Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-01

regulations governing aircraft per-
formances specify that the records be-
long to TIE country in which they are
made. The National Aeronautic As
ISOLATION has displayed typical Amer
lean sportsmanship by declining to ac
cept the record and, furthermore, has
filed an amendment TO the regulations
which will give Italy credit for the
feat.
Speed Struck at Average.
In arriving at a record Lieut..
Williams would have to make tour
flights across the 3-kilometer course
which has been surveyed off in the
vicinity of Port Washington. Two
flights would have In be down the
| course and two up. This. therefore.
would make it impossible for him TO
be aided by any favoring winds, as he
would nave to buck" them. as we'll
as ride with them. The average speed
of the four flights would give Lieut.
Williams his speed for a 3-kilometer
course.
Otis A. Porter. official timer Of the
indianapolis Speedway, has been at
Port Washington for several days with
his electric timing machine. and he
will check the pilot on his flights.
The damage to the planes propeller
could not he predicted here. and it was
not known whether IL new one would
have to he installed or not. Owing
to the great horsepower of the engine
the propeller was built especially for
it by the Standard Steel Propeller Co
of Pittsburgh. 1t was assumed here
that reserve propeller was turned
out at the same time and that in event
the principal one cannot he used, no
great delay will he necessary.
A reserve set of pontoons also Is
nearing completion and in their pres
ent stage it was thought here that no
change in their design could he accom-
plished satisfactorily. A reserve TX"
engine also is about ready for it's block
tests.
~" Types United.
Tn developing the present engine
for the racer. the Packard company
took two ''V' 12-cylinder power
plants and Joined them together. with
the result that they form a perfect
az" Installed in the plane. it APP
pears to he no larger than the Cur
tiss 1a-cylinder ~" type engines
heretofore used in racing planes. but
which are about one half the horse
power of the Williams power plant
It's contour adapts itself perfectly to
clean, smooth stream lining.
The matter Of transporting Will
liams' plane. himself and a crew of
mechanics and risgers necessary to
get the plane into the air at Venice
has not been settled. 1T Is under
stood the Navy Department has a
plan under consideration for taking
the organzat ton across on service
rE, h,yf ha0
reached or announced. pending the
lack OF positive statement from
the pilot himself that he will be
abroad two months from now.
Although the Navy has accommo-
dated Williams in his task by assist
ing him in several respects. the under
taking Is by no means an official
Navy one. The pilot has been on
leave for several months, and all the
glory that will result from the project
will go to the pilot alone. About 10
days are required to reach Genoa
from New York by commercial
| steamer. and this would mean that
the plane would have to he knocked
down. Grated, shipped overland from
Venice and set up ct the seaplane
base.
Should Williams succeed In obtain
y
it is possible that owing to it's small
area. arrangements could be made to
carry it over intact on the deck Of the
ship. The cruiser. likewise. could
make the journey in less time. and
there would he no delay in getting the
plane ready for the race.
Adopts "SiIence" Policy.
Friends Of Lieut.. Williams here pre-
dicted that he would refrain from an
nouncing his fights plans in advance.
but would closely adhere to the
"silence until success" policy now
spreading throughout aviation activi-
ties. They emphasized that his is
pioneering expedition-that he has
undertaken something that never has
been done before and is In no wise
comparable with the recent nonstop
| epideemic" Therefore he Is not In a
| position to predict with any degree
! of accuracy just what he will accom-
plish when there is no precedent be
| fore him. 1t is likely, they thought.
| that his decision TO fly the plane
would precede by a matter OF an hour
| or two his actual efforts to consum
| mate his plans.
Lieut.. Williams is the former
king Of airplane speed" His world
record Of 266 miles an hour. made in
the early part OF November. 1928,
| stood for 13 months, and then War
| rant Officer Florentin Bennett, flying
a Ferbois monoplane with n Hispano
SuiZa $50 -horsepower engine. shat
| tered this mark at 21S.4SO miles per
| hour. at 1stres. France. No land
| plsne since that time has tackled
| the French record, although the
maximum seaplane speed record. made
hy Lieut.. Jimmie" Doolittie of the
Army Air Corps at Baltimore In 1928,
was shattered year later at Norfolk
| by Mai. Mario de Bernardo, flying a
| Macchi-Fiatt monoplane.