Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
A|RPLANE DEATH
GAIN D|SQU|ET|NG
Increase Disproportionate to
That in Total Mileage
for Year.
BY LEMUEL F. PARTON.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 5.-Back Of
the announcement regarding world
participation in the Guggenheim safe
airplane competition lies the disquiet-
ing fact that during the year 1928 air
plane fatalities increased at rate
diSproportionate to the increase in the
total mileage of planes in America.
In 1927 there were 164 airplane
deaths, and in the first half of 1928
there were 1873. While complete check
has not yet been made for the last half
of the year. figures in hand indicate
the total for the year will be we'll
above 300 Air mileage increased from
39,327, 484 miles in 1927 to 100000
in 1928. Thus the gain of As per cent
in miles flown is outweighed by an in
crease of at least 100 per cent in the
number of fatal accidents.
S1OO,OOO,OOO Investment.
Aviation in the United States now
represents an investment of about
$1OO,O00,000, according to Col. Paul
Henderson, president of the American
Air Transport Association.
Thus, entering the field of genu-
inely big business, the industry has di-
rected it's vast and increasing resources
toward the one basic and urgent re-
naming technical problem. While the
above figures do not show alarming
chances of disaster for any one pro-
posing to ride in an airplane, it is OBJ
vious that the lynx" curve must be
turned downward instead of upward
if the flying machine is to be pressed
into the increasing passenger and COM
mercial uses which the big commit
ments of the industry foreshadow. To
this end, engineers and technicianS
and all the land forces which guard
and inform the airways are entering
the year with intense concentration on
the safety problem.
Opinion is divided as to whether
greater, and possibly complete, safety
provements in present design, or
whether inventors must evolve new
stabilizing principles which will make
planes foolproof. The IA companies
manufacturing aircraft in the New
York district, which Is the leading
district of the country In airplane
manufacture, are, for the most part, at
tempting to reach solution by adapta.
tons and Improvements In control anu
wing design. Juan de Ia Cierva's Fly
ing Windmill" which few the English
Channel and later was demonstrated
in America, is typical OF the more raol-
cal innovation involving new principles.
To Test New Invention.
This machine carries four horizontal
revolving blades on its fuSelage, en-
abling it to descend almost vertically.
American technicians nave been in
clined to withhold Judgment regarding
this invention, and its further tests
during the year will be an important
detail of the vast and concentrated re-
search which will be carried through in
every country of the world. Another
bit of radical design appears in the
Handley Page slotted wing TINS
device has indicated the complete
elimination of "stalling," and is de-
signed to prevent the loss of control.
At the International Civil Aviation
Conference at Washington last month
there was considerable discussion OF
world standards of air worthiness and
Standardization and tests Of airplane
materials, according to new inter,
to the conference to indorse some sucn
arrangement was made by j.. q:
Desbarats, deputy minister OF national
defense of Canada.
IT suggest to the members of the con-
ference" said Mr.. DeSbarats, that on
their return home they urge on their
respective governments the advantage
and necessity for unifying the standards
of the certificates of air worthiness
issued by the different countries"
Daniel Guggenheim of the Daniel
Guggenheim fund for the promotion OF
aeronautics has shown the necessity for
planes which will land more slowly and
which will be able to stop within short
distance after landing, glide and take
off quickly and easily and remain under
perfect control.
The Guggenheim safe airplane COM
petition, announced last October has.
to date, attracted IL competitors for
the first prize of 100000 and the five
prizes of $4,000 each. Five of the en-
tries come from England, one from
Italy and six from the United States.
In design and equipment of the planes
the experts admit there is long road
ahead. The last year has seen de-
cided advance in navigation. During
the year there has been perfected
new type of altimeter, which, by re-
bound of sound impulses from the
earth, similar to the ocean depth finder,
gives the pilot quick and dependable
information as to his altitude or Of the
sudden thrust of mountain peak
through the fog.
(Copyright, 1927