Evening star., 1932-12-11

SaS ClLy-DallaS, salt Lake Clty-SeaLtle,
and Seattle-San Diego.
The total of $4,000, 900 miles is Diff
cult to comprehend. It represents
more than half the distance between
the earth and the sun; 210 trips be-
tween the earth and the moon. and
1884 trips around the earth.
United also has completed $4,000 900
miles of night flying. which Is claimed
to be more night flying than that OF
all the airlines of eight leading Euro
pean nations combined.
Maintenance Meet Planned.
A national meeting on aircraft main
tenance will be held under the auspices
of the Aeronautical Chamber of Com
merce at Miami, January 4, in connec-
ton with the All-American Air Races.
H. A. Elliott, vice president of Eastern
Air Transport, will be chairman and
the conference will bring together air.
craft manufacturers, airplane motor
manufacturers, airline operators, own
ers of airports and aviation executives
from the Eastern half of the United
States.
Need for Research Stressed. {
Proposals made to Congress that the
curtailment of Government activities
incidental to the reduction of Federal
expenses should include, among other
bureaus and agencies listed for aban-
donment, the National Advisory Com
mittee for Aeronautics, will come as o
blow to many in the aeronautical in
dustry
The N. A. c. A. is the Federal body
to which is entrusted Federal research
into the most important of ae:onau-
tical problems, and in this work the
committee has established for itself
position of world leadership. The COM
mittee Is composed of distinguished
scientific and aeronautical leaders Of
the Nation who serve without pay. The
research work Of the committee is con-
Quoted by paid executives in the Ma
tional Capital and by laboratory staff
at Langley Field, Hampton, Va.
The importance Of research work In
aeronautics Is strongly emphasized by
those responsible for progress in The
industry. In forwarding to Congress
the annual report Of the N. A. c. A.,
during the past week, President Hooyer
said in his letter Of submittal:
In the new phase Of the industrial
age upon which the country is enter
ing, substantial achievements will re-
largely on the stimulation given I.
scientific research. The remarkat.
progress Of aeronautics since the We
Is demonstration Of the value an.
necessity Of research.
1.-THE National Advisory Committee
for Aeronauttcs n the governments.
agency for co-ordtnating and conduct
ing fundameass. research IN aero
nautics. I concur In tspe committees
opinion that America should keep at
least abreast q ptheN natinns in the
Development g AYIat!sl end believe
that the best wAg g 01ure this Is to
provide pr vide for. ios the 9s cSIsn1sa Prosecution
Industry 1s cUQsusted.
It Is the policy of ehs n. A. G. A.
to call into conference annually the
leaders Of the aermaa1ticea industry In
the United States and 10 ascertain
from them what they consider to be
the most necessary fields for research
during the coming year. From these
views there Is evolved . program OF re.
laboratory Staff in its work.
While many Of the larger aircraft
designers and manufacturers maintain
their own laboratories and prosecute
their own research work, there are
phases Of research beyond the scope Of
any ordinary laboratory. These come
within the province of the N. A. @. A.
laboratory, which is rated as the best
equipped aeronautical research estab-
lishment in the world. ..-r
The N. A. C. A. Is just beginning to
derive benefits from the construction
of the worlds first full scale wind tun-.
mel and from a new 2.500-foot tank
for testing of seaplane hulls and floats.
To abandon such equipment just as it
Is beginning to pay dividends obviously
would be a great misfortune
Only the necessity for economies es-
sential to the preservation Of the Gov
ernment itself should be permitted to
dictate the abandonment of so useful
an organization as the N. A. c. A, and
then only after less useful establish
ments have been made to yield their
utmost in savings to the taxpayers.