Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
DAVIS SURPRISES
WITH NEW PLANE
Plans to Fly Here Tomorrow,
Byrd Announces Trans
atlantic Program.
epscial pigpateh % Ths S..

Lieut.. Comdr. Noel Davis at Bristol.
Pa, when ne took up his triple-mo.
tored transatlantic biplane, the Amer
lean Legion, and put it through the
PAGES of its first official demonstra-
ton flight
The impression has been abroad
among Davis prospective competitors
that his plane still was in the factory
of the keystone Aircraft Corporation
with several weeks work yet to he
done on it. Fhe unexpectedness of his
move was heightened all the more by
the fact that almost simultaneously
in this city announcement was made
of Comdr. Richard +. Bryd's detailed
plans for New York Paris fight in
a plane not yet assembled.
Comdr. Davis. at the successful
conclusion of his flight. announced
that Lieut.. Stanton II. Wooster, u. S.
N, who accompanied him on the hop.
also would go as his sole companion
on the coming 3.600-mile fight in
which he hopes to capture the Ray
mond Orteig $3.50 prize and act as
an aerial advance agent for the
American Legion convention this
Summer in Paris. Byrd's announce
ment repeats his former statement
that he is not competing for the
Orteig prize and will make lis flight
regardless of the success or failure
of other expeditions, but there is,
nevertheless, a spirit of keen rivalry
between the two projects.
Record Time Construction.
Davis plane essentially is a Stand
ard keystone Pathfinder bombing
plane built for the United States Army
in which special gasoline tanks and
other equipment has been installed, to-
air-cooled motors of 200-horsepower
each in place Of the two engines ordi-
narily used. 1t was built for him i'm
the record time OF five and half
weeks and was completed today even
to such details as the powerful radio
set which it will carry.
Glowing with pride and satisfac-
ton, Con1dr. Davis stepped from his
plane at the end Of the test hop He
said the American Legion handled
easily in the air. Unanswered up to
his best expectations and few with
equal ease and good climb on any
one of her three motors with the
relatively small load he had aboard.
y can't he sure of her performance
until We have put her through
month or six weeks of test flying
under all conditions Of load and
speed" he said. IF they turn out
the way hope. Wooster and will be
al ready to start for Paris"
Above 100 Miles.
He disclosed that in secret speed
test flown by Wooster and test pilots
of the keystone Co. yesterday, the
plane made a showing of more than
100 miles an hour. 1T was slightly
faster with 1000 pounds load than
he had estimated it would be empty"
he said, and this fact seemed to make
him very optimistic.
Richard Hoyt of Hayden Stone &
Co, chairman of the board of direc.
tors of the New York. Paris Nonstop
Flight Corporation, the organization
hacking the Davis fight, was at the
flying field and seemed as delighted
as Davis with the planes perform
ance and appearance.
The American Legion has a wing
spread of So feet, q length of 81 feet
11s4 inches, a. height of Is feet 61a
inches and a weight empty Of 5,S7S
pounds. She has tanks for 500 gal
Ions of fuel which are expected to give
her a range OF 1900 miles at an aver.
age speed of S5 miles an hour Her
total weight loaded, including 500
pounds of oil, 400 pounds of crew
and $50 pounds of equipment will be
y
in run Of 111z seconds and has left
the ground in as short a distance as
205 feet
Coming Here Monday.
Davis expects TO fly his plane to
Washington Monday and thence TO
Langley Field, Va for further flights
The first detailed announcement of
Comdr. Byrd's plans for a New York
Paris fight in his big three-motored
monoplane, the America, was made
today at the headquarters of the
American Trans Oceanic Co, No. 7S4
Broadway, with the naming of Lieut.
George o. Neville. II. s. N, as the
third member of the expedition.
Floyd Bennett, Byrds pilot on the
flight last year to the North Pole, Is
to be second in command. Neville
was a member of the 1925 expedition,
but did not fly 10 the pole.
Promotion Of world peace and the
cause Of science are given as the
primary motives for the Byrd under
taking. Its secondary aim is to
prove, If possible, that air passenger
service across the Atlantic is soon to
be realized"
The new America is now nearing
completion I'm the Atlantic Aircraft
Corporation factory AT Hasbrouck
Heights. y. J.. and is expected to fiy
about April 20 Actual start of the
transatlantic fight depends upon the
outcome Of the rough tests as TO
weight carrying ability, fuel consump-
ton, etc, through which Comdr. Byrd
viii put his plane, but probably win
occur some time next month. Roose-
Welt Field, Long Island. where Capt.
Rene Fonck last fall made his tragic
start for Paris, will be the scene Of
Byrd's take-of; lie Bourget flying
field on the outskirts of Paris, his
goal.
Motors Tried Before.
Byrd's ship is a Fokker monoplane,
driven by three Wright whirlwind
z00.horse power air-cooled motors of
the type that carried him and Bennett
10 the Pole and back. In fact, the
America. is essentially a big sister Of
the Josephine Ford. as Byrd called his
1926 plane, her wood veneer wing
having a span Of n feet ~ inches as
contrasted 10 The North Pole ship, a
feature that is expected to give her
the added lifting power needed 10
raise sufficient fuel for the 3,600-mile
flight to Paris.
The America has an overall length
of - feet 4 inches, a height OF II feet
inches, a weight, empty, Of $40
pounds and fully loaded Of 1850
pounds. She carries main gas tank
Of 500 gallons in the cabin (planes OF
the Americas type regularly are used
for passenger carrying here and in
Europe, and four auxiliary tanks Of
100 gallons each inside the thick
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