Evening star., 1934-09-08
A|RPLANE EXPERT
SCOUTS THEORIES
Authority on StreamIining
Holds Experimentation
Is Best Slide Rule.

CINCINNATI R.-The man who
built the streamline accessories for
that record breaking two-passenger
Sikorsky airliner thinks it is ''hooey"
about streamline designing being a
matter of intricate calculations.
"If a thing is beautiful-if it has
clean lines-if it is symmetrical and
graceful-you can pretty well tell
whether it is properly -streamlined," !"
says John A Hill.
In short, many Of the theories of
aerodynamics as laid down in the
text books are "all wet" he said.
So he lays aside the text books, along
with the slide rules, craps and charts
Of technical construction. A keen eye,
sense of symmetry and power
hammer are his implements.
Knows Little of Air Laws.
Hill, a slight, wiry individual of
around 40, admits he knows little of
the laws of the air as set down in
black on white. But that does not
prevent his offering suggestions for
changes in the lines of new ships as
they come from the shops of designers
and builders.
And the owner, whether he be an
individual or a transport line, is
inclined on such occasions to take
Hills ideas seriously.
Hills first job of streamlining was
done back in 1928, when pants" on
the wheels and cowlings around the
engine were enough to set spectators
at an airport talking.
But the ship to which his first
work was applied won one leg of a
cross-country hop in the Gardner
trophy races at st. Louis that year.
The success of his first work, coupled
with little sales talk" given on
nerve" from tiny booth at the
National Air Show, started Hill ON
career that has made him known
the world over.
His Clients Are Farf1ung.
He has streamlined ships for the
Lithuanian Army, planes of the United
States Army and for some of the
Nations foremost speed flyers who
come to Cincinnati to have their
planes trimmed up"
Before him now, on a crude draft
ing table in his Office, are blueprints
bearing the official stamp of the
Italian Aeronautical Society in Rome
Others are from airlines in South
I America and from the Cuban govern
ment.
The Golden Racer, flown by Roscoe
Turner in recardlbreaking hops, sports
one of Hills cowlings around It's
,050 horsepower motor, and Turner
is a frequent visitor to Hills shop
located on a back street not fan
from downtown Cincinnati.
Hill points out the next big step
in airplane building may be develop
ment Of a ship along lines nov
almost unrecognized. Basically, he
declares, the plane of today is little
different, as to line, from the crate
flown over the battlefields of France
Lines have been softened, engines
developed ard construction improved
1000 per of-t, he admits. but there
still are too many of the old basic
features retained, he believes.
Experimentation Holds Future.
Hill has built directing vsnes usec
in several large wind tunnels for tset
ing ship models, but he believes wint
tunnels are not a final test, becaus
flying conditions cannot be duplicates
where the air is fed in a stTaigh
line
THE future Of speed in the al
depends largely upon experimental
tion," he says. There isn't recog
nized engineer on aerodynamic
among the IL or IA men in his shor
Hill says. He believes an open min
is more necessary than set engineerin
ideas in developing aviation.