Evening star., 1932-05-01

history so equ pped. she possesses
other military gear Of a type never
before employed and of which little is
being said. There is a veil of military
secrecy about the Akron since the
installation OF her fighting equipment
was begun prior to the time she was
damaged.
The damage to the Akron has been
fully repaired, in the opinion of naval
experts; she will not suffer from con-
cealed weakness as a result Of her
mishap. The accident to the Akron
is no reflection on the airship or on
her crew; it is merely demonstration
of the fact that man has something to
learn about the technique of handling
large airships on the ground. The
problem of handling so mighty bulk
at times when it is the sport of
irregular and shifting gusts of wind
has not been fully worked out, though
splendid progress has been made during
the past two years. 1t is not likely
the same sort of accident will happen
to the Akron again, though it is not
at all improbable there will be other
mooring accidents to airships before
the problems all have been solved.
There still are docking accidents with
large steamships and they have been
operating much longer than airships.
The Akron is out of her sick bed
and promises to occupy spotlight on
the aeronautical stage for the next few
weeks at least.
British Superiority Claimed.
Aroused by claims that new United
States Army and Navy combat planes
are superior to any in the world, no
less an authority than c. G. Grey
veteran British aeronautical writer
has come strongly to the defense Of
planes of the British Royal Air Force,
insisting that Great Britain still main
tains its military superiority in the air.
At the Detroit National Aircraft
Show this month there were displayed
several Army and Navy combat planes
for which certain performance claims
were made. The performance figures
given undoubtedly were correct, but
comparisons were made which have
been odious to Mr.. Grey.
The exhibit included an Army
Boeing P-12E pursuit plane, claimed
in this country to be the fastest air.
cooled pursuit-type airplane in the
world; a Berliner-Joyce YP-16 two
scatter pursuit plane; a Curtiss P-6E
single scatter pursuit; Curtlss O-39
single-seater pursuit, and a Douglas
O-25A two-seater observation, repre-
senting the Army, and CurtiSs
XF9C-1 light single-seater fighter,
designed for use from the U. S. S.
Akron, and a Vought O3U-2 two
scatter observation plane, representing
The Boeing P-12E is the latest type
single-seater pursuit plane and 135
planes of this type have been pur-
chased by the Army Air Corps. 1t has
been stated that it attains speed OF
$50 miles per hour in vertical power
dives. The Hawker Fury and Fairey
Firefly, British fighter, Grey claims.
exceed 400 miles per hour in terminal
velocity dives.
Speed Is Greater.
1.-THE P-12E is said to have maxi
mum speed of over 100 miles per hour
and an initial rate of climb Of 1000
feet per minute-the Armstrong Whit
worth A. w. XVI with the Armstrong
Siddeley Panther engine has maxi
mum speed of 203 miles per hour, at
10000 feet and climbs to that height
in minutes" says Grey. The WHIT
worth is a British single-seater fighter;
IIlG Fd1IIlCI d14 cA -GOOANN S~Ao~-AN'
Grey continues:
'The Berliner-Joyce YP-16, accord
ing to one American statement, IS
claimed to be a brand-new type OF
fighting aeroplane, and is regarded by
the same authority as the worlds fast
est tWo-place pursuit fighter. 1t has
top speed of 1875 miles per hour. Inc
first machines of an initial order for 20
have Just been delivered TO the lst
Pursuit Group, Army Air Corps. Inc
Hawker Hart two-seat fighter has been
in service since the middle Of last year,
and this machine has a speed OF more
than 200 miles per hour"
The HaWker Hart Is one OF the out
standing British fighters. Grey quotes
the United States Aircraft Yearbook
for 1892 as crediting the Hart with a
speed of 218 miles per hour at 10000
feet. Grey continues with his COM
parisonS:
The Curtiss Pee single-seat fighter
is claimed to be the fastest single-seat
pursuit biplane in the Air Corps. This
machine. of which IS have been ordered
by the Air Corps, has maximum speed
of 1877 miles per hour, and climbs 10
IS 900 feet in 10 minutes. According to
the 1892 United States Aircraft Year
book, the Hawker Fury has maximum
speed of 223 miles per hour at $4,000
feet.
Other Planes Described.
THE Curtiss O-39 is the latest de-
velopment of the Falcon tWo-seat OBJ
servation biplane This machine has a
maximum speed of 1876 miles per hour.
THE Curtiss XF9C-1 is an airship
fighter. Five machines Of this type will
be carried by the U. S. S. Akron IN a
special compartment within the hull OF
the ship. They will be slung on re-
tractable trapeZes. After being dropped
from the ship they may either return
thereto or alight on the decks OF ar
craft carriers The XF9C-l, equipped
with a special boosted Wright Whirl-
wind engine, developing 400 horsepower,
has a top speed Of IT'S miles per hour
and service ceiling Of % 600 feet.
The Vought O3U-2 is the latest de-
yelopment of the Vought COrsair, large
numbers Of which are in use on air
craft carriers, battleships and light
cruisers The O3U-2 has a 625-horse-
power Pratt g. Whitney Hornet engine,
which gives it top speed OF l67 miles
per hour and service ceiling OF 10000
feet"
The matter of fighting plane speeds
Is one Of the most vital Importance to
very good fighting plane is no match
for a poor one which it cannot catch.
With planes equal in every other re-
spect, the one with the greatest speed
and the fastest rate Of climb obviously
is the superior ship.
Plane Ends Hard Career.
If ever there was a training plane
which might be termed a veteran, it Is
the faithful Bird biplane Of the District
of Columbia Air Legion, delivered a
week ago to a purchaser in Henderson
vile, n. C..
The Bird belonged TO the Legion,
local private flying club, for two years
to the day 1t was delivered to the
Legion April %, 1880 1t was sold
April %, 1882. Coincidence played g
large part in the career Of the Bird
Its first Legion passenger was George
NJ. "Beany" Stone, now president Of
the club. Its first Legion solo pilot
was Peany Stone The last I,Rgior