Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-08

flight. The wings are constructed of
two main box cars, with a three-ply
birch veneer
This plane. designed by Anthony
Fokker, who is regarded as one of
the foremost designers of military
as well as commercial airplanes, has
three Wright whirlwind motors. de-
veloping 200 horsepower at 1000
revolutions per minute.
To laymen a striking thing i'm the
appearance of the F'okker we flew is
that the wings have no external brac.
ing, no strut wires or other members
whatever, being of cantilever CON
struction. The wing alone weighs
1000 pounds.
Such an tairplane without supplies
and gasoline for a transpacific flight
weighs $500 pounds. When we took
off from Oakland the total weight, in
Guiding our own combined weight of
325 pounds, was 1900 pounds.
When we came to the Wright Field
at Dayton to prepare for the Pacific
flight we. old friends. had never
flown together before. but had perfect
confidence in each other and pleased
that each other was selected.
Flight No Race or Stunt.
In no sense was the flight a race or
stunt. AS already explained. the
flight was contemplated and decided
long before there We're any prizes of
fered for Il transpacific flight From
a military viewpoint it was highly de.
sirable to link our island territory
with the mainland, so that in the
event of an emergency an important
officer or exceedingly confidential
message and plans could be sent
across the distance in "a hours.
Every thinking military strategist
realizes that the Hawaiian Islands
are a frontier defense post for the
entire Pacific Coast and that with the
Pacific Coast they form defense for
the entire continental United States.
Also it had long been our desire that
Army pilots should fly over long
stretches of water with navigation
equipment we had developed in the
Army Air Corps.
III this test were successful. it would
mean that an enemy warship could
be successfully bombed n thousand
miles from the Pacific Coast and n
bomber be able to return safely to
the base.
Part of Defense Plan.
HAS HtS tHct, IL ali part
of the developments in military STRAIT.
egg for the protection of our coast
line, which is a part of the duties of
the Army Air Corps.
Another object was to obtain a.
thorough test of the performance
and accuracy of various types OF
navigation equipment. Still another
object was to test out in long range
Hight the performance of the new
radio beacon. For this purpose there
was set up on the island of Maui
radio beacon station operated by
the Army Signal Corps, which was
to be in as constant communication
with us as possible.
This radio beacon was to signal
our course, we in mid-air catching
the signal and from it determining
our position relative to the direct
course.
1t was also certain that much
valuable data could be obtained for
use in the establishment in the near
future of regular commercial air
lines. The Army Air Corps realizes
that one prime object of military
aviation in peace times is to encour-
age commercial aviation in the es-
Enlistment of airways similar to
those now operating in continental
United States.
Secrecy Was Necessary.
A practical test of all our equip
ment would come on the flight from
Wright Field to the point of take
off on the Pacific Coast, and until
such time as we were certain all
equipment was entirely satisfactory
and that the flight would be made
it was natural to observe secrecy.
This is the reason nothing was
made public concerning our plans,
and even until after we left Wright
Field this secrecy continued Later