Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-03

to spectators than to the pilot. I had no
sooner landed after making this record speed,
than was surrounded by newspaper men al
anxious to know how it felt. Here's what L
told them: THE going was fne, but the pumps
were terrible"
Those who were there will recall that the
2O-mile crossWind made low-alttude speed
flying over the course very rough. And rough
air when you're going 286 miles an hour, Is
bound to give you queer sensation AL tnat
speed the bumps are just qulVers, but they run
up and down your spine as well as shake the
ship. They are not so deep as the bumps one
gets occasionally in an ordinary plane at a
reasonable altitude but much more dangerous.
The strain is not so much the physical shock
of being thrown about the cockpit as the men
tai turbulence Of not knowing exactly what the
next bump will do to an airplane travelling at
four and a half miles a minute. Believe me,
that's something for the pilot to think about.
A few days after flew 286 miles an hour
in landplane for an average OF 267 Tor Tour
runs over a three kilometer course, an unof1-
cial American record, member OF the Schnel-
der Cup team in England made 4O4 miles an
hour in one dash over three-kilometer course
and averaged 379. In the race itself the win
ming average 343 miles an hour, or IL
miles per hour better than the previous year.
These figures are impressive, but in some way
not so significant land speed records, be-
cause, after all, it is in landplanes that the
future of commercial air transport lies.
I doubt that the industrial results OF the
speeds attained by the Schneider Cup flyers,
amazing as their achievements may be, will
be as permanent as those resulting from the
land speeds attained in this country, not only
by myself, but also in the transcontnental
flights of Maj. James H. Doolittle and Capt.
Frank Hawks, and the intercity records set by
Hawks and James Goodwin Hall. After all it
is in the development Of landplane speeds that
the progress of air transportation lies, and
these latter records have direct bearing ON
this development.
Moreover the seaplane, it seems to me, has
about reached it's speed limit, while the land
plane still has far to CO. The thompson
Trophy race was won in 1880 at an average OF
2O1 miles an hour. In 1881 I averaged 1856
This year an average Of 26O TO 275 miles Will
be necessary and designers are already work
ing on the 1882 ships with this In mind. This
will mean a straightaway speed Of wen In
excess of 300 miles hour.
A MOTHER factor which must be considered
in comparing the speed OF seaplanes with
that of landplanes is the take-oh and landing
areas which each type requires. The seaplane
which makes 400 miles hour takes off in
a sort of arc, with run Of from to miles,
the torque of the powerful propeller dragging
the ship around into the wind at the moment
when flying speed has about been reached.
1t would be impossible even If land enough
were available, to try this sort Of a take-off
on wheels because it would probably result in
disastrous ground loop before the ship was
even ready to leave the ground, due to propeller
torque.
Frank Hawks was telling at Cleveland
Of the terrific hazard and strain which such
takeoff is on the pilots Of the racing seaplanes,
compared with the straight and COMPARE
lively safe takeoffs of our racing land planes.
He said he could not see his way clear to tax
ing such chances, and those are my feelings.
I think Hawks is right Speed with safety
should be the object, even In racing events.
His own record of fast dashes here and there
In all sorts of weather has done much more
to stimulate air travel than the temporary at
tainment Of greater speeds in very specially
built ships over a measured course under only
Ideal conditions.
AS transport aviation reaches these higher
speeds, there will be need, of course, of devel-
oping larger airports. 1t is probable that this
will mean going farther away from the center
Of communities and the establishment OF a
ferry service with small ships to the center of
the community in the same way as the trolley
and bus now supplement the railroad.
Copyright, 1882