Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-29
HOLDS j. s. BEHIND
IN WAR AVIATION
Rickenbacker Declares Amer
lea Must Develop Speedier
Planes With Aid of Races.

Warning that the United States is
hopeless,y outclassed in combat air.
planes by European nations was sounded
by this country's greatest combat pilot,
Col Edward ". Rickenbacker, in an adj
dress last night before the Washington
section of the Society of Automotive
Engineers in the Washington Hotel.
IF we had war tomorrow" Ricken-
hacker said, Germany, France, Eng
land and Italy would so far outclass us
that we wouldn't even get to first base"
This year, he said, Europe will pro-
duce planes capable of speeds in excess
of 400 miles per hour for the Schneider
Trophy contest. The United States,
withdrawn from Schneider competition,
won't have anything even remotely re-
sembling these meteor-like craft, he
said.
OutcIassed in Speed.
"We are hopelessly outclassed when
it comes to the vital element of speed,
and the sooner We awaken to reali-
cation of our dangerous deficiency the
better it is going to be for our national
security" he said.
Rickenbacker predicted that within
five years airplanes will achieve speeds
of 500 miles per hour. Racing, he said,
IS essential for air progress. Without
d~CulB, ne eApldlIISu, SOu Cal NuP
into the well of engineering ability, be-
cause there is no incentive for the
engineer"
The countries that are engaging in
air racing have improved their air.
planes to a degree SO far unattainable
in this country, he declared.
Rickenbacker, former automobile rae
ing driver, leading American war ace,
automobile manufacturer. and now en-
gagged in airplane production, said that
the recent Detroit aircraft show reveals
a genuine effort on the part of the
American aeronautical industry to i'm
prove the airplane Of today. Advance
ment in the art. however, can and must
be further speeded up, he said.
Prices Must Be Lowered.
Airplane prices must be reduced,
noise and vibration cut down, comfort
increased, speed very greatly increased,
motor power stepped up, factors of
safety even further improved, airway
lighting bettered, more weather sta
tons provided, and radio communtca-
tionS improved, declared Col. Ricken-
hacker.
There is not a plane on the market
today that is truly commercial plane"
he said. Until the price of transport
planes comes down to a level compar-
awe WAbI Ceai AAll1S pOWCA Ot4C4C Oai4 u NC
any hope for success. The Ludington
Line, operating hourly service between
Washington and New York, is the
nearest to the ideal yet achieved, but
it must be even further improved"
The planes needed today should have
cruising speed of 200 miles per hour.
Transcontinental service on a 15-hour
schedule must and will be established,
he said. Larger and more powerful
from n
ders and of the four-cycle type, he pre-
dicted, will be developed and will be
completely inclosed in the wings of the
planes Of tomorrow to decrease parasite
resistance and increase speed.
Sees Use of Automatic Pilots.
There will be automatic pilots in
transport planes to relieve pilots of the
terrible mental and physical strain of
flying through fog and thick weather,
he said. Continued increase of night
passenger flying also will be a develop
ment Of the immediate future, he de-
clared.
Addresses also were made by Otto
C.Rohde, chief engineer of the Cham
pion Spark Plug Co., on modern de-
velopmentS in spark plugs for automo-
bile engines, and by George M Paul
son, former Army Air Corps expert and
chief engineer of the B. G. Corpora
ton, on aviation engine spark plugs
William P. MacCracken, jr., former
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Aeronautics and nominee for chairman
OF the Washington section of the So
ciety to succeed Clarence G.. Bruce of
the Bureau of Standards, was toast
master. An entertainment program was
given under direction of Miss Edith
Reed.