Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16

the air. Carrying five airplanes
and armed with heavy, 50-calibe
be, a powerful aid to the Navy in
Defensively, the Akron is con-
Structed to take plenty of punish
mert and stand it. Her eight pow
erful Maybach engines-similar to
those on the Graf Zeppelin-all
are. inclosed within the fabric,
along with a major portion of the
control cabin. These features of
construction alleviate to a large
extent the possibility of direct hits
being scored and vulnerable parts
shot away, in the opinion of air
strategiSts.
The Akron's gigantic size--she
Is Jas long as several city blocks
and as tall as a 15-story building
--Singularly is an aid to her de-
Tense. She has so many gas cells
that to shoot her out of commits
sion would be virtually impossible
Her length overall is 785 feet, COM
pared with TIC for the Graf and
65s for the Los Angeles; maximum
diameter, 1872, as against 100 for
the German airship and 80 for
the American; height, 146 to 113
and 104.
Could Cruise to Hawaii.
1t is the Akron's cruising abil-
ity however, that the Navy is
proud of. Without refueling, she
can fly 1880 land miles at an
average cruising speed of so miles
an, hour. At that rate she could
cruise to Hawaii, beat of an at
tack and return TO her base on
the Pacific Coast without leaving
the air. Her maximum speed Is
80 miles an hour, or approximately
so miles faster than the Nays
feetest cruisers.
Another thing expected to be
settled definitely during the flights
viii be the question of what effect
the thousands of pounds of excess
weight built in the craft may have
on her operations The over
weight was caused, according to
official Navy explanations, by
changes in specifications ordered
during construction and could not
be prevented, 1t was said, even
though the Goodyear Zeppelin
Co. was TO have been paid a pre-
MUM for keeping the weight
down TO a minimum.
Sought Brothers Rescue.
Capt. Ira C. Eaker contributes
the following story in his weekly
copyrighted North American
Newspaper Alliance article:
Several years ago a personable
young man walked into the ONCE
Of the Assistant Secretary of War
for Aviation and asked to see Mr..
Dawson. Obviously worried, he
hurriedly introduced himself and
eagerly asked:
"WilI you send some Army
planes TO rescue my brother?
He's lost somewhere between
Labrador and Denmark. He had
land plane and IL he was forced
down al sea he can't last long"
So earnest was his entreaty that
the War Department set about a
hasty study to see what chances
airplanes had IN that region,
where landing fields, If any, ex-
listed and what gasoline supplies
were available
The anxious young man was
Parker Cramer's brother. Parker,
called Shorty" by his flying
friends, while engaged in this first
OF his three efforts TO blaze an air
trail along the Arctic Circle TO
link the Great Lakes of America
with the fjords of Norway, had
been forced down on an isolated
tip Of Greenland. He went unre-
ported for many days. hence the
anxiety of his brother. When hope
had been almost abandoned Park
er Cramer walked into Green
land fishing village.
Lost Plane in Ice.
On his second attempt he again
reached Greenland, tied his plano
up TO the icy beach and went
ashore for the night. A severe
storm blew up and the ice TO
which the plane was moored broke
of from the shore. In the morn
ing the plane was gone
Downhearted. but undaanted,
ONE4 AAAE DEEAAAsA4A AAVOAAA0 WA&ANAA
logged his efforts, Cramer quietly
prepared for his third venture
He shrouded his planes and de-
parture in such secrecy that he
landed in Greenland before the
news hawks knew Of his purpose.
Like a great many pilots, he had
pet Superstitions. Cramer thought
1t bad luck to announce what you
are going to do. Better TO talk
about 1t after it's done, he used to
say. He also thought IL was an
Ill omen to pose for photographers
The mystery surrounding Cram
er's third venture emphasizes the
daring of one of Americas fore
most ayiators. This fight con-
Stituted the most ambitious prof.
ect yet undertaken with q plane
equipped with a Diesel engine. He
made landing in the open sea,
repaired his engine and took OF
again--a-rsre feat. And his pur-
pose, to blaze an air highway
across Labrador, Greenland. Ice
land and the intervening water
ways from Middle America 10
Northern Europe. recalled 70 an
excited public visions Of medieval