Evening star., 1932-03-13

1000, ,o00-cubic- airship as successor
TO the Graf Zeppelin to engage In this
business. The new German giant will
be the largest airship in the world, ex-
ceeding by half million cubic feet the
U. 8. 8. Akron and its sister ship, the
U. S. s. Macon, now under construction
at Akron, Ohio.
II the bill Is enacted, American air
ship interests will follow the Macon
with the first of several giant CONNER
cial airships, the first of which will
be used, with the German ship, in
establishment Of weekly Transatlantic
service
Engineers have been studying for
two years the location Of the site for
the American international airship
terminal and have narrowed their
search to four sites, one Of which is
at Hybla Valley, near Alexandria, Va.
The others are near Petersburg, Va;
Baltimore, Md, and Philadelphia.
Enactment Of the merchant airship bill
would result in early determination of
the final site and commencement Of a
construction program which would give
the United States one of the worlds
finest airship terminals.
New Plane Is Tested.
Observation airpIanes, which since
the World War have been much slower
than combat types, now are being
speeded up until they can step along
in the fastest company. Among the
latest OF a number OF fast new Army
Air Corps experimental observation
types is the YO-40, a Curtiss, which
has reached the stage of service trial
in the observation squadrons.
The YO-40 embodies many departures
from standard practice and the plane
is an interesting addition to the ranks
of newcomers in the Army fighting
squadrons which are revolutionizing
American combat aviation.
The new Curtiss is a sesquiplane or
"plane and a half" type, having a high
monoplane wing as the main lifting
surface, with a stub lower wing, which
serves not only to increase the lift, but
to house the landing gear, which Is re-
tractable In flight.
The YO-40, now on final test at
Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, home Of
the materiel division of the Air Corps,
embodies the latest method Of metal
construction. 1t is powered with a
Wright Cyclone" engine. Among the
fast new observation types tested by
the Army are several biplanes, a BIZ
motored flying wing" a high-wing
'parasol' monoplane and gull wing"
type.
Aviation Meetings Planned.
National meetings of three Of the
country's leading organizations afflli-
ated With aeronautics are TO be held In
connection with the National Aircraft
Show of 1882 at Detroit, April to 10.
The associations scheduled to meet
are the aviation section of the Society
Of fAutomotive Engineers, the National
Association of State Aviation officials
and the Aeronautical Chamber of
Commerce of America. One or two ad-
ditional organizations also have made
tentative plans for meetings at Detroit.
The 1882 show Is to include exhibits
from nearly 100 manufacturers Of air
craft and accessories. A model airline
will be operated throughout the period
of the show over an international
route of go miles, pilots and planes of
the country's leading airlines taking
part.
The board of control In charge of
the show this year is headed by Ray
Cooper and includes Luther x. Bell,
general manager of the Aeronautical
Chamber of Commerce; William 3.
Mayo, chief engineer Of the Ford Motor
Co.; George s. Wheat United Aircraft
! and Transport Corporation; Charles 8.
Casey" Jones, Curtiss Wright Corpo-