Evening star., 1934-05-27

the beaten path, almost unknown
It work on problems the solution
,usly mans conquest of the air.
seeking, If generally known, would
en- to the astonishing aviation
ian a year the speed of transport
lbled without increase of power,
This progress represents a gain
the previous decade and a half,
War period of aviation progress.
soon would be at a disadvantage In
foreign markets and therefore prac-
tically impotent to protect its political
or economic independence"
"Overhaur Tour Completed.
A report which is expected to be
of Importance to every aircraft re-
pair and maintenance man is being
drafted by members of Special Navy
Board which recently completed the
second annual tour Of inspection of
Army, Navy and commercial aircraft
overhaul bases. The primary pur-
pose OF the tour was to promote econ
omy and progress in the overhaul
and maintenance of naval aircraft,
but the results are expected to be of
value to civil aircraft people as well
as to the military services.
The tour required month and in
cluded visits to the overhaul plants
of the Naval Air Station, Norfolk,
Va; Eastern Air Transport, Atlanta.
Ga; Pan-American Airways, Miami:
Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla;
AIR Corps Air Depot, San Antonio,
Tex; American Airways, Fort Worth,
| Tex; Naval Air Station and Army
Air Depot, San Diego, Calf; Trans
continental & Western Air, Kansas
City; United Air Lines, Chicago:
Army Air Depot, Dayton, Ohio. and
Naval Aircraft Factory. Philadelphia.
The officers making the trip re-
ported numerous improvements in
Navy plants resulting from the first
trip last year. They expect even more
success as result of the second trip,
The board was headed by Comdr. E.
M. Pace.
Navy Buys Beacon Receivers,
Orders for the training of naval
pilots in the use of Department of
commerce airway radio aids have
been followed by the purchase and
installation Of radio range beacon
receivers in the planes of a number
OF stations and ships. The largest sin
gle allotment was to the Anacostia
Naval Air Station, partially for train
ing purposes and partially to permit
the making of administrative flights
under poor weather conditions.
Inc Anacostia station received %
OF the sets, which are expected to
care Tor the training of officers at
the station, aviation officers serving
In the Navy Department, and for ad-
ministrative flights. Naval air sta
tons at Norfolk, Va; San Diego and
pensacola received two each; three
each were allocated to the aircraft
carriers Saratoga, Lexington and
Ranger; five 70 various air command
units. two each to the Marine Corps
bases at Quantico, Va, and San
Dlego, and one to the Naval Air Sta
ton, ~Sunnyvaie, Calf.
Coastal Travel Speeded.
New alrma1-paSsenger schedules
along the Atlantic seaboard, inaugu-
rated under the new Post Office De-
partment Set-up, have extended the
24-hour travel zone from Washington
to points as far distant as San Juan,
Puerto Rico. Kingston, Jamaica. and
Merida, Mexico.
Under the new Eastern Airlines
schedule, it is possible for q passenger
to leave Washington on the night
plane and to arrive in time for supper
next evening more than 1000 miles
away in the tropics. The increased
range of travel within a span of "a
hours is made possible by direct serv-
ice and more favorable connections at
Miami with planes of Pan American
Airways.
More Air Freight Seen.
"A tremendous increase" in the vol
ume Of air freight, as soon as mer-
chants appreciate the value of air
transportation to them In the daily
conducting of their business, is fore
seen by Jerome Lederer, chief engineer
of a group of aero insurance under
writer's.
Air transportation even of bulky and
weighty articles is an economic neces-
sity and is economically profitable
when utilized over undeveloped re-
gions or in regions where ground
transportation must wind around
mountains or along tortuous rivers,
Lederer pointed out. He cited Can
adian Airways as an example Of sue
cessful operation over undeveloped
territory. This system carried 2,522,-
233 pounds of freight last year, as
contrasted with total air freight
shipment in this country last year of
l 100000 pounds. The Canadian total
was piled up in spite of an adverse
population ratio of about IL to one.
Scadta Airlines, the German system
in Colombia, saves days of travel be-
tween Bogota, Baranquilla and other
points, in competition with available
railroads and steamships, and Is one
of the pioneer lines of the world to
operate successfully on an tndepend-
ent basis, economically speaking.
In this country air express is COM
ing into more and more common use
in the case of merchants who are
several days from their source OF sup
ply by ground but who can obtain
overnight deliveries by air, Mr.. Led
erer said. Such men can afford to
carry smaller stocks at one time, re-
ducing the capital invested and In
creasing the margin of profit. Air
plane service, he pointed out, also Will
enable the merchant to take care OF
unusual demands, obtain freSher
goods, make acquisitions more accu-
rate by basing them on demand rather
than speculation, and allow sale OF
articles in many cases by representa-
tion.
Catapult Fires IA Tons.
What is believed to be the worlds
largest catapult is part of the equip
ment of the s. s. Westfalen, midocean
station ship of the German aviation
service across the South Atlantic, &C
cording to reports received here by
the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics.
The German South Atlantic air