Evening star., 1927-04-17
PREPARED
TO CROSS OCEAN
american Legion" Is Chris
tened and BeIIanca Craft
Gets New Motor.
By the Associated Press.

by the ASSOcldteu fTesS.
NEW YORK, April 1.-two air
planes which may race across the
ocean next month were inactive only
a few hundred yards apart this after
noon. AS the American Legion BIZ
plane was being christened at Mitchell
Field, the Bellanca mOnoplane, kept
aloft for more than 81 hours by Bert
Acosta and Clarence Chamberlin.
was having q new motor installed at
Curtiss Field close by.
Lieut. Comdr. Noel Davis brought
the American Legion from Langley
Field for the christening ceremo-
nies and will fly back to Langley Field
Monday for performance tests and
study of weather charts, which may
require from one to two weeks. He
will then return to Mitchell Field TO
start the transatlantic trip.
The Bellanca plane owners are
eager for a race and when 1t was
found that the Davis plane was to
be a neighbor, the work of placing
a new Wright motor in the plane was
rushed to completion, so that II the
American Legion decided on an earlier
start than forecast, the Bellanca
could go along. The new motor VIII
be tested in series of flights to-
morrow.
No starting dates have been an.
nounced. pending investigation OF
probable weather conditions. but May
will probably mark the beginning OF
the open season for the ocean from
the air.
Another Attempt.
Igor Sikorsky, builder of the plane
that crashed when Capt. Rene Fonck,
French ace, attempted to start a
flight from New York to Paris last
year, said today that Capt. Fonck will
reach New York on the Paris We'd
nesday and will assume general super.
vision over the finishing of his plane
to be used in a second attempt. The
plane, which is a replica of the ill
fated S-35, Is being built at the Col
lege Point plant Of the Sikorsky com
pany. 1t will not be finally turned
over to Capt. Fonck until July.
The Bellanca entry in the general
competition may mean that either
Bert Acosta or Clarence Chamberlin
will have to remain aground while the
others take the air. An expert nav
igator is considered an essential mem
Der of a planes crew on a transat-
lantic hop. Brice Goldsborough, men,
toned as a possible second man In
the plane, said today that he had not
been approached by Charles A. Levine,
managing director of the company
owning the Bellanca plane.
Mr.. Levine said that the members
of the crew have not been selected
and that if it became necessary to
choose between Chamberiin and
Acosta, coin would be tossed.
Christening Ceremony.
The American Legion was
christened by Mrs. Noel Davis, wife
of it's commander. She shattered a
bottle of ginger ale on the hub of the
center propeller, after j. @. Sims. na-
tional vice commander of the Amer
ican Legion. had delivered an address
and presented Lieut.. Comdr Davis
and Lieut.. Station H. Wooster, his fly
ing companion, with watches.
Only two of the five aviators prom
inently mentioned as likely May start
ers will be in competition for the
Ralph Orteig prize of $25,000, long
standing as an offer from the resi-
dents of New York and Paris for the
first flyer to make a successful non
stop crossing from Paris.
The rules of the contest provide for
entering so days before the start, and
only Davis and Charles A. Lindbergh,
st. Louis mail pilot, have complied.