Evening star., 1932-10-21
BY LINCOLN ELLSWORTH.

BY LINCOLN ELLSWORTH
LOS ANGELES, October 21.-For the
first time, a day or two ago, I saw the
airplane with which expect to make
what has been called the last great
geographical discovery possible in the
Antarctic.
The machine designed and built by
Jack Northrop, whose first trim-lined
Lockheed-Vega startled the aviation
world and carried Ben Eielson and Sir
Hubert Wilkins across the top of the
world, is known as the Northrop Delta.
1t is in size not gigantic machine 1t
measures only 48 feet wide on the
| wings Is 81 feet long and, empty, weighs
| 5000 pounds. But it gives one the i'm
preston of gigantic power and refined,
| tool-steeled strength.
Speed and lift were the words forcibly
suggested as I watched the machine roll
from the hangar. 1t is an aIl-metal
loW-wlng monoplane of exquisite work
manship. The metal leaves with which
the pressed dural framework is COW
cred fold one over the other with a
smoothness resembling the feathers Of
a well preened bird. Round-headed
/
hold the leaves together. Cleaning sil-
yer wings set sturdily beneath a
herrlng-gutted fuselage tip dihedrally
suggest the outline of a slim Anctarctic
petrel.
Will Use Skis in Antarctic.
Beneath the wings the wheeled
undercarriage, which in the Antarctic
Will be changed for skis, shows only
the smallest section Of the rubber tires
beneath metal streamlining giving the
impression Of ballet dancer tip-toed
IN momentarlly arrested motion. The
Streamlinings are called pants" by the
aVlators, but they more nearly resemble
! thin fitting panties than the baggy
neither garments of the male. On the
back OF the fuSelage there rises a slop-
Ing glass in the pilots windshield, and
the glassed-in section is carried back
beyond the navigators cockpit, which
is directly behind the pilot In flight
the navigator and pilot may communi-
cate directly with each other. The
streamllnlng is carried right through to
the tail
AS part of the tail assembly. the
discerning eye discovers the one ap-
parent misht noticeable in this tai
lored, fashion-plated airplane. While
every other line is true. well balanced.
precisely IN harmony, the vertical sta
bl1zer fin is Slightly askew. It is offset
10 correct the torque and drag of the
engine propeller and slip stream, and
keeps the ship, when propelled by the
| powerful 500-horsepower Wasp engine,
straight in normal flight
Although in the Antarctic where.
with Bernt Balchen at the controls, I
DO not expect nor intend to fly in bad
UpQthHr oil
need than, all the latest improved in
struments for blind flying and aids to
I the pilot have been installed in the
cockpit. Besides the normal tempera-
ture, speed. oil pressure. gas consump-
tlon, counters for the engine, there are
a Speery gyro, and artificial horizon
swing, visible indication of the angle
OF the ship in flight, and an inclinon1-
eter and rate of climb instrument
register the amount of climb and wing
| dlp. The, rate Of climb instrument tells
II ana When and how fast the machine
is climbing or falling, and with all the
instruments available it should be pos
slple 10 ny the machine entirely blind
If necessary.
rev Half Measures in Weather.
Such necessity should only occur
| Wnen testing the machine in this col1n-
! try. In the Antarctic which country
! we nope to reach in December. I933.
there are seldom any half measures in
the weather. 1t is either violently
stormy or reasonably calm and clear.
Since our flight is one purely for dis
coVery. we expect to land and wait for
clear weather rather than fly through
or over fog conditions.
we Will not attempt to reach the
south Pole; our course will keep us 400
miles away. But of the 5000 miles We
| hope to cover when crossing from the
ROSS Sea to the Weddell Sea and re-
turn, not more than 300 miles has ever
been seen by man.
1t would be vain to fly over such an
| area except In clear weather. We be-
! IleVe 1t will be safe to land almost
anywhere on the ice-covered Antarctic
! area, especially with the aid of the
! newly designed flap gear with which
the Northrop Delta is fitted The flap
gear Is an arrangement under control
OF the pilot. 1t is attached to and
near the. trailing edge of the wing.
In flight it is folded up and helps
10 form the wing in conventional shape,
but If a quick take-of or a slow land
ing is necessary. the pilot, by wind
nap, swinging 1t downward as one can
swing the cover of book. The wing
is then split-edged at the rear, induc-
ing drag and increasing lift-in other
words making the machine leap up
ward, or stopping its forward speed BY
putting on an airbrake.
Thorough Test Planned.
This feature necessitates the fitting
OF floating ailerons, or small control
wings, attached to the rear top of the
large wing for use in controlling the
machine in normal flight.
These features and several others
will be thoroughly tested before the
airplane leaves the factory airport and
possibly, later in the Winter, when in
the snow and temperatures in the
Northern States art Canada, we will get
an opportunity to test the machine
thoroughly III temperatures and on snow
surfaces somewhat similar to those we
will experience in the South. The ant
arctic Summer temperature is not more
severe than the Winter temperatures in
our Northern States.
We hope to leave the United States
next Fall The antarctic flight prob
ably will take place in December or
January, but before that we will travel
nearly 10000 miles to reach the ant
arctic coast line.
| Copyright, 1882, by North American News
paper Alliance. Inc, and the New York TimesD
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