The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-09-16
7. A. T. TALKS
REMODELING OF
ALL ITS PLANES
Race to Oklahoma Shows
Value of StreamIine
Ford Ships.
BY ROBERT L. BEARD,

Determined to keep the T. A. T.
Maddux air lines abreast of avia-
tons rapid advance, Transcontin-
entail Air Transport, Inc, contem-
plates remodeling its entire feet of
Ford tri-motor ships to reduce wind
resistance with resultant increase
of twenty miles an hour in cruising
speed.
The project was given impetus
the past weekend when a swift
Ford tri-motor. identical with the
present T. A. T. planes, except for
new stream-line features, raced in
an experimental flight with T. A.
T. Ford tri-motor from Columbus,
O., to Waynoka, Okla, and return.
Eleven newspapermen, including
the writer, from cities along the
route, were guests of the T. A. T.
on the Special" loaned to the
transport company by the Ford
Motor Company.
Fastest in Country
At the Chicago air races, the ship
established itself as the fastest
transport plane in the country, hay
ing raced around a fiYe-mile course
for fifty miles at an average speed
Of 144.56 miles per hour. Officials
claim it has reached a top speed
Of 156 miles an hour and has a
cruising speed of approximately 125
miles an hour, against the los miles
Of the present Ford tri-motors on
the T. A. T. route.
Logs of the two planes on the
flight to Oklahoma and return sub
Stantiate the claim. Although vary
ing adverse weather conditions were
encountered by the two ships, the
new model proved its superior speed.
How this was accomplished was
explained by G.. E. Everett, assistant
to the general traffic manager Of the
T. A. T.-Maddux lines.
Outside Motors Lowered
The two outside motors have
been lowered nine inches, permitting
free passage of the wind stream
between the lower surface Of the
top wing and the motor. In addi-
ton, the motors have been covered
with ring cowling, struts have been
streamlined and wheels equipped
with stream-line covers-all to re-
duce wind resistance.
These are the changes T. A. T.
contemplates making in its present
fleet, figuring the increased speed
and saving in gasoline will Justify
the expense.
At the conclusion of the flight,
officials announced the new ship
made the westward trip in hour q
minutes less time than the regular
plane, representing an increased
speed of 1906 miles an hour, and q,
saving of 104 gallons of gasoline.
A comparable saving of time and
gasoline was shown on the return
when the special not yet radio
equipped, traversed far off the route
in an effort to circumvent the storm
over Illinois Sunday afternoon.
Made Way in Safety
The regular T. A. T. plane, radio
equipped as are all the scheduled
passenger carrying ships on the line
made its way through the storm in
safety.
For those still uninitiated in air
travel, the T. A. T. flight to Way
noka will prove a revelation. The
elaborate system established to in
sure the comfort and safety Of pas
sengers while whisking them the 925
air-mileS from Columbus to Way
noka in approximately ten hours in
the air, is comparable to that OF
highly organized railroad.
The ship left Indianapolis at 12:35
p. m, stopped at st. Louis, Kansas
City and Wichita; was in actual
fight seven hours and twenty min
uteS (from Indianapolis and ar
rived in Waynoka at 9:35 Saturday
night-too late for the welcoming
Chamber of Commerce COMMITTEES
to require the visiting scribes to ride
bronchos five miles into town, as
intended, but in ample time to dem
onstrate to them it's as hard to
flll straight in Oklahoma as in
Indiana