Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-30
ENDURANCE FLYERS
PROFIT BY TEST
Limits OF Plane Show Up as
Brock and SChIee Fail in
Second Attempt.
BY WILLIAM BROCK,

By WILLIAM BROCK.
VINO with Z. r. Schlee lie seeking the world $
endurance record.
special Dispatch 10 The Star and the New
York Times.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla, December
So.-We made our first flying attempt
yesterday and had to dump our 100.
gallon tank after barely getting off
the ground. That was the end of our
nrst try for take-etf on our duration
fight.
or course we don't feel so cood
about 1t. But we learned something
eoout this kind OF flying. In fact, we
learned several things. and all OF them
are mighty important.
Conditions and everything else look
ed as nearly right for the start as we
thought we had right to expect. The
wind was almost directly from the
south. only few points to the west
ana not more than 10 miles per hour,
and the beach was wide and smooth,
as the tide was fully out.
we had prepared everything for
this moment The food lights were
turning the last bit of gray dawn
light to a hazy blue across the sand
and the sun began to filter through
the clouds. The cars and spectators
mad been held back by rope across
the beach, and an emergency fire
control car stood by the ship.
Companion Plane Waits.
Our companion plane of the Wayco
Air Service. flown by Ted MoStley.
and carrying Richard Blythe and
Doc" kinkaid. the Wright motor en-
gineer. waited beside US after making
a preliminary fight.
A group of newspaper men COM
pleted the last interview. and the
moving picture photographers were
waiting mile up the beach for us to
pass. With jerk kinkaid swung our
prop; with a bark the motor caught
and we began to warm up the Wright
whirlwiDd for the supreme effort of
lifting the load of $685. pounds. ! am
now more than ever convinced that
this Is the heaviest load ever lifted in
this type OF plane. and. too, feel that
without material engineering changes
this monoplane will probably never
lit a larger weight. We can and will
get away with it, but it is going TO be
a tough fight
Gather Speed on Beach.
There is saying that it is the last
straw that breaks the camel's back"
and this saying is literally true with
AIRCRAFT; 1t is the last few pounds
tnat neio plane on the ground when
IL ID loaded TO the maximum. Even 80
pounds win be the deciding factor at
such time, and the point is you can
load the last few pounds over the
limit without knowing it il the shin
mas never before be.,n tested for its
great carrying load.
Our motor was turning I'D 1900
r. p. If. on the fun power test on
the ground The crowd waved bon
voyage, Ed Schiee nodded that all
was clear, and pushed the throttle
all the way in. Slowly we began TO
ron. Now We were gathering speed
The air speed indicator needle showed
20. then so miles an hour. All was
clear ahead. The controls began to
take hold or the air. the tail of the
Pride OF Detroit rose from the sand
and l could see that we We're moving
at So miles an hour. We should be
ready TO leave the ground at any
moment.
Schlee glanced at the tachoneter.
II still showed 1000 r. P. NJ. of the
wooden propeller. and I could feel
the air shippage; we We're not biting
hold. And then came a pun of the
west wind, just slight movement,
but we were Quiyering like a racing
car. and yet loaded like a fye.ton
truck. The whiriwind roared. hut
the propeller refused to pick up any
more revolutions
Wheel Dips Into Sea.
The pun OF wind was heading out
TO sea Hungriiy the waves seemed
10 Leap out at us and our near wheel
in the water. the wing dipped danger.
ously and the seconds of recovery
seemed an eternity OF time. Schlee
held the gasoline pump valve. Il was
now or never: one iurch and before
We could recover our balance all the
load would be thrown on one wheel.
The broad blade Of the wooden pro-
peller was slfcing the air 30 deeply
that II held the motor down until il
was not developing more than I75
horsepower. Our task was hopeless
scniee opened the valve and poured
1s0 gallons OF gasoline on the sand
AS the load ligbtened ] slowed down
our air sped until We had stopped roll
Ing. In another moment the FIRE
emergency car was at our side and
the bipisne had landed Just ahead of
liz.
Tide Hats New Test.
Dick Blythe was standing on the
wing. ana came running toward US
even before the plane had stopped
rolling. In moment we decided. TO
taxi hack TO the starting point
change the wooden propeller for the
narrower steel blades. replace the
lost gasoline and make another at
tempt. but IN the meantime the tide
had risen and before our task was
complete We were forced 10 aba don
our efforts for another day. II Is
coubi1ui that We can start today.
The weather forecast is for "rnoder-
ale 70 fresh southwest winds" and
after our experience this morning i,
is not likely that we viii start This
beach runs approxiDlat sjy north and
south. We must have The wind nm
Or down the beach 10 get up safely
with our load.
MoTal-Time, tide ard women wait
Tor no man.
icopys1ght. 1877. By the New York Time.