Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH s. EDdERToN.

, long-range reconnaissance, the other 1or
| light bombardment, especially in coast
defense operations. Both are twin mo-
tored monoplanes, using geared Con-
uuerors streamlined into the wings, and
both have retractable landing gear, the
wheels folding up into the engine
naceiles. The crew in each plane Is
three men. Flight testing of the recon-
noissance ship has been in progress for
some months and work has just g5tten
well under way on the bomber.
Guard Wins Glory.
| National Guard pilots, taking part in
their first big maneuvers, have been
winning deserved credit for themselves
and their suuadrons The Guard planes
were concentrated at Dayton from all
parts CT the United States, five planes
coming from each of the 10 corps areas.
| Every squadron came through In Splen-
did shape, though the concentration en-
tailed miles Of hard flying over noun
tains. deserts and broken, foreSted ter
rain for many Of them.
Though the Guard pilots have had
no opportunity to fly together in large
units prior to beginning the n1aneuvers,
they have fitted into the program ex-
ceptionally well, flying excellent forma-
ton as an observation wing, under
command of Maj. Ralph Royce, Air
Corps.
SO excellent has been their work that
F. Trubee Dawson, Assistant Secretary
of War for AeronauticS, announced at
Dayton that it will be the policy Of the
War Department in the future, as fest
as funds become available, to replace
the observation and training planes now
used by the Guard with standard mill
tary types up to two-thirds of the total
number of planes in the squadrons.
Capital Lacks Squadron.
The National Capital has no National
Guard aviation unit, the Capital dis
trict being represented by the Maryland
National Guard squadron, stationed at
Logan Field, Baltimore.
It has been a stirring spectacle the
Guard sQnadrons have given. The
planes bear in large letters under their
wings their State names, and there Is a
decided element of romance as the
SQuadrons go over, representing States
many hundreds of miles apart, all
welded into a single great unit. You
can see roaring overhead in five-plane
v the khaki tWo-seaters Of the Colorado
Guard, safe in from under the shadows
of snow-clad peaks after miles Of flying
over prairies and the fertile Middle
West. Close behind them are five trim
ships from Connecticut, on the shores
of Long Island Sound, arrived here
after the perilous crossing of the Allie
ghenies. Then you may see formation
from Washington, which has left be-
hind it the Pacific slope, the great
ranges of the Western mountains, the
bad lands and the great Northern wheat
fields to come to the rallying point of
its sister Squadrons. Bronzed Texans
may be seen flying in tight formation
with equally bronzed GuardSnen from
Michigan. Vermont is likely to be
found flying beside Louisiana. One
must lack imagination indeed, to escape
a tingling as the scattered squadrons
come high-tailing by-a stirring spec
tacle of the unified air strength of the
Nation.
Cadets See Field Duty.
Another of the distinctive features of
the Air Corps maneuverS now in prog
ress is the employment for the first time
Of flying cadets from the Advanced
Flying School, Kelly Field, Tex, as ac-
tive pilots in the combat Squadrons.
Though they have not yet earned their
wings and are not yet officers of the,
Army. these cadets are earning praise
for their flying and the manner In
which they are upholding the best ira
ditions Of the service they are in train
ing to enter.
The nianeuvers are a great thrill for
the embryo Army pilots, who are
sharing the responsibilities in fun OF
the Arnny's most capable and veteran
pilots. The cadets have been drawn
upon in SUFFICIENT numbers to form the
bulk Of the personnel for provisional
pursuit wing, provisional observation
wing, an attack squadron and bonn
bsrdment squadron.
The cadets, distinctive in their gray