Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-13
FAMOUS AIR FIELD
CEASES TO EXIST
McCook Goes Out of Bust
ness With Work Trans
i ferred to Wright.

McCook Field. Dayton. Ohio. prob
ably the most famous OF all the Army
flying posts. is no more.
At the beginning of the present fis'
cal year it officially went ''out of bust
ness but all it's good points, plus
many new features, have been trans
ferred to 5.000-acre tract which by
the FAN will be in fun opera ton
under the name of Wright Field"
Originally the gift of the citizens OF
Dayton to the War Department. the
tract was named after the McCook
famiiy of Ohio, which numbered many
famous warriors. 1t was established
as the Air Corps experimental and en-
Eineering station shortly after the war
and has served in that capacity until
it outgrew its bounds.
Air Field Comes Into Existence.
Not wishing to lose the advantages
which accrue to the city of Dayton,
the public spirited citizens once more
set about to provide for the Engineer
ing Division and this was located a
short distance away from Wilbur
Wright Field. at Fairfield. Ohio. Here
after the name Wilbur Wright Field"
Will be aba ndoned and the activities
there will go under the name of the
Fairfield Air intermediate Depot"
McCook Field was located probably
closer TO the center of the city than
any other airport in the United
States. The personnel at the field,
selected for their engineering and me-
chanical ability. numbered only Army
Air Corps ficers and civilians. There
Were no III commissioned officers or
private soltiers on the post.
Before sa airplane was accepted for
Army service it was sent TO McCooI !
Field. whtrse engineers and pilots did
the very best they could o break the |
plane up in flight They subjected the
craft TO every conceivable test that IL
might meet in regular service. Many |
planes fell under the blows given |
while others survived. Those that !
braVed the tests were rewarded by |
seeing themselves in service with the |
Air Corps duplicated many times.
Many improvements Made.
Time and again McCook Field has /
made improvements and retinements
on aircraft, without which they could /
nNt pass the grueling test. The air |
craft industry, often at odds with the /,
opinions of McCook Field pilots, and /
quite obviously. always has been I
given the benefit of experiments and /
research at the field.
The test work, on an enlarged scale, /
will he resumed at Wright Field in
the Fall and in the meantime this |
work is being attended to at the Fair
field air intermediate depot, head /
qucrters of the Material Division OF |
the corps.
Many new buildings are under con
struction at Wright Field and when |
the development is completed it viii |
embody a 100000 project. A large !
number of testing devices and stands |
have been ordered for he new field, |
including a propeller research labora-
tory, where propelleTs are whirled at
terrific revolutions--far in excess OF
their normal turns attached TO air.
craft engines-with the view of deter
mining their stability.
McCook Field has been the center
Of many aircraft accomplishments Of |
note. 1t was above McCook Field |
that Lieut. Harold r. Harris was
forced to make the first parachute |
Jump credited to the service. Maj. /
r. w. Schroeder, then chief test pilot |
at the field, made an altitude record |
OF 1914 feet in August. 1919: lost |
consciousness at the peak of his flight |
through failure of the oxygen sup |
MY, and fell for FIVE miles before |
regaining control of the plane and |
making a safe landing.
Macready Set Record.
In September. two years later, |
Lieut. John A. Macready established |
a new record of 81 800 feet above
the field, and the following year Capt. t
A. w. Stevens made a record para
chute jump OF $4,000 feet from a
Martin bomber.
Lieuts. Oakley G. Kelly and Mac
ready made their endurance fight Of
IS hours Is minutes above the field |
in October. 1922. McCook Field con-
ditioned the Fokker monoplane Tt for /
this and the succeeding transconti-
mental nonstop flight. The plane
now is in the Smithsonian Institution |
here.
Many aircraft records. coming I'M
der the rarious categories, were made
at that field.
The latest accomplishment of a /
sensational character was credited to
the field when Lieut.. James II. Doc
little, chief Of the flying section, ex-
ecuted an outside loop at speed OF
ESQ miles an hour.
Among the developments OF boon |
to aviation at the field are the para |
chute, the earth inductor compass. |
used with success by Lindbergh and
Maitland and Hegenberger; the radio
beacon and brakes for airplanes.
1t is understood the City of Dayton
will use the tract, together with sew
aral large hangers for municipal
airport.