which
we must learn to utilize for ascent and
propulsion"
Concerning the future popularity OF
aircraft, as compared with present
widespread use Of automobiles, once
considered only a luxury OF the very
wealthy, Mr. Fokker said that landing
fields, with equipment located near the
centre of towns. will be necessary be-
fore airplanes become generally used.
Airplane manufacturers must solve the
problem of making machines which will
ascend from very small space, such
az a roof. he added The principal
problem in this connection he said. was
a very light motor. an engine which
win not weigh two pounds for each
horsepower II develops. but half a
pound, or even less.
Mr. Fokker was anxious TO dispel the
impression that he was German or
had served in the German army. His
only work In the air in Germany was
a few flights at the front for expert
mental purposes with his new machines,
and for study of war conditions, arma-
inent &C. He was willing at the be-
ginning Of the war to build machines
for any nation, but Germany had seized
upon the opportunity the allies
neglected.
81 have recently completely equipped
the Dutch air force with new machines"
he said. 81 am still improving my war
machines and bringing out inventions
for military purposes. I am OF course
always prepared 70 build airplanes en-
bodying my latest ideas for any gov
eminent which requires them.
Constructs Commerce Planes.
MY latest machines for civilian. pas
senger, mail and freight services have
proved equally successful and have been
used on the route between Holland and
England. Next year the entire mir mail
service between London, Brussels. AM
sterJiam, Hamburg, Copenhagen and
Berlin will be carried on with the big
F'okker monoplanes."
The inventor was Of the belief that
the airplane OF the future is tho mono-
plane. the big machine with a single,
thick wing OF cantileVer type, Win Drac-
ing inside the wind instead OF outside.
Dispensing with struts and wires. he
pointed out. increased the speed and
lowered the horse power necessary for
a plane.
Air transport will have 20 be made
a paying proposition by the use OF new
types OF machines" he said. The type
of ship built during the war is Of no
use for commercial purposes. for the
same reason that feet Of old cruisers
could not be used economically in pas
senger service. The initial cost Of the
old cruisers or war planes would be
slight, but at the end OF year the
expenses would be found TO be much
greater than IL the service had been
started with more expensive new com
mercial machines with lower factor OF
upkeep and operation. Machines Will
Become simpler, stronger and cheaper"
Mr.. Foklser was accompanied by Rob
ert II. G. Noorduyn, who was during the
war production engineer OF the Arm
strong Whltworth aviation plants IN
England. but who is now with Mr.. FOX
ker's company. Both Mr.. Fokker and
Mr.. NoOrduyn say the company is out
for business all over the world and
might even tackle the question Of a
transatlantic service sooner or later