Evening star., 1933-08-13

SPCCIdl UOd1Q WlilCli 4ldS 1CCClltl
and maintenance inspection tour
The tour included Army and
bases of the major air transport
expected to be of considerable be
maintenance of aircraft engines, n
into reports.
Relatively few airplanes are
practice, it was found. So great ha
OF air transport schedules that ei
and not yet up to major overhaul ;
much faster and more efficient al
The new planes, with the eo-opera
being designed to the end that tn
the overhaul shops.
A similar situation applies to engines
On some transport lines, where this
can be done with safety, the demands
placed upon aircraft engines during
their lives is being increased intensively
in deliberate attempt to wear them
out and discover the maximum service
to be derived from them, 1t Is stated in
preliminary Navy report. Cruising
speeds of the conventional engines are
being increased several hundred reyo-
lutions per minute above the former
rates and still higher speeds are to be
tried.
Operating Methods Changed.
Overhaul intervals are being changed,
together with the changes in cruising
speeds, to determine the point at which
parts begin to deteriorate rapidly un-
der the increased demands placed upon
them. SO that they may be overhauled
at the most economical interval, with
regard to safety of operation and econ
being kept of the life of individual parts,
no matter how relatively important.
The following paragraph from the
preliminary report of the Navy inspec-
tors Is regarded as of interest:
Engines completely Installed In
mounts, ready to be placed in an air
plane In matter of moments; rubber
| mountings for engines; quickly detach-
able instruments; instrument boards
shock-mounted to absorb vibration;
spark plugs that serve their purpose
| $50 hours without removal, and then
are reconditioned for few cents apiece;
| radio shielding of great variety of de-
signs, radio shielding of the simplest
and cheapest appearing construction,
said to permit voice communication
across q span of more than atthouSand
miles; Q cleaning vat whose invisible
vapor melts away, IN matter OF sec
ondS, the thickest coatingS OF grease
and dirt from objects hung within 1t,
! as though black magic we're the clean
ing agent; a hundred gadgets, wrinkles,
devices for the saving of time and the
| tightening of labor; overhaul shops
operated like automotive assembly lines;
| the worlds most modern, and perhaps
its largest, aircraft overhaul plant su-
perbly laid out for the smooth now OF
a huge volume of work-these are but
q few of the many features to be seen
| in this tour about the country. The
experience was of the greatest conceiv-
able value to each member OF the visit
/ ing parties, who return with the feellng
that it should be repeated periodically
by Navy personnel, and that a visit to
| this vast laboratory should be an intro
duction to his new work for each ofhcer
about to assume duty In Navy, A ana
r, department"
Mapping Progress Shown.
A single modern mapping camera
in an efficient high altitude plane can
accomplish the work of nearly 80 World
War Photographic planes IN the same
length of time.
This was proved in startling fashion
by the Army Air Corps when it mapped
the entire State of Massachusetts with
a single camera in "a hours and 4O
minutes of flying time spread over q
period of four days. With equipment
Of the type in use at the close OF tne
World War, when aerial photograpny
was Just beginning to develop as sep
arate science, this task would have re-
CURED q fleet of 20 to 80 airplanes work
ing the same length of time. and the
results probably would not have peen
nearly so satisfactory.
Modern aerial mapping efficiency Is
due to the development OF q nve-lenS
camera which can operate effectively at
an altitude of 10000 feet or more.
Such a camera weighs approximately
| l04 pounds. In the new camera
central lens points vertically doWnwaro,
while the other four lenses take opnque
pictures. The f1ve pictures. EecSIva SMns,a
to overcome the effect OF the oollque
angles, are printed in the form OF a
Maltese cross, containing all the data
for map compilation.
At an altitude of 1000 feet this
camera will photograph q strip q mile
wide as the plane flies along. The
width Of the strip covered increases
mile for each additional 1000 feet OF
altitude, SO that at 10000 feet Q con-
| tinuous strip 20 miles wide can be
mapped as fast as the plane flies, OF
at q rate of $50 miles an hour with
modern observation planes. This means
mapping at rate of 5000 square miles
per hour.
The new five-lens mapping camera
is described as one of the most accu-
rate instruments yet devised. Only 20
of them have been built to date. Each
camera costs about $4,000 to build
and represents nine months work by
the most skilled instrument makers.
The five lenses, which must be identical,
actually are ground to common focal
length varying less than 9 quarter OF q
millimeter. All final adjustments are
made under q microscope.
In use, the camera Is mounted on
rubber over an opening In the floor
of the airplane. The good mapping
pilot must maintain constant speed,
constant altitude and must keep the
plane always In level flight for the
most effective results.
Private Airway to Open.
Installation of beacon lights between
New York and Buffalo Is being COM
pleted by American Airways to expedite
night airmail and passenger service on
| the New York Chicago section Of the
| trsnseontinental line. The airwsy is
expected to be In operation before the
end Of this month.
1adsSA Nohtins e ~ a1E1sg bad