New Britain herald., 1927-06-04

note to Captain Lindbergh: Sorry not to wait to greet you. but have to take advantage of the weather. I'm off" An elderly man broke through the crowd and called, Good luck, Clarence, flung his arms around Chamberlin's neck and kissed him-to the aviator's evident amuse- ment A moment afterwards, Cham berlin was introduced to young woman who expressed the wish to kiS him goodbye. Chamberlin brushed his cheek against hers.
 Among others who also wished him farewell was Anthony H. G. Fokker. designer of tho America D tho tri-motored monoplane in which Commander Richard E. Byrd pro- poses to make . nonstop flight across the Atlantic. and Lieut.. George G. Neville. Byrd's radio en- Eineer.
 Paragraph Sealed.
 Tho paragraph, official recorder of the attitudes of the flight, was sealed by Carl F. Schory, secretary of the contest committee of the National Aeronautical association. who had come from Washington to official ly start the flight. Schory gave the official time of the hop-on as 6:O5:27. That was the time the plane gained an altitude that was consid- cred sufficient elevation for a flight start.
 The actual hop-off was accom- plished with a great deal less diffi- culty than Captain Lindbergh's. The rush down the runway was smooth, and aviators who watched every movement of the plane, said 1t was a splendid piece of work" The plane kept directly down the rum way. and did not bounce as Lind bergh's plane had. The ascent was gradual, the plane skimming the earth for a short distance and then rising with grace and sureness until it was a speck on the horizon, with three planes. more dots of black like dead stars around brilliant orb. closely following 1t.
 It's total weight was set at 565o pounds. The plane weighed 1850 pounds. The place where Chamber lin and Bert Acosta took their maps when they were breaking the world endurance record a few weeks ago, was filled with the 13 5-gallon gaso- line containers. Acosta and Cham berlin stayed up a little more than 54 hours.
 45O0 Mile Radius
 With the fuel supply carried. the Columbia was estimated to have a cruising radius of 4,500 miles. Its speed was estimated at 105 miles an hour with no wind. This speed will increase as the weight, diminishing by fuel consumption. decreases. The figures were given by IT. Harold Kinkade. chief service engineer of the Wright Aeronautical corpora tion. The motor of the Columbia is Wright whirlwind. similar to that of Captain Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis"
 When the Columbia was being tuned up for it's flight. 1t stood vir- tually on the spot where Captain Lindbergh's plane stood when he stepped into its blind cockpit for his famous flight, and down the runway, about 4.000 feet away. stood Commander Richard E. Byrd's America. The America and the Columbia seemed like two mon- sters about to dash at each other in Herculean tournament. But 1t was David and Goliath. for the Byrd plane, a tri-colored Fokker, was much larger than the Columbia.
 Several hundred spectators stood around the Columbia as 1t was be- ing groomed for the take-off. The numerous reports of startings had made them a bit chary of cheers. and there was not much cheering as the plane was lowed into posi- ton. But when the hop-off was made, cries of There she goes" were added to the din made by the roaring motor.
 The landing gear of the Columbia had been prepared for dropping in flight in case of a descent at sea. There was no radio aboard. and only a collapsible rubber raft was taken to provide for Chamberlin and Levine keeping themselves afloat in case of an ocean descent. Verey lights and other signal ma terial and apparatus was taken. to be used in case of distress. Verey lights are colored balls of fire. much like those shot from roman candles, and they are fired from a very light pistol. Their plane also was equipped with lights to be dropped into the sea in darkness or fog to ascertain drift.
 The navigation instruments car ried were similar to those carried by Captain Lindbergh. That means that an earth inductor compass, just like the instrument Captain Lindbergh praised after his arrival in Paris. was aboard. There also was a magnetic compass and other aeronautical instruments used in any sort of long distance flying.
 Levine Is . Mystery
 Levine's record for flying was not known at the field. Aviators said they did not think he was H. censed pilot. But they recalled that he made flights, some with Cham berlin.
 Levine is~ virtually the first trans oceanic passenger. aviators said. To embroider their concept, 1t