The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-05-31

climbing. The average plane, starting
at sea level, takes five or six minute!
to climb the first mile, while the sec
one mile takes more than double
that time, the efficiency of the en-
CINE decreasing with the increasing
rarity of the air.
Salt Lake City and Cheyenne are
a mile above sea level. Therefore
without fast high climbing engine
according to Mr.. Praeger, field &
mile long would be necessary fol
the "take-off" with a full load Of
mail.
The Thomas-Morse mountain type
plane, which will be used over this
portion Of the route, will have 8
ground speed of 1875 miles an hour
which will enable the pilot to leave
the ground after a short run and at
tain sufficient altitude for safety
without having to lose time by cir.
cling round. 1t will be equipped
with two Hispano-Suiza motors OF
300-horsepower each.
The Glenn Martin two-motor ma.
chine, also to be used over the noun
tain division, has top speed of liz
miles an hour. The third type de-
signed for this hazardous flying, the
twin-motor DeHaviland, has maxi
mum speed of 10S miles an hour.
All Of the machines to be used in
the transcontinental service will
have two or three engines each, SO
that if one should go dead" the re-
naming one or two, as the case may
be. could carry the mail through to
destination. s
A new feature of these specially
designed mail planes will be the
location Of the engine out on the
wings, so that in case of fire the mail
will be safe.
The route between Omaha and San
Francisco has not been laid YETI
This phase of the preliminary ar
rangements has developed into ser
ious problem. Officials of the air
mail service now have this matter
up with the weather bureau and the
war department. In addition to Sc
lecting the most favorable course, so
far as weather conditions are con-
cerned, it is desired to weave inthe
postal aviation activities with the
militaryp lans for the benefit Of the
army flyers.
Mr.. Praeger and Brigadier-Gener-
al Mitchell, director of military ae-
romantics, have these negotiations
in charge.
The difficulty from the weather
standpoint may be readily seen from
the weather bureau records, which
show that gale winds of forty miles
an hour velocity and over blow from
west to east, directly in the nose of
the west-bound machines, sixty-two
days out of every year in the Chey-
enne region. A plane making 100
miles an hour therefore, would have
It's speed reduced to sixty miles, or
the eighty-mile an hour schedule
would be cut down to forty miles an
hour.
Similar conditions to those at
are found at Ogden and
Salt Lake City. Cheyenne had thun-
ier-storms ON forty-eight days last
year and only 293 clear flying days
out of the 1865.
In the face of these conditions,
great many forced landings and con-
heavy replacement costs
are inevitable. These things were
taken into consideration when the
postoffice department asked for ST.
100000 to operate the transconti-
mental service during the fiscal year.
But the senate cut down the esti-~
mate to $1,415,000, an the conferees
still further reduced it to $780,
900, in which form it was finally
adopted.
Having trimmed the estimate to
The bone, Mr.. Praeger said, lack of
funds may handicap the full devel-
opment of the service. Half a mil
ion dollars must be laid out in
equipment and material to maintain
he service, and this allows leeway |
If only $4,000 to $4,000, he de-
Jared, as margin of safety for a
lard winter.
Final selection of the route may
lave to depend upon these considera-
oins. Two routes are being inves-
igated. One is the southern route
rom Omaha via Dodge City, Kan
as, Albuquerque and Bakersfield,
p to San Francisco. The other is
he direct route across the face of
he mountains.
The southern route would add
bout three hundred miles to the
ength of the flight, but prevailing
'inds are favorable all the way from
'maha to San Francisco.
No difficulty will be encountered
l developing flying personnel. On
: fifty flyers will be required, and
lere are many times this number Of
pplicants already on the waiting
st. There is a surplus of applica-
ons from mechanics also on the
aiting list.