Evening star., 1934-12-02

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because in a few days my company
will launch a flying boat specifically
designed and fitted for over-ocean
transportation.
This flying boat has useful load
Of $4,000 pounds, the equivalent
of 1854 passengers. Fuel and oil for a
nonstop ocean voyage Of $500 miles
amounts to $4,000 pounds, leaving a
disposable capacity Of some 5000
pounds. BY the use of high lift de-
vices now available this pay capacity
can be increased to over 10000 pounds.
This particular airplane was built
for a specified purpose. The signif1-
cant thing is that overocean air
planes of almost any desired capacity
are available upon order"
The 5,000-pound capacity Is the
equivalent of approximately 80 pas
sengers, at the customary allowance of
ITO pounds per passenger. The dou-
bling of this load by the use of high
lift devices, of course. would mean the
equivalent of go passengers.
Martin is justly regarded as a world
leader in the subject and his testimo: y
before the Federal commission is re-
garded as Of considerable importance
in view of the international compe-
tition now building up in the trans
oceanic air transport field.
Activity in Germany.
Germany Is exceedingly active and
now has regular flying boat service
across the South Atlantic. This serv-
ice, which alternated with trips of the
Graf Zeppelin during the Summer,
now is being operated on schedule
of one round trip week. Two steam
ship refueling bases are maintained.
During the past week the new
French transatlantic flying boat
Santos Dumont, a four -engined. all
metal flying boat. entered the South
Atlantic competition, as the latest
bid of that nation in the airmail race
with Germany and Italy, according
to Associated Press dispatches.
DR.. Hugo Eckener has completed his
ARRANGEMENTS with the Navy Depart
ment for use of the Lakehurst, N. j..
and Miami airship facilities for an
experimental transatlantic airshir
service next Summer with the new
LZ-l29, worlds largest airship, now
nearing completion at Friedrichshafen
Germany.
Another Associated Press dispatch
tells of the organization by a group of
influential Japanese, headed by Suke-
hide Kabayama, member of the House
of Peers, of the Pacific Ocean-Avia-
ton Co. to inaugurate trans-Pacific
airship service. 1t is planned, said the
dispatch. to start a Notwithstanding
service and later to extend this serv-
ice from Toxic to Singapore, Hawaii
and California.
Domestic Plans Active.
While the ocean air transport pot
begins to boil American designers are
not letting the fires grow cold under
the domestic air transport kettle. De-
spite the tremendous advances made
during the past three years, which
have witnessed the doubling of air
transport speeds, the end is not yet
in sight.
The ss-Wright Airplane Co.. IL
has been announced. is completing
the design of a four-engined, low
wing monoplane intended to carry
80 passengers at cruising speed OF
200 miles per hour. with sufficient
range to cross the country with but
one fuel stop.
The new ship, 1t is said, is to be
equipped with berths for overnight
travel. and atmospheric pressure as
well as temperature will be controlled
in the passenger compartments. The
plane is to have a wing span of 131
feet and an overall length of 80 feet
Mass Flight Cancelled.
A mass cross-country flight to At
lanta, Ga, originally scheduled for Of
f1cers and men of VN-6R, local Naval
Reserve aviation unit. based at the
Anacostia Naval Air Station, for this
week end. has been Cancelled. In its
stead a number of individual cross
country flights to various cities are
planned At least three of the flights
will be to New York, it is anticipated.
The flights are to be made in accord
ance with prescribed cross-country
training schedules
One enlisted man will be taken in
each plane on these cross-country
fights. Some of the squadron men,
bers are advocating the concentration
of all cross-country fight training
time into unit formation flight next
Spring or Summer to some city within
range of 1000 miles, as demon
stration to the country of the squad
ron which this year captured the Noel
Davis Trophy, awarded annually tc
the most efficient Naval Reserve unit
in the United States.
The squadron now is completing its
syllabus of night flying. This phase
of the squadron training started a
week ago yesterday with the first Of
series of drills.
Flight Plans Discussed.
There is quite a bit of speculation
in aviation circles as to the plans of
three famous pilots who visited Los
Angeles during the past month in con-
nection with the purchase of new air
planes or the overhauling of ships
which have figured in notable flights
during recent months.
Sir Charles Kingsford- Smith, fol-
lowing the completion of his splendid
flight from Australia to California,
back-tracking his 1928 course, turned
his Lady Southern Cross in to the
Lockheed plant at Burbank, Calf, for
q complete inspection and overhaul.
There has been a suggestion that Sir
Charles might fly this airplane, a
standard low-wing Lockheed Affair,
back to Australia by way of the At
lantic and the MacRobertson Trophy
race route. He has not announced his
plans.
Miss Laura ingalls, few days later
arrived at Burbank to order an over
haul for the fast parasol-wing Lock-
heed Air Express In which she MADE
her record 17,000-mile solo flight
around South America last Spring and