Evening star., 1929-06-10
DIESEL AIR MOTOR
ENDS |NTERFE
Adoption of Fuel Oil Engine
Will Eliminate "Radio Fly
ing" Troubles.
BY MARTIN CORDEL.

DETROIT, Mich, June l0.-Not the
least important advantage that the
Diesel motor will contribute to avia-
ton is the elimination of electrical
interferenceS with radio employed on
aircraft Added to economy and the
elimination of the fire hazard, the
Diesel engine will make it possible TO
accomplish perfect radio reception and
transmission in flight
Since this year marks the era OF
"radio-flying," or the adaptation of
radio to make air navigation safer, the
advent of DieSel-powered planes is
arousing great interest in radio as well
as in aeronautical circles.
All planes now equipped with radio,
unless their ignition systems are shielded
and bonded to prevent interference with
the radio waves being received or trans
mitted. suffer distortions that some
times blot out the radio entirely. The
ignition of plane is vertible broad
casting station in itself. Every spark
in the gasoline motor sets up an emana-
ton or wave that conflicts with the
radio.
The Diesel motor, using no spark
plugs, generates no sparks. 1t has no
ignition system, so there can be no
electrical disturbances whatever.
Recent Flights Success.
This advantage is being stressed
among the others by the Packard
Motor Co. officials, who are elated over
the success of the recent test flight
of plane of their own design, powered
by a Diesel engine and having weight
of about two pounds per horsepower.
The plane, piloted by Capt. L. M. Wool
son, few from Detroit to Langley Field,
Va. creating sensation in aeronauti-
cal circles and particularly among those
gathered at Langley at the time for the
annual engineering research conference
of the national advisory committee for
aeronautics.
The flight of about 700 miles took
slightly under seven hours.
The consumption of ordinary fuel
oil was estimated to cost $4.68, or about
one-fifth what gasoline for the same
flight would have cost. Naturally, the
economy factor was outstanding, but
the scientists were no less interested
in the other factors. On the radio
side it means perfection is now at
tained by covering the spark plugs
with shields to keep them from broad
casting" and by bonding the rest of
the ignition. system. Among aviators
and mechanics, however, these devices
are loked upon as nuiSanceS when 1t
comes to repairing or overhauling the
planes engine. Shielding is rela-
lively new development of the Army
and Navy, cooperating with the Bureau
Of Standards.
and more in aviation is emphasized by
the fact that most of the major air
transport operators are equipping
practically all Of their ships with
both transmitting and receiving sets.
National Air Transport, carrying the air
mail from New York to Chicago, has
been flying a radio-beacon course for
some time to keep Its planes in true
direction. The Boeing Air Transport
and the Pan-American Airways use
radio extensively for tWo-Way communi-
cation with planes in flight as we'll as
for beacon guidance.
SO Stations Tell Weather.
From the Transcontinental Air
Transport, Inc, the coast-to-coast line
that will start next month in connec-
ton with the Pennsylvania and Santa
Fe Railroads word comes that 80
weather-reporting stations, including 10
complete meteorological bureaus. have
been established. Teletype connects the
stations, and two-way radio communica-
ton will enable the pilots while aloft
to know about unfavorable weather
conditions so that they may either
detour, climb higher or make emer-
gency landings.
In addition to this important use, the
radio will be employed to dispatch
planes and may later enable passengers
while aloft to talk directly to telephone
subscribers in distant cities.
The radio equipment also includes
direction finding apparatus by which
the pilots can tell their exact position
when poor visibility obscures land
marks. There are now developing in
the Army and Navy laboratories and by
commercial research agencies, notably
the Radio Frequency Laboratories Of
Boonton, N. j., and the General Electric
Co., several types of radio altimeters
that will enable pilots to know at all
times the exact height they are flying
above the terrain below.
Copyright, 1929, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance