Evening star., 1927-05-14

| plished, some enterprising aviator will
lcome forth with a proposition to fiy
from Chicago to Vienna, nonstop,
probably, and eventually the airmen
win seek to circumnavigate the world
in the shortest possible time.
Alcock and Brown were lost to the
world from the time they hoped of
from st. Johns. Newfoundland, until
they landed In bog at Clifden. near
Galway, Ireland. They battled with
snow, hail and sleet. High winds and
combinations OF the elements tore
away their wind-driven generator, on
which they relied to send out and re-
ceive wireless reports. The wings were
covered with ice, d heavy additional
burden. The fog was impenetrable,
and frequently the airmen were flying
In positions anything. but normal.
Their attitudes ranged from 1900 feet
to the tops Of the waves. Once AL
cock found the ship plunging down.
ward straight for the water through
a fog that thinned out just in time to
prevent disaster.
They were the pioneers, the first to
do it, the ones to whom historians will
cling for precedent, just as Lowell
Smith and his Army airmen will be
looked upon as the first circumnavi-
gators Of the globe by airplane, even
though some one does come along later
and cut their flying time in half or
reduce 1t even more.
There is no question about the fact
that airplanes are in existence or can
be built able to span the distance be-
tween the two cities. The Bellanca
plane proved that. But the flight
must be accomplished first before the
public will take up transoceanic flying
in heavier-than-air craft. That day
may be far away, yet it may be i'm
mediate.
The New York-Pari flight undoubt.
edly will establish a worlds record for
distance. Nungesser and Coli at least
would have achieved that additional
fame had they succeeded on their
route, which is estimated to be about
$500 miles. The present distance rec
ord is 1913 miles, held by France. 1t
was made by a plane that left LIE
Bourget airport in Paris October 2S
last and landed at Djask, Persia, the
following day. Although the Bellanca
plane flew distance much longer, its
record is for duration only, as the
plane lowered above Long Island and
did not have to encounter half dozen
different varieties of weather, as the
French plane did.
Both American planes ready to de-
part are what may be termed s'stock
models" OF course, they have been
stripped of all unnecessary attach.
ments to make way for fuel, but they
were not built for transatlantic serv-
ice. Once they reach their objective,
the industry then must produce a
plane to carry not only fuel and crew
sufficient to make the fight, but pas
sengers. express or mail. When that
time comes, transatlantic flying will
step out of the ''stunt" category fnto
which it now has been forced.
The $4,000. prize is an incidental
objective for a few Of the airmen.
No transatlantic plane could be built
for that sum. The winner of the
prize would find it almost pin money"
alongside of the. funds he had to
gather for the undertaking. A care
full estimate of all projects in the
past twelve months or SO places the
outlay at 100000. That certainly
does not indicate that the various ex-
petitions want the $25. 900 orteig prize.
The New York-Paris pioneers want to
establish a bridge between the two
cities, and with a little patience on
the public's part they will bring this
about.