Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-15
FIRST ALEXANDRIA
PLANE COMPLETED
| BerIiner Company to Take
Ship on Maiden Voyage
This Week.

The first product Of the Rerliner
Aircraft co. Mt Alexandria. Va, cs
tablished few months ago for the
production Of airplanes. is about Ia
make it's maiden flight and debut on
the market of commercial aircraft.
DESIGNED by Henry A. Berlner, son
al Emil Rerliner. noted inventor and
child welfare worker. the new plane
emhodieS the latest developments IN
eerodynamic qualities and construc-
tion work. and has received enthusi-
estic Endorsement from representatives
Of the military services and CONNER
Cial aircraft manufacturers of promi'
hence.
Sometime this week the plane will
he hauled on a truck to the Potomac
fvinS service headquarters at Hoover
Field, of which Mr.. Berliner is rresl-
Dent. and given its maiden air voyage.
. with Lowell s. Harding, chief pilot OF
the service. at the controls and MI
Berliner in the passenger cockpit.
Plane Only One of Type.
The plane is built around the
, Wright "Whirlwind" engine Of go
4 horsenower, and is the only three
! Mace open cockpit monoplane type IN
America. as far as the designer knows.
The front cockpit accommodates TWO
Messengers. who sit side by side. ami
are protected from the wind by non
: khatterahle glass windshield running
4, from the fuselage up To the LEADING
edge Of the wing. BY the addition Of
the same tN-pe glass at either side. the
sfront cockpit, in a few moments. can
Sha converted into an Enclosed pas
sen-er compartment, according to Mr..
! Berliner.
The snan of the can,ilever wing is
"a feet and the length OF the plane
sfron propeller hub To rudder Is 20
tfeet. Fully loaded the ship weighs
sahout slo0 pounds, giving power
Heading Of 10 pounds per horsepower.
(which means that each horsepower
lin the engine is called upon TO lift only
40 pounds Owing 10 this low power
sloadinS also. the Beriiner plane can
fmake as much forward speed on less
Revolutions of the propeller than
other "Whirlwind' planes with
'hicher powerioadinS.
Mr.. Rerliner estimates that the top
speed of the plane Will he in excess OF
s135 miles an hour and that IL VIII
cruise at around 10 miles an hour.
Owing 10 the thick wing, which at the
maximum thickness measures 10
!. inches. the plane should climb easily
and rapidly. he estimates. The wing
curve employed in the Berliner plane
lis similar 10 that used in several Army
land Navy bombing~planes. although
the span is smaller in this CONNER
,cial product
With the exception of the wing,
,Nhose two main spars and ribs are
fbuilt Of spruce. the entire plane is
CONSTRUCTED of chrome molybdenum
swelded tubing, a metal composed of
Isteel and an alloy which makes ii
,twice as strong as steel. Virtually all
of the military planes embody this
quality of metal in their construction,
sIr. Berliner said.
New Seating Feature.
In designing the plane Mr.. Berliner
,rna6e provisions for TWO square doors
ito open on either side and permit pas
sengers TO enter the plane as they
would from an automobile, thereby
avoiding the system in universal prac-
tice which forces the entrant first TO
step on the seat and then Sit down on
the dirt that he has deposited there.
Two types of the Berliner mono.
plane. which as yet has been given no
name, will he manufactured. one
around the "Whirlwind" engine and