Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-19
"FIying-W Wing" Type Machine
Being Demonstrated at
Boiling Field Today.
LONG RECONNAISSANCE
RANGE ITS PURPOSE
Second Fokker of Same Type I'M
der Way for Speed and
Light Bombing.

which is being demonstrated to War
Department officials today at Boiling
Field before being flown to Wright
Field, Dayton, Ohio, for fight tests to
determine its place in the Army's
squadrons. The plane, which is said to
be the fastest large plane. ever built
for military purposes, was flown here
late yesterday from the Fokker plant
at Teterboro, N. j., where it mas been
under construction nearly two years. =
OF the "hying-wing type, with two
600-horsepower Curtiss Conqueror en-
gines built into the wing, the plane is
designed for long-range reconnaissance,
including day and night photography.
observation and long or short range
radio communication by voice or code.
Defensively, the plane will be one of
the most deadly observation planes In
the world He
A second plane, almost identical, Is
under construction at Teterboro for fast
light bombardment purposes in response
to one of the most urgent demands OF
the Army Air Corps for new aerial
equipment, 1t was learned here today.
Work Far Beyond Lines.
The new observation plane, which
made its first official appearance at the
local military field today, is intended for
use far behind the enemy lines, out OF
the range of front-line aviation, for the
photographing and observation by day
or night of general enemy troop move
ments, industrial centers, munitions
plants, concentration points and other
military and political nerve centers be-
yond the range of ordinary planes. e
To attain its detectives the plane
must pass beyond the protective area
patrolled by friendly pursuit planes and
must rely for safety upon great speed
and unusually powerful defensive equip
ment
Known oficially as the xO-27.
standing for experimental observation"
and denoting its place as the twenty
seventh in the long line of Army obser-
Walton planes, the new ship is one of
| the most unusual types ever produced
! by Anthony H. @. Fokker. world-famous
designer and builder OF military planes.
J Built to carry a crew of three-pilot,
! photographer and radio operator-the
XO-27 is a monoplane with span of
| 81 feet, and q length of AZ feet from
nose to tail. The single wing is set
flush with the top of the fuselage, the
three cockpit openings being unob-
structed by anything above them IN
any direction. S
The long, slender nose of the fuselage
extends far ahead of the leading edge
of the wing. The pilots cockpit is
located just forward of the wing, giving
him perfect visibility in every direction
except straight below. From the stand
point of visibility the plane is said by
Air Corps officers to be one of the
finest observation types ever built.
Photographer in Nose.
The photographer is located in the
extreme nose, ahead of the pilot. His
cockpit Is equipped for, either day or
night photography, with a camera
mounting built into the floor and q
hood arrangement which may be used
to incloSe the cockpit, forming a dark
room for the development and printing
of photographs in fight. A machine
gun mounting is provided for the pho
tographer, who has field of fire ahead,
below to the front and sides, and in
every direction above, including the
rear
The radio operators cockpit Is aft
of the wing, and he also mans a ma
chine gun mounted to sweep in all
directions above, to both sides and TO
the rear. The unusually large fields of
fire of the fore and aft guns are expect
ed to give tremendous defensive power
against attack from any direction. In
this respect it will be able to give a
better account of itself against hostile
aircraft than any standard observation
plane now in service, 1t is said.
The XO-27 has normal useful load
of 2443 pounds and maximum useful
load of 1922 pounds, available for
lagrange missions. The load is d.
vided as follows: Crew of three, includ-
ing parachutes and equipment, 500
pounds; fuel 210 gallons, 1850 pounds;
oil, Is gallons, lbs pounds; armament,
270 pounds; radio, 1853 pounds: day
Photographic equipment, 99.8 pounds,
and miscellaneous equipment, 244
pounds. The top speed with full load
Is estimated at $50 miles per hour, MAXI
ing it speedier than any military plane
except the single-seater pursuit types.
Lieut.. James E. Parker, Army Air
Corps, of the engineering section,
Wright Field. Dayton, Ohio, was the
pilot on the flight here, and he brought
as passengers S. A. Forberger, project
engineer in charge of the designing and
owen, Army representative at the con-
struction plant.
Direct Drive Engines.
The two big Conqueror engines are
mounted for direct drive, without
supercharging, which will be required
for high altitude work. Chemical cool'-
ing permits the use of radiators of re-
duced size. which are mounted in q
cowling projecting below and faired
into the wing. Carburetor intake open--
ings are let into the leading edge of
the wing and exhaust stacks project
above the wing surface. Cooling
louvres are provided In the upper sur
face of the wing and in the cowling
below.
The landing gear of the xo-27 is
retractable, the landing wheels folding
up into the rear end of the stream
lined engine cowling under the wings.
This leaves only single strut exposed
to the air and is said to result in an
increased speed ranging from to 10
miles per hour. The folding of the
wheels is controlled by the pilot and
the landing gear is locked in the open
position for landing and taking of. M
The XO-27 is result of Army Air
Corps Joint maneuyers with ground
troops in Ohio in the Spring of 1929,
during which the need for long range
and fast light bombard-
ment planes was demonstrated. These
maneuvers forecast the day when dis
tincta types Of observation planes would
be required, one for observation of mill
tary movements at the battle front and
one for observation of enemy activities
far behind the lines.
The light bomber now under way at
Teterboro along the lines of the xO-27,
1t is estimated, will carry 1920 pounds
of bombs with a fuel load for 5 hours
or $50 miles of fight. 4