Imperial Valley press., 1928-02-07

will be sent out over station KNX
to all parts of the country hourly.
Enthusiasm marked the attitude
of the spectators who viewed the
plane yesterday afternoon and this
Automobiles were running
to and fro from the field in
steady stream yesterday and today
and all those who have looked at
the big ship have expressed great
Among the visitors to the field
have been many airmen of the val
ley. These have marvelled at the
grace of the huge machine and its
peculiarities. The Zenith people in
building the ship have incorporated
many of their own ideas and thus
far these features have added
greatly to the grace of its flying
and its appearance.
"They II sure crack that record
wide OPEN seems to be the con
census of opinion among those who
One arman of the valley was
willing to make n bet yesterday at
ternoon that the plane will stay in
the air for more than 75 hours.
While his opinion is regarded as
somewhat optimistic, the people in
general are of the belief that it
will easily add several hours to the
present endurance record.
1t is expected that q crowd of ap-
proximately 1000 persons will gath
er at the field this afternoon to
cheer the flyers on as they take-off
FOR the big test.
The men who will man the ship
in the flight which starts this af-
ternoon have all had many years of
flying experience. Peterson, who
ranks as vice-president of the coms
panv as well as pilot, and Roche
vile, manager of the corporation
md pilot. as we'll as the officials
of the company are stalking their
all on the venture.
Both these men have had $500
or more hours of flying and they
are not only able to pilot a plane
but they know their ship. They
not only supervised all of the
building but did the greater share
Of it themselves. Both have been
students of flying for approxi-
natelv II years and have achieved
records both in the ser
vice of the country and in aerial
work accomplishS after the World
War.
They were members of the map
ping expedition under Byrd through
Rocheville is regarded by
many airmen as one of the great
st mechanics in the country. An
incident in the building of the Az
batross speaks its word of his abb
litv in this line. The three motors,
shipped from Germany which are
on the plane were installed by
He made no mistakes
in their mounting, each of the three
perfectly the first time
thev We're tested.
Jack Reed. third pilot of the
shin. has had manv years of ex-
Derience in the air while in the
lavy. ~"
The men will not take to the air
ike "Lindy' with a sandwich and
prayer but are going well forti
led. There will be plenty of food
20 last them during a long stay in
he air and there will be plenty of
'elief. With three men in the ship
'ach will have ample time to rest.
Two of the men will be stationed
1t points of command in the plane
1T all times. While only one will
actually be plotting the plane, the
1ther will be ready at all times for
an emergency. The third member
will be able to bunk and forget
everything while off duty.
Endurance flying is a severe tes,
on nerves but with three to do the
over the ship, much of the
hardship should be eliminated.
Once the first few hours of fly
ing are hurdled the pilots will ser
tie the big plane into a steady
cruising vein. Speed will be cut to
the point that will prove the great
est conserver of gasoline and the
engines kent running smoothly in
order to eliminate possibility of
engine trouble.
Behind each of the three huge
motors on the plane is a 90 gallon
oil container and each works by a
system. This means that
the entire 90 gallons of oil are run
through the motor keeping the
mechanism we'll fabricated at all
times. 1Isl
Will Be Official
William VanDusen, official of the
National Aeronautical Assn, will
install the sealed paragraph that
will in the end show the record OF
the Albatross on its endurance
flight. This instrument is capable
of describing the flight of the plane
for a period of 80 hours.
At the field w. L. Shields, radio
expert, will be stationed throughout
the trip to check the flyers. He
will be in constant communication
with the men during the flight, the
pilot on relief caring for the ships
apparatus.
The entire flight will be over
Imperial valley, the pilots planning
for the most part to circle about
but they will avoid getting close to
the hill boundaries in order to do
the most of their flying in the
warmer atmosphere.
Tf tho nlane takes off at 4.3O