The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-26
BY JOHN A. MACREADY
written for NEA Service

TT is only a few years until huge,
i multi-motored flying boats, with
passenger accommodations for 100
to 200 people, will be making reg
ularlv scheduled, frequent flights
across the Atlantic, offering trav-
elers every comfort, convenience,
and safety now offered by the
steamship companies.
1t then will be possible to eat din
ner in New York, motor out to the
airport, board one of these giant
air liners, enjoy a thrilling flight
across the ocean and land in Lon
don, Berlin or Paris in time for the
theater the following evening. In
stead Of spending five to seven days
on the water the air trip will re-
quire only twenty-four hours.
Development Of this service, once
it is started. will go forward with
greater rapidity than did the de-
velopment of commercial aviation
in the United States.
There are many reasons to believe
that trans-oceanic passenger serv-
ice will, in time, become the largest
division Of commercial flying. In
the first place the saving of time
will be greater, and time has always
been one of the greatest obstacles TO
ocean travel.
A MOTHER, reason for believing
n that transoceanic flying will
develop rapidly is the fact that
some Of the chief obstacles en-
countered in flying over land are
absent from ocean flying.
In fly over land, high mountains
the scarcity of landing fields, and
fogs are the greatest obstacles.
The high mountains in the west
ern and eastern parts Of our
country require flying at high al
titudes, which seriously handicaps
air transport companies in their
effort to use large planes Of null
tiple passenger capacity.
Enormous reserve power is re-
quired to lift planes to the high al
titudes necessary to clear the noun
tains. In these mountain regions
landing fields are few and far be-
tween.
In transoceanic flying where
huge flying boats, capable of alight-
ing on the water, are used, the
ocean provides a continuous landing
field, eliminating the necessity of
dangerous forced landings.
Because it is possible to fly at
low attitudes over the ocean, there
being no distractions at sea, the
problem Of flying at high attitudes,
and the resulting need for light,
small capacity planes does not exist.
It is possible to fly as low as so
to 100 feet above the surface Of the
water.
CONTRARY to public opinion
~ weight is no serious obstacle
to airplanes, providing sufficient
power is furnished to hurl the giant
airplanes through the air.
Because this is true, it is likely
that in a few years we will witness
the use Of planes that bear little
resemblance to the planes to which
we are accustomed today-giant fly
ing boats, powered by six to twelve
engines, with three or more decks,
baths, dining rooms and kitchens.
These huge air monsters will be
strong enough to alight on the
water and ride the waves, with
standing the buffetings of the worst
storms encountered at sea.
AS chief test pilot Of the army
air services at McCook field, Day.
ton, had many opportunities to
pilot the giant Darling bomber,
largest land plane ever built.
Flying this giant plane gave me a
foretaste Of what it will be like to
ride in the huge flying boats of
the future. The Barring bomber
built by the United States army
resembled a flying apartment house.
This big plane was designed TO
carry load of $4,000 pounds.
It was as tall as a two-story
house, and had a wing spread of
sixty-five feet. Stairways, floors,
observation platforms and lookoutS
were a part of it's equipment. Pow
cred by six Liberty engines it gen.
Grated 2,400-horSe power.
q n u
FURTHER proof Of the feasibility
Il Of tranSoceanic passenger
flights is demonstrated by the
monster Dor1lier plane. which was