Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
Aviation
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

sans anyways may peg1n
March l., with further extension Of
service to Norfolk, Va, July 1.
All that is needed to insure the in
auguration of the Washington Pitts
burgh service on March /. 1t is said
is the deficiency appropriation of
S33.647, approval Of which has been re-
quested of the Budget Bureau by the
Post once Department. The proposal
has many staunch supporters at the
David A. Reed of Pennsylvania and
Representative Clyde Kelly Of Penn
gylvania, known as the father of the
airmail" because of basic legislation
bearing his name under which the air.
mail has been established and developed
in this country.
The deficiency appropriation would
provide for flying of the service from
March / to July /, when regular ap-
this line and for the Washington Nor
folk service, If the postal supply bill,
now pending before Congress, goes
through in its present form. Senator
Reed and Representative Kelly are
seeking to have the deficiency item in
cluded in the second deficiency appro-
priation bill, which will come before
Congress next month.
The chief function of the Washing
Pittsburgh service will be to con-
meet the Atlantic coastal airmsil line
now operating through this city with
two Of the three transcontinental air
mail lines at Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Two Daily Round Trips.
"It is the tentative plan of the Post
Once Department" Senator Reed ex-
planned. ito inaugurate day and night
flights over the Pittsburgh Washington
1tw4A 1nNs r1la Nryfll Inar yoe h
ington for Pittsburgh at 2:15 pm. and
Pittsburgh for Washington at 2:30 pm.
The night planes would leave Washing
ton at 10 pm. and Pittsburgh at 2
am. About two hours will be required
for the flight each way between Pitts
burgh and Washington. The flying
distance is a little less than 200 miles.
The proposed schedule will not be
Of material benefit in the handling OF
local mails between Pittsburgh and
Washington and is designed primarily
to speed up the transmission of trans
continental mails and provide service
able connections with the three through
routes at Pittsburgh, Cleveland and
Washington"
The dirigible, characterized as "the
Cinderella of aviation" bathed in the
lfmelight for couple of days during
the week, when the House Committee
on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
conducted hearings on the McNary-
Parker merchant airship bill. The big
guns Of the American airShip world
were there and the hearings developed
all the basic arguments in behalf of
lighter than-air development.
This bill would set up for airship lines
the same sort Of protection and support
accorded by the Government to the
merchant marine and would permit the
Postmaster General to make contracts
for the carrying Of the mails by airship;
especially the foreign mails.
The measure is of especial interest to
Washingtonians in view of the fact that
one Of the results Of its passage, If it
comes to that happy legislative stage,
is to be the establishment of trans
atlantic dirigibls service by a German
American group Including DR.. Hugo
Eckener and the Goodyear Zeppelin
Corporation. This group has narrowed
its search for an American terminal to
three sites. one of them at Hybla VAL
ley, near Alexandria, Va. This site, if
chosen, would become the first great
American airship terminal.
Air Giants Planned.
The line is to be established with two
huge airships of 100000 cubic-foot ca
pacity each, capable of carrying so
passengers and mail and express
cargo, the committee was told. These
giants, which would make the Graf
Zeppelin look like a puny infant, would
be capable of carrying per cent Of the
total first-clasS passenger traffic be-
tween the United States and Europe
and 10 per cent of the first-class mail.
it was stated. They would make the
trip between Washington and Paris in
from So to 10 hours, depending upon
season and weather. Based on study
of Atlantic weather during the past
five years, Comdr. HunSaker said. the
longest airship passage which ever can
be expected would be 96 hours, and such
conditions have been encountered only
twice In five years.
Largely as a result of the Navy diri-
gible program, an airship building indus
try has been established in the United
States, the committee was told. The art
has been advanced to point which
indicates the possibility Of establishment
Of airship passenger lines to Europe and
the Orient under the United States flag,
Paul W. Litchfield president of the
Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation, testi-
fed.
Such development would be fostered
by the pending legislation, which. it is
stated in the preamble to the measure,
Is intended Ito provide for the estab-
hshment and development of American
air-transport services overseas, to en-
courage construction in the United
States by American capital of American
airships and other aircraft for use in
foreign commerce"
It is stated in the bill that it is nee
essary for the national defense and for
the proper growth of American COM
merce between the United States and
foreign nations and between the United
States and its territories and possessions
that this country have the best
equipped and most suitable types of
airships capable Of carrying SUBJ
stantial portion of its foreign commerce
and mails and available as a naval or
military auxiliary in time of war or
national emergency, built, owned and
operated by citizens of the United
States; and 1t Is hereby declared to be
the policy of the United States to do
whatever may be necessary to develop
and encourage the building, owning and
operation of such airships by citizens
Of the United States"
Engine Prices Vary widely.
Aircraft engines manufactured in the
United States today vary in price from
$500 to sl5,625 each and in horse
power from 80 to 800, according to the
second annual directory OF American
aircraft engines just issued by the In
ternational Nickel Co. Ratings, char
acteristics and special features of IS
American aviation engines are given.
Among the new engines listed this
year are four two-cylinder power plants
for light airplanes. The highest priced
engine, which also is the highest pow
cred, is q 12-cylinder liquid-cooled mo-
COR which has an official Department
Of Commerce rating Of 800 horsepower
at 1000 revolutions per minute. The
lowest priced generates 80 horsepower
at 1000 revolutions per minute and Is
a four-cylinder air-cooled engine.
"The aviation engine" 1t is said in
fba y1rafoca IN tho directory ais an Off