Evening star., 1926-11-18
ITALIAN bEATSALL
SPEED MARKS
Mai. Bernard Receives Con-
gratuIations Today From
President Coolidge.

With all Of Americas seaplane
speed records and honors safely tuck
ed away In his breast. Maj. Mario De
Bernardo Of the italian Royal Air
Force came to Washington today and
received the personal congratulations
Of President Coolidge on his victories
at Norfolk. the most recent Of which
occurred at o'clock yesterday eve
ming when his powerful red mono
plane flashed four times up and down
the 3-kilometer straightaway maxi
mum speed course for an average OF
25S.7S miles per hour.
Mai. De Bernardo, together with his
team mates. was accompanied to the
White House shortly after noon by
Ambassad Mobile Giacomo de Mar
tino of Italy and Comdr. Silvio Aca
roni Italian air attache. The Pres
dent received the victorious team in
his office. shook hands with each mem
ber and. through an interpreter, con-
versed personally with the airnen for
several minutes. Following their call
team and the American pilots-Lieuts.
George r. Cuddihy and W. G. Tom
linson of the Navy and Lieut.. G.
Frank Schilt of the Marine Corps.
were entertained at luncheon in the
embassy.
Takes Last Record Easily.
The last official claim to supremacy
in seaplane speed America possessed
the 3-kilometer dash. held by Lieut..
James II. Doolittle, Army Air Corps.
at the rate of 245.713 miles per hour.
faded into obscurity near the Hamp-
ton Roads Naval Air Station just he
fore dark when the major hurriedly
put his MacchiF'iatt S0O-horsepower
plane into the water. TAXED ashore
and boarded speeding automobile To
catch the Norfolk & Washington boat
for this city. Although the italian
airman had broken the 245 mark dur
ing the Schneider International Sea
pafle Trophy race Saturday when he
flew 246.496 miles per hour for the
35O.kilometer closed triangular course.
technically, he did not hold the maxi
mum speed record for straight-away
flying, simply because he had not gone
over this course.
Four times the aviator roared across
the course. twice with the wind and
twice against it. The average or this
group determined the speed. On one
dash with the wind, he reached the
astounding figure of 272.132 miles per
hour. or 1858 miles slower than the
ma ximum speed mark for Ian planes,
held by Adjt. Florentin Bonnet OF
France. This one dash. however,
could not be accepted by itself, as OH
another flight across the course,
against the wind. the plane was slow
ed down to 243.232 miles an hour. His
next fastest time with the wind was
271.5S2 miles per hour and the next
slovest against the wind was 24S.o4S
miles per hour.
Cuts His Flying Short.
Under the regulations governing
such speed trials, Maj. De Bernardi
could have continued flying groups
of four dashes indefinitely or until
he was satisfied with his record.
But his engagement at the White
House TODAY precluded any further
trails, and when he leaped from ms
plane into the waiting automobile he
had not been made acquainted with
the official figures.
AS soon As the famous NO D
plane was hauled ashore. mechanlcS
began to tear II down for packing
This plane will be shipped TO Franco
for exhibition at the aeronauticai
show in Paris and the other two
brought over by the Italian team
will be consigned to Italy. On re-
aouip the planes with wheels and
endeavor to establish new land
plane record.
Will Sail December 1.
Plans were going forward today
for a program of entertainment by
the Navy for the visitors. The
pilots will leave Washington Satur-
day for New York. inspect several
aircraft factories In the vicinity or
that city and sail December for
Italy.
Credit for the victory is laid at
the door of Premier Mussolini by
the entire Italian team, as 1t was
on his personal order that the racers
we're built and through him that the
building and test costs were financed.
The team is being accompanied
by Comdr. J. l.. Callan. naval avia
tor, who acts as liaison officer and
Interpreter for the pilots.