Evening star., 1933-01-22

cut ocean travel time from days 10
hours.
Despite the condition of the times,
resulting In decreases in all manner Of
travel, private airplane operation to
and from Washington Is continuing on
Just about a normal basis. according
to records at Washington Hoover air.
port.
On the basis Of hangar rentals, re-
garded by airport officials as an accu-
rate index OF private plane operations,
operations for 1881 and 1882 were al.
most exactly equal, there being differ
ence Of but 500 in the amount of busi-
ness Of this character during the two
years.
In addition to the operation Of pri-
Vately owned planes, the aerial sight
seeing business remained fairly heavy.
though below totals for pre- -depres-
SION years. During 1882 there were
II 800 passengers carried on sight seeing
nights over Washington, 5000 by day
and $500 after dark.
II IS estimated that the air trans.
port lines during the past three years
have handled total Of approximately
1000 passengers at the local airport.
Antarctic Plane Built.
Many interesting special features
have been combined in a new high-speed
loW-wlng monOplane which has been
built to the order of Bernt Balchen and
Lincoln Ellsworth for their proposed
flight of exploration across the great
Anarctic continent late in 1888.
The general characteristics of the
plane were determined by the use to
which 1t is to be put in the frozen
wastes OF the country in which Balchen
spent SO many months with the Byrd
South Pole expedition. The Byrd ex-
pedition lost one plane because it was
a hlgh-wing type which was blown over
IN storm. The new plane, accordingly.
Is low-wing type so that snow can
be packed beneath the wing and obviate
the danger of a sudden wind picking
the ship of the ground.
since the plane is to make a flight
across the unknown ice-crowned CONT
nent, making complete Photographic
record as it goes, 1t must be equipped for
iong-range flying and capable of carry
ing great load. 1t is planned to fiy
rom the ROSS Sea, where Ellsworth
VIII eStaollsh his main base, to the
WeoaeH Sea, on the other side of the
| continent. Since there is no landing
place and no fuel supply on the We'd
| dell Sea side of the continent, the
round trip must be made nonstop,
over distance of about 1900 miles.
Plane Is Well Equipped.
The plane is equipped with radio,
the most complete navigational eouip-
ment, emergency gear and supplies, and
a double camera system. One of the
cameras will be mechanically operated
and can be set to take pictures every
10 seconds, thus recording an unbroken
strip of the area over which the plane
MES. At an altitude Of 5000 feet, the
strip covered will be about a mile and
half wide. The second camera will
be hand-operated type for taking OBJ
lique or vertical views Of any important
or unusual areas.
To meet the difficult requirement
according to report made by officials
Pratt & Whitney, builders of
Wasp engine with which the ship is
be powered. the plane must be able
remain in the air at least 20 hours
to carry lead of $500 pounds.
which more than two-thirds will be
fuel. A controllable pitch propelle.
will be used to give maximum eficienc.'
on take-of, climb and cruising. An
other distinctive feature will be the use
of Zap flaps to increase the Gambler
Of the wing and reduce landing speed.
The Ellsworth expedition, it is under
stood, is TO consist Of but IA men, in
cluding the crew of the sealing vessel
which will take the party to the Ross
,, Sea. The party is to leave the United
States next November. Ellsworth and
Balchen will make the flight to the
Weddell Sea alone Balchen is to fly
the plane and operate the radio COM
munication equipment, while Ellsworth
will navigate, photograph and keep the
log. Sir Hubert wilkins will accompany
the expedition.