Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH s. EDdERToN.

THE merry month of May,
ira la, has brought to the
National Capital more than
a its seasonal quota of aero
nautical events. The Capitals
slate of aviation schedules is
scrawled full down to its most re-
mote corner. If you feel like using
Superlatives on the situation, you
may venture the opinion safely
that this is the city's biggest and
best aviation month since Penn
Sylvania avenue was a cow path.
Never since the Wright brothers
"belly-whoppered" into fame on
the lower wing of their first air
plane have there been so many
aircraft or so many different va
rieties of aircraft in this part of
the country. The Army and Navy
are staging the greatest demon
STATIONS either ever has held in
this vicinity. The smallest air.
plane yet built in this country is
here. Gliding has been launched
to a most suspicious start. And,
for good measure, a baby dirigible
has been playing around here for
many days, carrying members OF
Congress who care to fly and the
relatives and friends of members
of Congress who do not care to fly.
For those who keep calendars
of aeronautical events, May, 1880,
should be red-letter month. The
Navy is displaying here the great
est concentration of airplaneS In
the history of the East Coast. The
Army Air Corps tomorrow will be-
gin what is said to be the most
important maneuverS involving
defense against hostile aircraft in
its peace time history, with Boil
ing Field as one base and Aber-
deem Proving Ground, Md. as the
other. The CurtisS Marine Trophy
races. to be held at Anacostia May
"a, are to be the greatest in the
history of the annual classic.
Food for the Hungry.
It is indeed rare menu served
up this month for the aviation
enthusiast. For those who like
racing, the Nays greatest pilots
will compete in the country's
foremost seaplane racing event
IF your taste runs to aerial reviews,
you may see the largest the Allan
tic Coast has known. If your de-
sires run to combat flying, the
Army will satisfy your appetite
with a week of battle maneuvers,
involving Army pursuit, attack,
observation and bombardment
squadrons, to say nothing of the
best anti-aircraft regiment in the
service.
The month also has its scien-
tific dish for those who like real
solids with their meals. The an
nual Spring meeting of the Ma
tional Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics, the Government's
great aeronautical research body,
IS to be held this week at Langley
Field, Hampton, Va, providing a
bone of aeronautical research
achievement, Hastily laden with
gristle of promised future devel-
opment, upon which the most
famished aviation engineers may
grind their mental jaws for many
months to come.
Leaders of the aeronautical in
dustry will go to their gnawing
Tuesday. They will leave the Ma
tional Capital tomorrow evening
by steamer, arriving at Norfolk
Tuesday morning and spending
that day in the Langley Memorial
Laboratories of the committee.
The meeting is most timely, since
the National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics has just been
awarded the coveted Collier Tro-
ply for outstanding achievement
during the past year in the field
of aeronautical development.
At Tuesdays meeting the COM
mittee will show the members of
the aircraft industry what it has
been doing during the past year
to improve the science of flying,
and will receive suggestions as to
the sort Of research work most
urgently needed during the COM
Ing year.
More and More Planes.
| Now for the airplanes.
Some of the Nays crack night
Ing squadrons from the three car
riers made their first appearance
here Tuesday night, showing on
again early Wednesday morning
for New York. There were sc
planes, comprising two torpedo
Squadrons, one scouting squadron
and six scouting planes as nu-
cleus for q fourth squadron. II
was the largest number of planes
the Capital ever saw in the air
ut one time.
There was a much larger dem
onstration Friday, when these
squadrons came back here with
six more, after showing New York
and New England what the term
flying fleet. really means. But
on May "a both these shows are
to be eclipsed, when all the air:
craft squadrons come to the Capt.
tai to be formally reviewed prior
to the CurtisS races.
In this review the National
Capital will see not only the back
bone. but most of the skeleton, Of
the Navy's aerial fighting forces
There will be squadrons here
which are known around the
vorld-squadrons such as the IA
NOUS High Hats" and the RED
Rippers," which are claSSed as