Evening star., 1932-01-03

here for months.
The controversy. which has ragged
about the erection on Columbia Island
OF obstacles TO air transport operations
from Washington Hoover Airport, is 10
be transferred to Miami this week. John
S. Wynne, manager OF the local air
terminal, has been invited to preside at
t!..!- .ession. at which the Department
of Commerce. wnrh opposed plans Of
the Arlington Memorial Bridge Com
mission and the Commission Of Fine
arts Tor construction or obstacles on
Columbia Island. is to be represented.
The purpose of the session will be
constructive. From the Columbia Island
dispute the conference will seek to draw
conclusive arguments for the neces-
sity of control b. gOyernment-the
Federal Government If necesSary-ot
construction in the vicinity of busy air
terminals. Uniform airport zOning
regulations rank as one OF the imrO--
tant airport requirements OF the year.
In many respects su~h rLgulat onS vii!
be revolutionary in character 91d there
is some question of ConsJitutiCnality
which must be settled.
The coming problems ere comph-
plicsted by the fact that many large
airportS are outside the jurisdic ion OF
the cities they serve. Washing on
Hoover Airport, built to serve the Ma
tional Capital. for EXAMPLE, is in Vir-
ginia. The District has no power to
zone the land surrounding the fed and
yet is more concerned with the safety
of operations there than is the Old Do
n1inion.
Similarly. Newark Airport, the New
York Transport terminal, is in New
Jersey. Chicago operations are carried
on to some extent on airports over the
line in Indiana. In many cases city
airports are in adjoining counties or
other political subdivisions. The prob
lem unquestionably is complicated, but
Is one which must be solved.
Many to Visit the Capital.
Many Miami i-bound = .anes will begin
passing through the National Capital CT
leaving here tomorrow, Al least ci,i
local Army planes are scheduled to 60
and full squadron CT pIrsuiters from
Selfridge Field, Mich, may pass through
tnis city
The Capital also will be visited to-
morrow by 6 number of members of the
Amateur Air Pilots Association. They
will stop here for dinner as the guests
o. F. Trubee Dawson, Assistant S2cre-
tary Of War for Aeronaut.cs ami David
S. ingalls,, Assistant Secretary Of
the Navy for Aeronautics. The as
sociation is composed of amateur
sportsmen plots. many Of them wealthy
who have banded together to put anna
teur aviation on the same plane as a
sport as golf and teJInis. This will be
the first long formation cruise by asso-
citation members, WHO viii take active
part In amateur competition at Miami
A. Felix du Pont, IT,, viii be in charge
OF the fight as feet captain, with Maj
Paul w. Burwall as feet manager
Five SQuadrons of Navy planes are to
take part in the races, in addition to a
crack formation of Marine Corps planes
the Army pursuit. squadron, the ia
nous Army Flying Comet" and other
service planes 1t will be one of the
largest military participations in the
history Of civil air meets in this country
Five Squadrons Leave.
The Navy SqUadrons will go from
Hampton Roads, Va, tomorrow under
command Of CAPT. George w. Steele
u. S. N, commander, aircraft scouting
force. The Squadrons are those of the
q. S. S. Langley aircraft carrier, and
the U. S. S. Wright, aircraft tender, both
of which will go to Miami The squad
rons participating will be fighting plane
squadron l, scouting squadron /, patrol
squadron 10. patrol squadron and
utility squadron 2.
After participating in the Miami meet
the Navy squadrons will proceed J3nu-
airy II to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, foI
participation in the scouting force gun
merry exercises and then will 60 to the
West Coast by way Of the Panama Ca
nal for feet maneuvers and ccncentra-
ton
Central and South American nations
are to send one or more of their mill
tary planes to Miami by way Of tn:
'Lindbergh Circle"
A reunion CT World War flyers of all
nations is to be one Of the features OF
the program. A number Of noted
American combat flyers have signed ac-
oeptances. Col. William Schaufler, jr
will have charge Of the American wal
pilots; Lieut.. L. G. Red" Simon Of the
British; Lieut.. Anton Skislewicz, for
nerly Of the Austrian air service, Of TIE
German and Austrian flyers. and Capt
Robert Moore, formerly of the La Fay
cite Flying Corps, of the French.
The international flavor of the meet
will be carried out still further in the
competitions for prizes offered by for.
eign countries. France and Ecuador
are sending silve" cups this wear, ir
addition TO the Sir Char,e3 Or Bahama
Islands trophy.
New Use for Snakes.
The Iowly and despised snake, hatec
and feared since the gates Of Eder
fallen pair, is rising in the world-or
rather is rising above the world. A
new use has been found for snakeskin
II now goes into the making Of airplant
upholstery
Beside its durability. snakeskin ii
lighter than leather and. in the case o.
upholStering Of large airplane, make!
possible a saving of many pounds O.
weight in business where wsigh
saved means money gained. Lo, th'
poor serpent, dsspise1 in life, skinned
in death, yet rising. in the end above al
his lowly beginnirg7.
The search for means of saving air
craft weight hnS taken other peculiar
twists than the substitution Of Serpen
epidermiS for more conventional up
holStering mater all. l. IS recalled tha
a change Of the color Of the paint uset
on planes Of the Ludington line savet
more than so pounds per plane. due u
the fact that the carbon l~@d in blacl
paint is much lighter than the red leat
used in red paint.
The business Of saving airplane weigh
calls for zeal and application. 1t is M
business for a light headed person
Variable Prop" Tested.
Officers and men of the flight tes
section at the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
ton are hard at work on one of tn
present major problems Of aviation-th
development Of an efficient and depend
able variable pitch sirplane propeller
such a propeller would make possibl
maximum engine efficiency under
conditions OF flight. from the ful-poWe
take-off in the dense cir at sea levt
to climbing or cruising in the thin al
Of high attitudes.
An automatic propeller hub has bee
installed on one of the sections obser
walton planes. This hub automaticall
varies the pitch setting Of the propelle
L. IL IL tlnn fhf1ll