Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-28

said, insisted on the use of a French
lubricant with whose makers he al
ready for private arrangement.
Third Brand Also Urged.
George Honour, who was Harry
Hawker's mechanic prior to Hawkers
actual hopoff in 1919 on his unsuc
cessful attempt to fly from Newfound-
/ land to Ireland and came here from
the Gnome-Rhone, plant in France to
serve Fonck in a similar way, favors
still another lubricating oil, made in
England. Both this and the French
lubricant have castor and other vege-
table oils in them and are said by
their respective champions to be bet
ter suited for the big air-cooled en-
g1nes than mineral Oil.
Noville's argument here was that
Byrd used Wright whirlwind motors,
which also are air-cooled, and that
they worked perfectly on the 15-hour
flight to the top of the world and
back. Neville resigned his advisory
position with the ArgonautS a week
| ago.
Another friction spot which is caus-
| ing endless pickering is the matter of
Fonck's aides on the transatlantic
flight. Last March, when it was first
| announced that Mr.. Sikorsky was
building a plane for Capt. Fonck to
| fly to Paris. it was stated by Lieut..
J Col. Harold E. Hartney, vice presi-
dent and general manager of the
Argonauts, that two Americans, one a
! pilot and the other navigator and
radio operator, would be chosen by
! the war ace as crew for the S-35.
! Subsequently it was announced that
| Lieut.. Snody had been selected and a
J leave granted to him by the Navy
! Department to make the fight. Still
later, Col Hartney officially an
nounced choice by Capt. Fonck of
| lean flyer, as assistant pilot.
More recently still, after the flight
! had been advanced from between
June 20 and July 12"-this and other
postponements were due to inherent
delays in airplane construction-it
again was announced officially that a
| fourth man would be taken to oper-
ate the planes extensive radio equip
ment. Capt. John r. Irwin, radio ex-
pert of the Argonauts, was indicated
| as the probable choice.
Only Snody Mentioned.
Capt. Fonck, however, at all
| the public functions, dinners and
luncheons, where he has appeared
since arriving here the latter part of
April, continued to refer to himself
| and Snody as sole members Of the
crew. Lieut. Snody did likewise. and
both, when approached long after the
formal announcement Of Barrys
choice, insisted that no such cholce
had been made.
Relations grew so strained they were
obvious to outsiders, and Col Hartney
was asked about the rumors OF
"two-man fight"
That's all bunk" he said. "If the
plane goes, Barry goes. You can De
absolutely certain of that"
w. A. Barry, vice president and gen
eral manager of the Sikorsky Manu-
featuring Corporation, told a different
story.
"It never has been decided to take
third man." he said, and the de-
cision rests entirely with Capt. Fonck.
Capt. Barry has flown Mr.. Sikorsky' S
planes more than any other pilot In
this country and from our point of
view he would be most acceptable.
However. that matter is for Capt.
Fonck to decide and it is possible
some one entirely different or no one
at all will be taken"
Mr.. Barry also declared that in spite
Of previous official announcements
by the Argonauts no radio except a
very elemental set would be taken
unless tests of the S-35's lifting ability
and the efficiency of the expensive
radio apparatus brought here from
France showed the expedition could
take them safely. The weight-carrying
ability of the plane also probably
would determine whether a second
pilot would be taken, he said.
After Rear Admiral William A.
Moffett, chief of the Navy Bureau Of
Aeronautics, visited Mitchell Field, L.
l.. to inspect it, the S-35 yesterday was
taken on it's third and fourth flights.
Each time it carried II persons and
took the air weighing 10000 pounds,
or two tons more than it ever before
lifted.