Evening star., 1932-03-27

| Inc COtIlIulttct dQJOuILeO III SOHlc Ut-
wilderment as to the intent Of Cord and
the immediate future of the American
air transport industry.
Graf" to Be Busy.
The Graf Zeppelin, which flew dur
| ing the past week from FriedrichShafen
| to South America on the first of Sc
ries Of transatlantic crossings sched-
uled for the Spring, has a busy pro-
gram mapped out for the next few
months, according to information re-
| ceived here.
The big German airship, soon to be
outclaSsed In size by a giant German
make four round trips to South America
this Spring. The second is to begin
between April ! and 5; the third be-
tween April Is and 20, and the fourth
between May l and S. On the return
trips the Graf is to leave Perambuco
between April and 10, April 20 and
rs and May and 10.
During the four months following the
transatlantic cruises the Graf Zeppelin
is to make flights of one-day duration
over Switzerland. carrying a maximum
of IS passengers on each trip, and also
charter trips Of several days each, which
are expected to be made by special
agreement.
In August and November several
more South American trips, probably
about six, are being planned.
Graf" to Rank Fourth
The big German airship. which has
done more than any other hghter-than-
air craft in history to promote airship
transport service, today Is the second
largest airship In the world but soon
will be fourth, following completion OF
the ZRS-5 or y. s. s. Macon for the
United States Navy and the giant new
German dirigible, which will outrank
even the Akron and Macon.
The German giant now being built Is
intended to operate on regular schedule
between Europe and the United states,
provided this country furnishes the
necessary cooperation. The fate OF the
proposed service to this country hinges
| largely upon the action OF Congress on
the so-called merchant airship bill'
now pending before the House Commit
tee on Interstate and Foreign COM
merce. This bill would surround inter-
national airship traffic with the legal
safeguards placed around merchant
marine traffic and also would authorize
the Post once Department to contract
for the carriage Of foreign mail by air
ship.
If the bill is passed, the International
Zeppelin Transport Corporation, which
includes the Eckener interests in Ger
many and those of Goodyear Zeppelin
CORPORATION in this country expects to
operate regular service between Paris
and Washington with the new German
airship and one or more American air
ships. to be constructed at Akron fol-
lowing completion of the Macon.
Always Broadcasts Simplifed.
As step toward simplifying the
system of hourly broadcastS of weather
| information to pilots in flight along the
| Federal airways system, the Department
Of Commerce airways weather radio
| telephone stations have been divided
| into three chains.
The chains have been designated as
red yellow and blue chains and sta
tions ON the red chain broadcast on the
hour, yellow ut 10 minutes after the
hour and blue 50 minutes after the
hour, repeating broadcasts on each
chain, wherever necessary, coming nve
minutes later.
The chief advantage Of the new pro-
cedure, IL was explained by officials OF
the areonautics branch of the Depart
ment of Commerce, Is that it Is more
uniform than the procedure previously
employed and is more convenient for
| the airman.
The radiotelephone weather stations
broadcast on the frequencies of the
radio range beacons, making necessary
an interruption Of the beacon signals
during the broadcasting Of the weather
| information. With the new procedure
the range beacons are interrupted for
only short period near the beginning
Nf aaI lna ffxzos hn
| of the period for the radio range oper-
alton, which serves to keep the pilot on
| the airway.
In addition to the regular hourly
broadcasts Of general weather condi-
tions, each station broadcaSts local
weather at 80 minutes after each hour
in brief form.
Emergency Method Described.
When 1t becomes necessary to send
emergency messages for the safety OF
the operator stops the radio range bea-
con, calls the pilot on the range fire.
quency and tells him to adjust his re-
ceiver TO special emergency broad
cast frequency. The message then Is
given without prolonged interruption
to the radio range signals. Single
emergency messages of not more than
IL words are sent out on the range
frequency.
The weather broadcasts are based on
information taken from observations
made within q period Of eight minutes
prior to the broadcasting, so that pilots
at every broadcast receive only up-to-
the-minute information. Information
on winds aloft up to a maximum alti-
tude Of $4,000 feet is broadcast usually
Tour times day, after completion of
the regular scheduled airway weather
report.
II a landing field is temporarily
dangerous Tor use because Of washes or
SOFT spots caused by heavy rains or for
any other reason, the condition Is re-
ported Immediately and is included in
the airway weather broadcast for "a
hours after it is first broadcast. Pro-
longed dangerous conditions are covered
by bulletins posted at terminal fields
The National Capital has been To-
Gated on the blue chain, which includes
stations on the Atlantic Coast from
Florida to New Jersey and on the
northern transcontinental route and
the Pacific coastal route from San
Francisco to Seattle. The mid trans
continental system is on the red chain
and the Southern on the yellow
New Engine Bears Promise.
The new direct injection, spark ig-
milton aviation engine is characterized
by experts of the Army Air Corps as
"a distinct step forward in airplane
power plant design"
Such an engine, a modification of
the Pratt & Whitney Hornet, is being
given thorough service tests on
Boeing mail-passenger plane on the
Chicago-San Francisco run, excellent
results being reported The engine
utiiizes the principle Of atomization
and injection OF gasoline direct into
the firing chamber, eliminating the
carburetor system and all of its at
tending Ills.
The advantage of such a fuel sys-
tenn over the conventional carburetor
system from the standpoint Of cold
weather operation and distribution of
fuel to the cylinders are apparent" IL