San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-21
READY
. FOR TRIP To
PORTO RICO
Specially Constructe d
Planes Are Inspected
Tuesday by Pilots.
HAVE TWO FUEL TANKS
All Have Been Tested and
Pronounced in First
Class Shape.

The largest single piece of work OF
the Air intermediate Depot was on
exhibition Tuesday afternoon when the
six special DeHaviland planes that are
TO be flown to Porto Rico were lined
up in front of the big test hangar on
the flying fled. The A. l. ID. was
also instructed to prepare two stand
ard type DeHaviIands to be ready at
the same time a the special planes,
and these two standard ships were also
in line with the other six. 1t is
not known whether or not the two
standard ships will be flown all the
way to Porto Rico or not. No diff
ference can be noticed between the
standard type and the special type
ships by observation.
Through the courtesies Of Maj.
Frank d. Lakeland, commander of
the A. ]. D.. and Capt. Edward Laugh
lin. superintendent of the repair branch
of the depot, camera men were given
free hand Tuesday. The click OF
cameras was frequent as the several
photographers snapped various poses
of filters and planes.
All the officers of the A. /. d. who
have tested out the eight planes were
at the hangar, and also three of the
pilots from the two Kells fields, who
are to make the Porto Rico trip were
there. Captain Laughlin, while num-
erous pictures were being taken OF
the planes and aviators. and wanting
all parties to get their due credit,
went back in the shops and rounded
I'D the mechanics that built the ships,
and had their picture made in front
of one Of the ships.
Each Ship Tested.
"Of course. all the ships came
through all of the shops" the cap
tain said. "but these are the men who
assembled them and set them up in
flying order for the pilots"
The eight ships that make up the
DeHaviland fleet were tested out from
two to four hours apiece by eight OF
the officers at the Air Intermediate
Depot. or Kelly Field No. l. This,
however, does not mean that each Of
ficer flew but one of the ships. The
officers who tested out the planes and
caused such readjustments to be made
as might have been necessary are: Ma
ior Lakeland. Captain Laughlin, Lieut..
Lewis A. Dayton, adjutant at the A.
/. D., Lieut.. Ivan G.. Norman, test
piIot at the A. ]. D.. who is to make
the Porto Rico flight; Lieut.. Ray g,
Harris. Lieut.. Charles Brnnshaw,
Lieut.. r. +. Giles, Lieut.. Edward NJ.
Powers and Lieut.. NJ. r. Wood.
The San Antonio filters who have
been designated to make the flight are ::
Lieut.. Ivan G. Norman of the A. ].
ID. and Lieutenants +. 7. Seller. Del
mar II. Dunton and James A. Wood
ruff. The other pilots from different
fields over the United States are
Capt. Thomas G.. Lanphier, command
err; and Lieutenants c. b. Austin, E.
II. Nelson, G. c. Mcdonald. \. Long
fellow, r. X. Stoner, G. V. Haynes
and G. Kirksey.
Have Extra Fuel.
Each of the six special ships that
now stand ready to take off for the
big flight. which will probably start
about March /. are each equipped
with n Martin bomber propeller. With
this type of propeller the engines car
be allowed to run slower. as from 14OC
to 1850 revolutions per minute will bt
made but the same results will bt
obtained that would require from 1876
ito 1900 revolutions per minute If tbs
regular type DeHaviland propeller
were used.
The Liberty motor is installed il
all of the ships-a twelve-cylinder mo
tor with 400 horsepower. The mair
fuel tank of the six special ships car
ries 13j gallons, with reserve tanl
holding seven and a half gallons. This
reserve tank will furnish fuel for ap
proximately twenty minutes, it wa'
said. All of the ships are equipped
with the syphon fuel system: each arr
of the dual control type. and all seat
are equipped for carrying parachutes