Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-22

WTW w T w - ...........
This is the signal that will buzz on
1.-THE air" almost continuously while
Comdr Richard Z. Byrd's plane is
crossing the Atlantic. Thus the world
will be able to follow the progress of
his flight.
The signal constitutes the call let
ters of the airplane America and it
will be sent automatically while the
four occupants of the transocean flyer
busy themselves with operating and
navigating the airplane and making
weather observations.
zone Of the valuable scientific
aspects of Comdr. Byrd's voyage will
be the radio Transmission. says a
bulletin from the headquarters of the
National Geogra phic Society, which
describes his radio apparatus as fol
lows:
Maximum Power Per Pound.
1.-THE set was especially designed for
the flight by Malcolm P. Hanson and
L. A. Hyland in the Naval Research
Laboratory here, and. so far as is
known, marks a new record for send
ing range. considering it's weight. The
set itself weighs about 25 pounds, and
the entire mechanism. Including wind
wheel, shaft. mountirS&s, switchbox,
main set and emergency set, weighs
approximately 120 pounds.
ALSO included is a 500-foot trailing
antenna. single wire, let out beneath
the plane. Two horsepower of energy
are used. During daylight, it is esti-
mated. the sending range will at no
time be less than $50 miles, and pos
sibly will be as much as ESQ miles.
AT night these figures would be dou-
bled. Thus ships equipped with radio
and certain land stations should at
all times be in touch with the Amer
lea during much of the flight.
FThe Byrd radio outfit sends only
Geographic signals, but either signals
or spoken words can be received on
its earphones when the switch is
turned to the receiving position. The
automatic signals will be sent out on
600 meters because this wave can be
picked up by any ship equipped with
wireless apparatus. The operator can
jump Immediately to 600 meters, how
ever. 1t is on the latter wave length
that distress signals would be sent.
Mechanical Sender Used.
"The automatic sending feature Is
one of the most interesting phases of
the radio installation. The call letters
are repeated over and over at the
same wave length, at the rate of about
10 complete calls each minute. Ship
radio operators will know exactly at
what point on their dials to pick up
the slow, droning message that will
tell that the America Is safe.
The long dash at the end Of the
three letters is perhaps the most i'm
portant element of the call, for it's
length will permit ship operators
easily to train direction finders on it..
Two ships, both observing the direc-
ton of the America and reporting
to each other, can quickly figure the
exact position of the airplane, and
inform either the flyers themselves or
the outside world. If the signals
should cease suddenly without expla-
nation. trouble can be inferred and
ships can start for a rescue confident
Of the direction in which the airplane
lies.
I'm order that silence shall not
be misinterpreted. Lieut.. Neville, the
operator on the plane, will immedi-
ately announce by Geographic code
that he is receiving or sending the
moment he turns off the automatic
signals. At all other times the call
will be droned out continuously.
Device in Flameproof Box.
=
can airplane fueled for such a trip
as that of the America may be con-
sidered virtually a flying gasoline
tank and because Of hazards which
large quantities of inflammable mate
rial create, special precautions have