San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-26
WILL REMODEL
| KELLY FIELD
| !. De HAV|LANDS
Eastern Aircraft Factories
Will Change Them Into
Alb Types.
ARE OBSOLETE NOW
Twill Take Freight Train Of
Forty Cars to Haul
Them Back. g'Hf
A total of 1870 DeHaviland airplane

A total Of 100 DeHaviland aiFplanes
of the old A type are being made
ready for shipment at the Air Inter-
mediate Depot, Kelly Field No. /.
and will be sent to eastern factories
where they will be converted into. the
ALB type, it was announced at the n.
Monday morning. X. q. Will
liams, representing four different
eastern aircraft corporations. is at
the A. ]. ID. and is making all neces-
sary arrangements for the large num-
BIER of ships to be loaded and sent
east. They will be shipped to Gal
weston by rail and thence by water to
eastern ports. Mr.. Williams said
Monday that the planes would prob
ably be shipped away from San An
tonic in about three weeks.
The four aircraft companies that
have been awarded the contract to re-
model the $50 obsolete planes are the
Gallaudet Aircraft Corporation, the
Witteman Aircraft Corporation, the
IIawrence-Sperry Aircraft Corpora
ton and the Cox-Klemin Aircraft Cor
poration. All of these firms are To-
Gated in New York and New Jersey.
Motors Not Included.
Motors are not included in the con-
tracts for overhauling the planes. it
WAS said. The motors were taken
rom the old \ type planes when they
ceased to be used. and nothing but
he hulk of the ships are TO be made
bver. 1t was said that the 100 planes
will require freight train of A. cars
20 carry them. '
The contracts with the four differ
INT aircraft corporations involves more
han a quarter of a million dollars.
Work that will cost S2152 will be
lone on each plane, making the total
.ost for remodeling the $50 planes,
f279,7 60. 1t was said that it will re-
Iuire the different aircraft corpora
ions, running at a maximum speed,
ht least six months to work the
planes over and turn them out fin
shed Alb. types.
As soon as the companies finish
with the planes they will be reas-
|embled at the Air intermediate De-
bot at Fairfield. Ohio. from which
POINT they will be distributed to diff
erent flying fields of the army.
Remove Fire Hazard.
The principal difference between
he old A type DeHayiland and the
B type is that in the original type
he pilots cockpit is situated between
be motor and the gasoline tank. while
sA<nore modern type the-gasoline
ank has been hpoyed upi directly next
b the motor. the Pilots cockpit be-
ing behind Che gasoline tank. The
hethod of arrangement of the motor,
asoline tank ard front cockpit in the
Id A type ship made that type a lit
raj fire trap in the event of crash.
he pilot was pinned between his mo-
or in front and the gasoline tank
ehind. and even if fire did not result
liter a crash his chance for escape
ras small. as he was usually crushed
etween the gasoline tank and motor.
The gasoline tank will be moved
ID and the front cockpit back in the
3O planes that will soon be shipped
rom the A. /. ID. In addition TO
his change many others of less i'm
ortance will be made. All the new
st devices that have been developed
br the standard service ship since
he A type Of DeHaviland went out
II use will be installed on the old
Epes, and when they come from the
hctory the air service will have 40
ew standard service planes, as up to
ate as the latest put out at the Air
intermediate Depot at Kelly Field.