Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08
Aviation
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

was no equipment available and the
mass order had TO be refused.
It is said by aviation people that the
Ball line between the National Capital
and Pittsburgh Is the greatest time
saver over ground transportation OF any
line of its length in the United States.
Though only 200 miles separate the
two cities as the airplaneS ny, eight
hours is required for railroad trans
portation. The passenger plane sched-
ule calls for a flying time OF one hour
and so minutes. The trip mas been
made. under favorable conditions, in
less than 20 minutes.
Night Flying Grows.
Night iying by scheduled air trans
port lines in the United States is in
creasing steadily and America outdiS-
tanced all of Europe in night flying last
year by $500. 900 miles against 1900 200
miles, according to recently COM
pleted survey.
A single United States air transport
line. the Boeing system, completed more
night flying by some 400, 900 miles mar
gin last year than all the lines OF ii
European nations combined.
The total Of 100000 miles flown at
night last year included both mail and
passenger lines. Planes carrying pas
sengers, with or without mail aboard,
flew approximately 3,850,000 miles at
night. the Boeing system covering e.
100000 miles of this total with mail
and passengers on the San Francisco
Chicago and Seattle-San Diego lines,
the two longest night-flown routes in
the United States.
Night flying today makes possible
passenger service between New. York
and San Francisco, a distance OF 2,76O
miles, with loss Of only one business
day. Overnight service now Is IN OPP
Grafton between Seattle and San Diego,
1905 miles; Chicago and Dallas, LOTS
miles; Chicago and New York, 730 miles.
and San Francisco and Cheyenne, l,113
miles.
"Stunt Flying" Pays.
The sensational inverted flying Of
Lieut.. Matthias B. Gardner, operations
offlcer at the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
ton. and his acrobatic section, known
as the Three Flying Fish," is paying
dividends.
The Navy Department has announced
that valuable information shedding
light on problems OF airplane design
and construction has been gained from
the inverted flight tests at Anacostia.
These tests, the department announced.
the necessary load factors to be built
into airplanes of the fighter type, which
might be called upon to perform this
sort Of flying"
The formation acrobatics Of the
Three Flying Fish, chiefly those in
the upside-down position. the Navy De-
partment said. have been accepted gen.
orally as the most excellent back n.y.
ing ever exhibited in this country"
rf41.~ 4kc - he II
Gardner. section leader, and Leuts.
Aaron p. Storrs, 3d., and r. M. Trap
nell. wing men-have evolved an en-
tirely new type of inverted flying, which
they demonstrated with great success
at several national aeronautical events
during the past Fall.
So Important have been the studies
Of airplane stresses resulting from the
flying of this formation that Lieut..
Gardner's plane has been equipped with
a recording accelerometer for further
studies of the stresses involved In the
pull-out from power dives in the in
verted position, inverted snap-rolls en-
tered at various speeds, the inverted
outside spin and the outside loop.
The tests will be flown by Lieut..
Gardner at Anacostia and will be OBJ
served by officers Of the flight test sec
ton at the station and the Navy Bureau
of Aeronautics
Lieut.. Gardner was born in the
District of Columbia and is regarded
today as the Nays most skillful aero
batic flyer, though he had little OPP
portunity to demonstrate his skill
publicly until after the resignation from
the Navy last Spring of Lieut.. Alfred j.
Williams, jr.. premier acrobatic and
racing pilot and pioneer in inverted
flight. Lieut.. Gardner gained his first
public fame as an acrobatic flyer during
the Curtiss Marine Trophy race here
last Spring. He organized the Three
Flying Fish" soon afterward end the
formation made its public debut at the
national air races in Chicago.
Jim Murray Promoted.
James p. Murray. one Of the worlds
senior pilots in point Of flying time, who
has been stationed in the National
Capital for several years as representa-
tive Of the Boeing companies, has been
elected a vice president Of the Boeing
Airplane Co., according to word received
here.
The promotion is not to take "Jim,"
as he Is known in aviation circles
throughout the country, away from the
Capital, for the present at least. He Is
to remain here in his present capacity,
but will be called out to Seattle, the
possibly twice year for a short time.
Murray was one Of three pilots to fly
the first trip of the transcontinental
airman in 1920. He had distinguished
flying record overseas, beginning his
atrmail career abroad after serving as
combat pilot at the front. He first
flew mail, while serving in the Army Of
Occupation, from Folkestone, England,
to Cologne, Germany
Rpfurnino m fhic nauptVu he folS1ad
the Post once Departments staff Of
pilots in the airmail's pioneer days. For
seven years he flew as q pilot on all
divisions OF the transcontinental line
from New York to San Francisco. When
the Government retired from operation
OF the atrmail, turning the business
over to contractors, Murray had more
airmail hours than any pilot in the
service. He flew for the Boeing COM
pany on the contract lines before coming
to the Capital.
Today Jim Murray has more than
5000 hours Of flying time to his credit
and is regarded as one Of the country's
really great pilots. He has served the
Government during his stay here as a
member of several vitality important
joint committees on aeronautical re-
search. He is thoroughly well liked by
those who come in contact with him
expert in the Capital whose opinions
are more highly respected.
Tri-MotOred Luxury.
What Is said to be one Of the largest
and most luxurious business execu-
tives' planes ever built has been turned
out for one Of the large oil companies.
The big ship is equipped with buffet,
gas stove, refrigerator, overstuffed fur
niture, Pullman beds, telephone service
between passengers and pilots and hot
and cold running water.
Powered with three horsepower
radial engines, the plane is rated for
a high speed Of las miles per hour and
a cruising speed Of 100 miles. 1t has
engine ring cnWlin0e and uhaal Ynapfe