Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-04
AIR FLEET TO GET
new TYPE PLANES
Ships Never Before Seen in
U. S. Are Planned or In
der Construction.

Combat airplanes of types never be-
fore seen In this country are in the
experimental. or construction stage for
the Army and Navy. One Of them is
tary plane IN the world, another is
expected to prove the most deadly
ground strafing plane yet devised,
others are improved bombardment, OBJ
servation and 1ong-range reconnais-
sance types and still another, now I'M
der development, is designed for use
from airships.
The new high speed plane is under
contract for the Navy, according to an
announcement by Rear Admiral VIII.
liam A. Moffett, chief of the Navy
Bureau OF Aeronautics. The plane, to
be produced by the Boeing Airplane
Co. Of Seattle, constructor Of Army
and Navy Single-Seater pursuit and
fighter types, Is expected to rival the
214-mile per hour speed of the British
interceptor fighters and to excel them
in cruising range. Detailed speciflca-
lions as to performance are withheld
by the Navy.
Interceptors Highly Specialized.
The British interceptors are highly
specialized single seaters built solely
for defensive purposes. They are de-
signed for speed, and sacrifice other
considerations to attain this end. They
can fly for only about half hour at a
time. The interceptor fighter, Admiral
Moffett explained, Is the only military
plane today which Incorporates the
principles Of racing planes. 1t was de-
veloped for the defense of London, due
to that city's proximity to many alien
countries, and is designed TO get on
with tremendous speed on short notice
fN heat nfP attach At nlnaa
1.-THE power plant Of this type" Ad-
miral Moffett said, ''is highly super
charged and cannot be operated at full
power near the ground. A liquid
cooled engine with retractible radiator
Is used and the best speed is obtained
at about $4,000 feet with the radiator
pulled in out of the windstream
THE airplanes are well streamlined
but hquid-colled engines are highly
means as reliable as our American air.
cooled engines.
There are, at the present time,
planes under contract In the United
States which, 1t is believed, will equal
the performance Of this foreign type,
and which will be admirably suited for
the very arduous tasks assigned to
them, when operating over the open
seas from carriers"
Plans for New Type Studied.
The Navy also is studying plans for
a single-Seater fighter suitable for
operation from its new military air.
ships. This probably win be a type
new to military aviation. A plane of
high performance will be required and
it is hoped that the first battle demon
STATIONS of the planes, operating from
the U. S. s. Akron, giant dlrigible
which Is to be christened Saturday,
may be made during the fleet maneu-
vers next Spring.
There is at the AnacoStia Naval Air
Station q tiny single scatter designed
for use from aboard submarines. It is
collapsible for slowing in q water-tight
drum on the deck.
The Army Air Corps has under test
at its Materiel Division, Wright Field,
Dayton, Ohio, several sensational new
types of bombardment, attack and OBJ
servation planes, being developed
secretly. Some Of these may appear in
the sQuadrons in time for Spring
maneuyerS next year.
Among them are three revolutionary
bombardment types representing three
OF the oountry's largest airplane Arms
Ford, Fokker and Boeing. For speed
they are said to be unequaled, though
the performance figures, as In the case
Of the Navy planes, are secret. The
big Ford bomber is the first venture of
the Ford Airplane 90. in the military
field and the results Of the tests now
in progress at Dayton are being awaited
by military authorities of this and other
countries.
A new low-wing attack plane Of ter
rife attacking power Is under test, rep
resenting the trend toward the low
wing high speed types led by Capt.
Frank M. Hawks and Col. Charles A.
Lindbergh.