The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-01-08
-SHATTERING
FLIGHT ENDS AFTER
$50 Hours SOARING
Human Engine Proves Superior
to Mechanical One as Men
Are Physically Fit
MOTORS GRADUALLY FAIL
New Era in Flying Predicted
With Nonstop Round ; the
: World Hops Foressen
MOTORS GRADUALLY FAIL

Metropolitan Airport, Los Angeles,
January g. 8.-tF)-Motor trouble which
yesterday caused the landing Of the
arnny's record breaking airplane.
Question Mark, after q sustained
flight Of $50 hours and 10 minutes,
today was found to have been Of such
q trivial character that plans were
made to fly the craft to Rockwell
Field, San Diego, late today.
Los Angeles, Jan. 8.-(NtThe hui
man engine Is, after all. superior to
the mechanical one In endurance fly
ing.
The question. one Of the many put
to the army's monoplane Question
Mark, was answered beyond q doubt
when the great Fokker gave up the
battle yesterday afternoon and settled
to eayth with q record d-shattering
flight of $50 hours 20 minute Is SEC
onds and nearly $4,000 miles safely
completed.
Neither the astounding distance nor
the endurance performance Of the
remarkable ship was regarded by
her army sponsors as the prime &C
complishment, however. That distinc-
ton went to her through proof Of the
theory that refueling Of airplanes
while In flight is practical. which
army officers said was the chief mis-
sion Of the epochal flight.
None Of the three 225-horsepower
motors was entirely airworthy when
the crew finally nosed the ship down
to earth at 2:07.1 p. M, after flight
which lasted nearly . full week. On
the other hand, the five men aboard
were pronounced physically III ~,
army physicians. who said they
needed only rest. First statements
from the men also voiced the fact
they were feeling physically fit and
could take off again II the mctors
would permit.
Engines Gradually Quit
The Question Marks crew kept the
ship aloft until the very end Of its
endurance, bringing It to earth with
one motor dead, another failing rap
idly and practically powerless, and
the third able to make but 1900 revo-
lutions per. minute.
When every effort to revive the lag
ging motors had failed, Major Carl
Spatz, In command, finally gave the
landing order, excess gasoline and
supplies were dumped. and the ship
glided to earth practically ct the
spo. from which 1t took off at 7:26:46
q. m. January /.
Landing at the Metropolitan air.
port here guaranteed the crew Of Of
ficial recognition for record-breaking
performances made by the ship. which
flew 80 hours longer than aircraft
ever stayed aloft before, and 80 hours
longer than an airplane ever before
had flown.
About the only record Of conss-
quence not lifted by the Question
Mark was the nou-refueling eudur-
ance flight record Of the Germans,
Johann Risticz and wilhelm Zimmer.
man, made about six months ago.
That record Of IS hours IS minutes
stands only by virtue .of the fact that
no new supplies were taken on board
during the flight.
Heat Dirigible Marks
The refueling endurance record Of
90 hours 81 minutes. held BY Belgian
aviators, was broken BY more than 70
hours. Invading tho realm OF lighter
t1An-air craft, the Question Mark also
eclipged all known endurance records,
flying - hours longer than the
French dirigtble ptxmude, which held
the record Of 110 hours.
just how far-reaching an effect the
Question Marks achievement viii
have upon the future Of military and
commercial aviation was yet TO be
determined. It prompted army and
navy aviation officers to predict .
new ara IN flying. It demonstrated
the feasibility Of refueling Ii air un-
der varsity Of conditions It caused
Real Admiral w. A. Moffett, chief Of
naval aviation, to enviGon rouud-the-
world nonstop flishts 4 prompted
many aviators to declare that trans
continental and evan transoceanic
flights might become commonplace.
It forecast that airplAnes Of the fu-
ture will carry more pay load and lesb
fuel, taking small supplies OF gasoline
on the run as required.
Exact nature Of the motor trouble
which forced tho ship down after
seven days and six nights Ii the air
WAS not determined.