Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-07
MYSTERY SHROUDS
LIEUT.. WILLIAMS
MERCURY RACER
Detachment of BIuejackets
Guards Plane on Docks
at Naval Academy.
PILOT IN WASHINGTON
DEMANDING SECRECY
Naval Speed King Expects to At.
tain Record Breaking Speed
of $50 Miles an Hour.

Tile oUdGeS naval ACdueII1V III
| Annapolis today around the mercury
racer" plane that Lieut.. Afford j. Will
liams hopes to groom for the Schneider
Cup speed contests in England next
month.
The little plane was unloaded today
from the naval tug, which brought II
here from Philadelphia, and stood on
| the dock near the training ship Reina
Mercedes. Shrouded with covers that
hid it from view and further guarded
from the eyes of the curious by de-
tachment of blue jackets and petty Off
/ GERS stationed around it, Meantime
Lieut.. Williams refused any information
as to the proposed tests of the plane to
be made here and departed for Wash
! ington with the declared purpose OF de-
manding of Navy Department officials
the secrecy he desires for his tests.
Orders Forbid Information.
At the same time officers in charge
| at the Academy said that their orders
forbade giving any information in con-
nection with the racing plane except
through the department at Washington.
Lieut.. williams, lawyer, former base
ball player and speed king of the Navy,
expects to careen through the air at the
| record breaking rate of $50 miles an
hour.
Ar williams, as he is popularity
known, has been looking forward for
months to his big test, which will de-
termine whether he is to go to Cowes
| England. next month, to represent the
United States in the Schneider Trophy
seaplane classic. Details Of his mystery
plane were revealed yesterday in an an
| while dispatches from Philadelphia
brought the news to the Capital that his
closely guarded plane had been placed
aboard the naval tug Nausset for trans
portation to Annapolis.
Description Of Plane.
The Nays announcement gave this
tabloid information about the new
plane: Type. twin float monoplane sea-
plane; engine, Packard ''X", 24-cylin-
inder rated at HOO horsepower; wings,
section National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics. Ms. covered with smooth
surface skin radiator; weight, approx
mately 4,400 pounds; high speed in ex-
cess Of 800 miles per hour; low speed,
100 miles per hour; wing loading. in
excess of 80 pounds per square foot:
power loading calculated on basis of
!. 100 horsepower and 4,400 pounds
weighD. four pounds horsepower: fuel
capacity, 80 gallons; oil capacity, 9 gall
lens.
Construction Of this special speed
plane has Just been completed at the
naval aircraft factory at Philadelphia
for the Mercury Flying Corporation,
made up of group of sportsmen in
terested in recovering the worlds avia-
ton speed records for the United States,
and headed by Seth Low as president.
Lieut.. williams himself promoted this
corporation and he has been spending
the last few weeks between Washing
ton and Philadelphia. supervising de-
tails Of the construction of his priced
craft.
Monoplane Wings Used.
Monoplane wings. rather than BIZ
plane, are used as one of the cardinal
changes in the development of the
plane. The propeller is Of the geared-
down type. The four carburetorS and
located in the vertical wees between
the two upper and the lower banks
of cylinders, represent one of the prin-
cipal changes in the engine. The en-
CINE derives its name from its shape.
which resembles the letter *" when
viewed from the front. The "a
cylinders are arranged in four banks
of six each, so placed as to correspond
to the arms of the letter tx" the naval
announcement SAID.
There are 48 spark plugs, distrib-
utors and carburetorS and the engine
is equipped with standard fuel. oil and
water pumps. The compression ratio Is
in excess Of to l and the engine is
of the standard automobile light-fuel
type, rather than the Diesel heavy-tuel
type, and was developed by Capt. l.. M.
Woolson of the Packard Co. in con-
junction. with the Bureau Of Aero
nautics of the Navy Department.
The plane itself is a twin-fioat mono
plane seaplane. The fuselage, wings
and fixed tail surfaces are of wooden
construction and the control surfaces
are of metal, as are the floats. All
bracing, except the float struts, consist
of steel tie rods of streamline section,
the Navy explained.
Radiators on Wings.
Cooling of the engine is effected by
passing the cooling water through radi-
ators located the wings and floats" said
the official announcement. THE wing
radiators are fiat. SO as not to ninterfere
with the aerodynamic qualities of the
wing. Provision of cooling area on the
floats Is also effected, without aero
dynamic loss. by passing the water be-
tween the double bottoms OF the float.
This procedure Is expected to result
In fully protecting the engine against
overheating during prolonged taxing
on the water, the most dangerous period
for most racing planes, due to the fact
that the engine Is opened up to full
speed, while the air stream over the
wing radiators is insufficient to carry
away the heat generated. The effect IN
such cases is equivalent, for example,
to operating an automobile engine full
speed in low gear with the fan belt
broken.
I'm the case of the Mercury racing
plane water in the float radiator Is
cooled by contact of the bottom of the
float with water on which the. plano
is taxing, thus compromising for the
lack Of efficiency Of the wing radiators.
When the plane arises from the water
'ti1e float radiators, become insufficient,
but the wing radiators become more
efficient, so that satisfactory cooling
at all operating conditions Is to be
expected
The Navy, with an eye to racing ship
design for its future air fighter develop
ment, is intensely interested in the
present project, officials said.
Must Exceed Speed Record.
Lieut.. williams will have to exceed
the present world speed record of 3l8
miles an hour, officers said, II he is
to take the ship abroad to compete in
the Schneider races. which will be held
on September and 2.
Lieut.. E. w. Rounds OF the hight-test
section, and Chief Aviation Pilot e. l..
Payne Of the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
ton, left Anacostia this morning in
/ two Navy Looming amphibians for An
napolis to give Lieut.. Williams whatever
assistance he niighD need IN his pre-
X ( E n Z. : 4s