Evening star., 1925-07-26
HAWAIIAN | FLIGHT
PLANS NEAR READY
Selection of Starting Point
and Test of Boeing Plane
Are Remaining Details.

Selection of a starting point for the
Pacific coast Hawaiian naval seaplane
flight, September 2, and tests of the
giant Boeing PB-1 seaplane now in
final assembly stage at the factory,
are the only remaining details to be
completed for the greatest aircraft
flight project over water yet attempted
by any nation.
All other details of the nonstop hop
across 2.400 miles Of Pacific Ocean to
the Territory of Hawaii have been
completed, and the personnel now are
checking over the plans and rehears-
ing arrangements at the naval air
station at San Diego. Either that
place or San Francisco will be select
ed for the starting point.
Three planes in all will be employed,
under the command of Capt. Stanford
f. Moses, commander Of the aircraft
squadrons, battle fleet, and the actual
flying command of Conldr. John Rod
gers. a pioneer naval aviator and a
native Washingtonian. Two are the
Navy development known as the
PN-9, one of which established 2S1a.
hour endura ance- flight record at Phila-
delphia about two months ago. These
two craft were built at the naval air
craft factory aV Philadelphia, and
after successful trials were knocked
down and shipped by rail to San
Diego. where they have been assem-
bled and are undergoing slight modi-
fications to meet the necessities of
the gruellng trip before them.
Test Flights Soon.
The PB-l, a much larger plane than
the PN-9 type, is 90 per cent assem-
bled at the Boeing factory in Seattle.
Wash, and, according to reports re-
ceived here, will be ready for test
flights about the 1st of August. This
is a monster craft, having an all-metal
hull and two Packard ''2500" motors,
each developing about 500 horsepower,
mounted tandem in the wings. The
PN-9s each are fitted with two Pack
ard 1880" motors, each developing
400 horsepower, and are mounted IN
the wings on either side OF the all
metal hull. The cruising radius of the
PN-9 type and the Phi is sufficient
to get them TO Honolulu.
Success of the flight not only will
give naval aviation the credit OF max
ing the longest seaplane flight over
water, but will be a glowing tribute
to the new types of planes and the
new motors which have just entered
the airplane engine field. The Bureau
of Aeronautics knows the PN-9 can
fly more than % hours without
landing, by cruising up and down
the Delaware River as it did on its
record breaking flight, but to strike
out into open sea with land 2,400 miles
away is another matter. The aircraft
will not be without protection as far
as possible, nine ships already having
been detailed to take up stations at
2O0-mile intervals along the line OF
fight. They include the Langley air
craft carrier, the aircraft tender
Aroostook and the following destroy
ers: McCawley. William Jones. Meyer,
Doyen, Cory, Reno and Farragut.
Overshadows Former Feat.
Successful completion of the flight
will completely overshadow the Navy s
transatlantic fight of 1919. On this
venture the longest hop was 1880
miles without a stop, from Trepassy
Newfoundland, to Horta, Azores, May
Is and II, and completed in Is hours
and IS minutes. However, the dis
tance from continent to continent
1. e.. Trepassy TO Lisbon, Portugal
is 2.305 miles, and the total flying
time was q hours and l minute. Two
stops for fuel. repairs and other de-
lays were made, however, one at Hor-
Ia and the other at Porta del Gada, In
the Azores.
BY flying one complete day and
night. the two PN-9's and the Phi
should complete the jump to Hawaii
in about 26 hours, barring trouble.
They will fly a loose formation, but
in case bad weather renders 1t I'M
practicable to keep together, each
plane will proceed independently en-
deavoring to maintain touch with
other planes by radio. On arrival at
Hawaii the planes will land In Pearl
Lochs, as near as possible to the naval
air station on Ford Island.
Making Daily Trips.
The personnel Of the fight are max
ing daily flights in PN-7's, the prede-
cesscr of the PN-9. both craft being
aerodynamically similar, the only diff
ference being in metal and wood con-
struction. Their work has included
Stimulating a forced landing in open
sea to obtain data for the ships that
will guard the fight. One PM
dropped near the U. S. S. Gannet, a
seagoing tug converted into an air
craft tender, and killed both its en-
gines. The Gannet steamed to lee
ward and trailed a messenger, which
was picked up by the plane and the
towline taken from the surface craft.
While in tow gasoline and oil were
passed TO the plane in 5-gallon con-
tainers. Upon the completion of this
the plane was hauled to the stern of
the Gannet and then cast off. Start
ing with one engine, the plane again
TAXED up to the stern of the ship, and
a life raft was put over the side. 1t
was found practicable to have men
work on the plane from the life raft
in smooth water, but 1t is not believed
that this could be done in a rough
sea.
Comdr. Rodgers will pilot one of the
PN-9's and Lieut.. Allan P. Snody will
pilot the other. Lieut.. Comdr. James
II. Strong has been designated the
pilot of the PB-1. The following Off
GERS also will be detailed TO the three
ships: Lieut.. Arthur Gavin, Lieut.. r.
+. Dawson, Lieut.. B. J. ConnelI and
Lieut.. Rico Botta. All the personnel
are from Pacific coast ships or sta.
tions.
Comdr. Rodgers was born In
Washington January Is, 1881, and
appointed to the Naval Academy in
1899. He was graduated in 1905 as
an ensign and went to the feet for
duty. In 1911, then a lieutenant. he
was ordered to Dayton, Ohio, to "con-
fer with the Wright brothers for in.
struction in the art of aviation" as
his orders read. This period of in.
struction with the aeronauticaI pio.
neers was followed in August, 1911
by a detail to the Naval Academy for
aviation duty.
In December, 1911, he was ordered
to San Diego, Calf, to establish a
naval air station on North Island in
San Diego Harbor. This station has
been in existence since that time.
under continual expansion, and now is
the model station of the Navy. The
largo mart of the following vear x1,o q