Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-28
FLYERS TRY GLOBE
C|RCL|NG RECORD
Herndon and Pangborn At
tempt to Make Moscow in
Nonstop Hop.
BY HUGH HERNDON, JR.

ROOSEVELT FIELD. Long Island.
June (NAN.A).-If the weather
stays with us we should be back ct
Roosevelt Field in appreciably less time
than the great mark set by Post and
Gatty, which was days, is hours and
81 minutes. II we have marvellous luck
we may make 1t in eight days nat.
I suppose people will say We have q
hard Job ahead of us in our attempt to
beat the present record. and so we have.
But even at that, can't imagine any,
thing harder than the weeks and
months of preparation Clyde Pangborn
and / have put in. .
Studied Ship Type.
First there was the long indecision
about what ship we would use. We had
to get a strong plane-one that would
Withstand possible storms over land
and sea and days OF hard constant use,
and at the same time. one not so heavy
that we would be unable to get the nee.
essary speed, and in this flight, speed
is of prime Importance. 1t was finally
decided to have a special long distance
Bellanca monoplane. which combines
speed and strength without undue
weight.
While the ship was being built to our
specifications we were not idle. There
were air maps Of the world to be
studied. There were leesonsWto be
learned Of topography and flying con-
ditions over Boring Strait and other
diplomatic details TO be attended to
Especially delicate were negotiations
With the Soviet government for permS-
sion to fly over its territory.
Changed Motor.
Finally the ship was delivered to us
We flew 1t up and down the country
and sacrificed many OF our preconcelVeo
notions to gain speed and distance
First we changed some OF the instru-
ments. Then we increased the gasoline
tank capacity from 700 gallons to 84C
gallons. Finally we ripped out the
original motor and put in a ne"
Wasp c. 80,
Another series Of tests followed with
what was to all intents and pu POSES
new ship. We few to Porto Rico anc
back. We made cross-country flights
We few out over the ocean. We
plowed through clouds and fog anc
dark nights. We made load tests, con-
sumption tests, altitude tests ana Wha'
not.
During all this time I had beer
studving navigation with Capt Lewis A
Yancey, The first real opportunity
had to put the lessons had learned tC
practical test was on the Porto Rice
flight.
Plans Indefinite.
Our plans are indefinite as to just
where We will land and when We VII
get there If we encounter bad storms
head winds and fog, we may have tc
come down at Croydon in England To
conditions fair We may
be able to get TO Tempelhof in Berlin
However, II we get a good tall WING
with no unusual storms we can ny as
! far as Moscow without a stop.
Hugh Herndon. jr.. was born In Titus
Vile, Pa. october 3. 1904 His mother
Mrs Dixon Boardman. lives at the Hotel
Roosevelt. New York City. Mr.. Herndon
was educated in the public schools OF
New Rochelle, NJ Y. and at Lawrence
Vile. N. j. He left Princeton in his
second wear to work In the oil fields OF
Texas and Oklahoma. He learned to ny
at VilN1ccublay. near Paris, in the sum
mer OF 1927. and, returning to the
United States. obtained his transport
license in 1928. After having met Pang-
born at Syracuse, Herndon transformed
around the country with him in 1929
and 1890. His total time in the air
exceeds 200 hours.
Pangborn In L. s. Service.
Clyde E Pangborn was born on a
farm in Douglas County, Wash, Octo-
Der %. 1896 His mother, Mrs. Opal
Lamb Pangborn, lives with another son,
P. C. Pangborn IN Wenatshee, Idaho.
Pangborns mother moved to Idaho
when he was a child, and he was edu-
Gated in the public schools of st. Marie.
After two years at the University OF
Idaho Tangborn enlisted in the United
States Air Service in 1917. He at
tended the ground school at the Uriver-
sity of California. in Berkeley. and re-
ceived his primary training at Eberts
Field. Lone Oak, Ark. and his advanced
training at Love Field, Dallas, Tex. He