Evening star., 1932-11-20

local station and probably will be ready
Tor occupancy about December l. These
quarters are located in one of the
wooden barracks buildings vacated as 9
result Of compl1aon of the new perma.
nent barracks aad administration build.
ing and will care for all ground activi.
ties OF the two organizations.
The local Army Air Corps Reserve
squadron, because Of an acute shortage
OF flying time, due to economy measures
will be able to do little flying over tbs
week end. A single cross-country
mission was scheduled.
Akron Drops Sick Man.
What is believed to be the first trans
fer of a patient from an airship in
flight to a ground hospital was made
during one of the latest flights of the
U. S. S. Akron, giant Navy rigid air.
ship. During the course Of a 24-hour
flight early this month, one Of the en-
listed men of the airship crew became
seriously i'll
The airship at the time was carving
aHplanes in its hangar compartment,
one OF them two-Seater observation
plane. The sick man was put into this
plane, which was lowered on the take
on trapeze, with Lieut.. Frederick M.
Irapnel, formerly of the fight test
section at the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
tlon, at the controls. Lieut.. Trapnell
cut loose and flew the sick man to the
Naval Air Station at Lakehurst. N. J..
Wnere ne was transferred without delay
to the dispensary.
The Akron recently completed an
other 26-hour flight, during which
thorough tests were made of a new
sonic ati-drift meter designed by DR..
Il. G. Hayes of the Naval Research
Laboratory, Bellevue, D. C. Gales were
encountered during a major portion Of
the flight.
The prolonged difficulties encount-
cred with water recovery apparatn
ABOARD the Akron apparently have beer
SoIVeo through use of Mark w re-
coVery apparatus, which has been in,
stalled on one of the engines of the
airship. The apparatus was given a
nnal Hight test and proved entirely sat-
lsfactory, the Navy Department has
Deen informed, recovering about ll5
10 l20 per cent of water at an engine
speed OF 1,4O0 revolutions per minute
1nls means that a greater weight of
water was recovered than the weight of
the fuel burned. The water recovery
system Is designed to condense water
vapor which normally passes through
tne engine exhaust and convert it into
water ballast to compensate for the
weight OF the fuel burned. The process
Is essential to efficient airship opera
ton, as it is the only method to over
come waSteful yalving of heliun pas
ABOARD airships which, like the Akron,
burn liquid fuel.
Graf Completes Schedule.
The Graf Zeppelin has completed an
amazing schedule of transoceanic nar-
senger and mail flights. making an
proXlmarely 20 successful round trims
across the Atlantic during her long and
eVent1ul career. During the past sum
mer the great German airship has
Halntalled regular schedule between
Germany and South America, making
larity. 1p AeSu-
On only one of the manv scbedy,sd
ocean crossings of the Summer was
tnere a delay of any kind. On this
occasion the Graf Zeppelin was de-
talneo "a hours at Friedrichshafen he
cause OF most unusual weather con-
oltlonS. The Summers flying has com
pared IN most favorable wav with
sSeamshlp service, it is said. The air
snip mas been able to maintain a
scneoule calling for three days each
w way; as contrasted with an average of
z! days by steamer.
Lieut.. Comdr. T. G. w. Settle. U.sN
winner OF the Gordon Bennett interna,
Ilonal balloon race, which started from
Basle, Switzerland, during the last
week IN September, was the guest of
Or. Hugo Eckener on one of the Graf,s
crossings from Germany to Brazil Hn
leIC the a1rship at Pernambuco and
maze the remainder of the trip TO the
United States by steamship.
Aviation Radio Growth Traced
Though the first regular air trans
port radio installations were made onIv
z12, years ago, growth in the IIse n
raolo as an aid to air navigation has
Decome universal and today there are
III aeronautical ground radio stations
ana 800 aircraft radio stations licensed
Ior operation, according to the annual
report OF the radio division, Depart-
ment of Commerce.
The division reported that rsd,o-
equipped planes are averaging 1azI54
nllieS al ana are carrying 1884 passengers
ana z3,963 pounds of mail each "a
ilouIs. VI the total daily mileage flown
oy radio equipped planes, 40 per cent
Is curing the hours of darkness.
schedules for a years performance
average approximately 90 per cent
complete. with 98 per cent Completion
OF schedules during periods of good
weather, the radio division reported
Credit was given to aviation radio for
contributing to the high performance