Evening star., 1932-08-21

the Atlantic wing of the transcor
derby for the Cord trophy.
Much Of the blame for the lack Of
proper airport facilities in Washing
ton may be laid at the door of the
Federal Government. The private in
terests which have struggled for two
years to build a worthy airport for
Washington not only are not being as
sisted but actually are being handicap
ped by the Federal Government.
For years the ownership Of a large
part Of the land on which the airport
is located has been in dispute. The
airport owners purchased the ground
honestly, with the knowledge that the
commonwealth Of Virginia had collected
taxes on those lands for many, many
years. They spent large amount OF
money putting the airport in shape.
Then the Federal Government stepped
| in and laid claim to As acres Of the
airport area, which it claims on the
basis of a survey made nearly 10 years
ago.
The dispute over the title brought
all development at the airport to
halt. The owners were warned that
anv money they spent on improve
ments might be lost should the Gov
ernment claim be made good. Plans
for a projected hangar and other i'm
| provements were dropped. The air
port officials today are struggling along
| in their effort to give the people OF the
National Capital airport facilities with
| the shadow of disaster continually over
their heads. No further development,
| either by Federal or private interests,
! of the Capitals airport can be con-
! sidered until this question OF title Is
settled.
Another stumbling block in the way
! of development has been the portion OF
Military road dividing the two halves
| of the airport. Airport officials have
! offered the Government right OF way
around the airport for rerouting OF the
road but no action has been taken. The
road still stands between two airports,
neither large enough to handle the
ordinary traffic of the day.
| Another source of bitter disappoint-
ment to those who have the interests
| of aviation at heart Is the failure OF
those responsible to lower the high
tension wires which are strung on poles
along the eastern boundary OF the air
port. Every effort has been made by
airport officials and those public
spirited citizens who compose the
Washington Air Derby Association to
| nave LUe WlIeS put uiiACA g AOA4>A SN-~->
today's race.
| Wire Menace Remains.
| The District Commissioners issued a
formal order that the wires be buried
along the entire airport boundary and
then found that they had jurisdiction
over only 900 feet of the distance In
yolved The wires along those 900 feet
have been buried. Those along the
remainder of the boundary remain as
menace and disgrace. They constitute
not only a physical danger to every
pilot and passenger flying to and from
washington, but are serious mental
hazard to pilots who must use the field
regularly. every time they take on or
| land across that boundary.
| Today,s derby start is the first svi-
/ ation activity in connection with the
1882 National Air Races, opening next
Saturday at Cleveland. The Atlantic
and Pacific wings Of the derby will be
! consolidated at Bartlesville Okla, the
precise midway point, and will continue
/ together to Cleveland, finishing there
en- the opening day of the great annual
classic.
All existing landplane speed records
are expected to fall during the Cleve-
land races Many special speed planes
have been built for the various speed
events, chiefly the Bendix transcon-
tinental speed race and the Thompson
Trophy race.
Two Gee Bee racers, which were to
have been flown by Russell Boardman.
have been built for the Bendix and the
! Thompson Boardman was put out OF
the picture by a crash at Springfield.
Mass, during the past week in one OF
I ~. h1it hig
ships are expected to perform with
ether pilots at the controls. Top
speeds Of around 300 miles per hour
are expected Of these ships.
| Mai. James H. Dool1ttle has rebuilt
| the Laird in which he set a new trans
continental record of IL hours Is min
utes and 10 seconds last year in win
ming the Bendix Trophy. He has high
hopes of winning both the Bendix and
/ the Thcmpson Trophies. The rebuilt
shin is said to be capable Of nearly
! 300 miles per hour.
Thirty Racing Planes Built.
More than 80 special racing planes
are to be produced for competition in
the closed course races and derbies OF
this year, according to Clifford Hender-
| son, managing director CT the races.
,, types from rebuilt motor cycle motors to
power plants costing more than $4,000.
Henderson predicts that speed records
| for planes CT all sizes will be broken.
There will be races and novelty events
for everything from blimps to autogiros.
| An international team, representing the
| finest flyers of six nations, will partici-
| pate in the races.
One of the startling innovations will
be vertical airplane race from the
| field to point a mile directly above
and back to the field. This race has
been proposed by the Aero Club of
Poland, which has posted marble and
granite award. known as the White
Eag.e trophy, to go to the winning pilot.
AutogiroS will take part in a number
of new events. John Miller of Oshkosh,
Wis. will attempt to loop one of the
windmill p'ares, a feat never under
taken at public meet.
Woman flyers arc expected to domi-
nate the air race program this year, as
| they not only are eligible to compete
in all events but also in two special
races for woman pilots only. One of
, these, the Aerol trophy race, will prob
ably be won at a speed above 200 miles
per hour. Maude TAFT. Springfield,
Mass, who won the event at 1877 miles
per hour last year, is having her plane
stepped up to produce much higher
speed. Other woman pilots are ex-
pected to enter fast planes.
Air travellers who delight in telling