Evening star., 1933-07-15

tail would be help and make it certain
I will not lose time by intermediate
stops.
Doesn't Worry About Siberia.
The long stretch across Siberia does
not worry me. I've been there before
and know the landing fields. Last trip
We were mired in the mud at Blago-
veschensk. This time I'm going only to
Novo-Sibirsk and Khabarovsk. They
a Smith controllable pitch propeller on
the Winnie Mae now. The blade set
ting Of this prop can be changed
through many degrees of angle. and I
can take OF with full load in about
two-thirds the distance required before.
Even if there is rainy weather I am
sure l can get of from either OF the
chosen Russian fields. have not taken
the Winnie Mae of under full load in
test flights. but was in the Lockheed
plant for several years and know just
what the ship will do.
There is very little water flying on
my route except for the Atlantic leg.
With Fairbanks instead Of Nome as an
Alaskan landing place, the route hugs
the westward land and there is only
across the sea of Okhotsk. Then, too,
landing conditions are likely to be bet
ter in the interior of Alaska than at
Nome. There Is often a fog at Nome.
On the last trip we had fog all the
way from Khabarovsk, and 1t just hap
pened to break away in Alaska about
four hours before We arrived.
I'm not taking a lot Of food. Just a
little sausage as an emergency ration.
and plenty of fishing tackle Nearly all
the way across the Siberian stretch
stream follows stream. These brooks
and little rivers are full of trout. You
can pull them out with almost anything
There are plenty of fish. too. on the
leg from Khabarovsk to Fairbanks. So
if I should have to walk out I'm not
afraid of starvation.
If 1t comes to walking out I have
new little gadget that should be big
help. 1t is sort of pocket transit and
compass combined. With it you can get
not merely the compass course. but
levels. 1t might prove very handy.
also. in case of An emergency landing
of a regular field, or on a strange one,
for that matter.
Five Stops, Six Days Is Goal.
remember very we'll being forced
down in New Mexico in the mountains
once. 1 looked over the bean field l
was in and the slopes of the surround
ing hills fooled me as to the slope OF
the field There was a very light wind
blowing so 1 took off down wind,
thinking I was also taking off down
grade I found, however, that it was
about a per cent up grade, which was
not so good. If I'd had the little transit
I would never have made that error.
The plan of this f1ight-five stops
between New York and New York
seems pretty ambitious one. The hops
are longer than last time. but the dis
tance is the same. Gatty and flew
1914 miles in our 8 days IS hours
and 81 minutes elapsed time. Our
flying time was 4 days 10 hours
8 minutes, at an average speed of
1883 miles an hour.
In round figures this trip will be
15,4O0 miles. divided thus: New York
to Berlin. $500; to Novo-Sibirsk. 1900;
to Khabarovsk. 2,250 to Fairbanks,
5000; to Edmonton, 1,450; to New
York. 1900. hope to make a little
higher speed with my stepped-up en-
gine and my controllable pitch prop.
and then I intend to do a good deal
less time on the ground. That. and the
aid of the robot, should knock a good
two days OF the time. Five stops six
days; that's the Winnie Macs goal.
Copyright, 1893. by North American News
paper Alliance. 1nc)