Evening star., 1934-06-03

e specifications"
his choice for the MacRobertson race
from London to Melbourne, Australia,
next october is special Bellanca
low-wing high-speed monoplane came
as a surprise to aviation people, who
had no idea such a plane was in
process.
Although a number of Bellanca air.
planes have figured in world record
flights, including many of the ocean
crossings, they have been of relatively
slow types and all of them splendid
load carriers, which was the reason
for their success on the long-range
flights. News of a low-wing Bellanca
capable of cruising speed of between
230 and 260 miles per hour came as
| a distinct novelty to the industry.
Although the new Bellanca now is
well on the way to completion, its
design and construction have been
carried on with such secrecy that
nothing of the project was known
until FitZmaurice was forced to re-
veal the identity of the manufacturer
of his plane.
Beyond the bare announcement
that the plane will be of the low
wing. high-speed, long range type,
bearing the model designation % 10;
that it will be powered with a Wright
l4-cylinder double-row radial engine
and that Bellanca will forfeit part OF
! the purchase price if the plane fails
to maintain cruising speed of 23C
miles per hour, nothing is known
publicly of the new racer.
FitzMaurica hopes to keep details OF
the plane secret until the start of the
race October 20. anticipating the
most cut-throat competitions in the
history of flying.
Ford for Alaska.
What is expected to be the largest
airplane in Alaska is being completed
in the Ford plant at Detroit for Pa
cific Alaska Anyways, subsidiary OF
Pan-American Airways The big
| plane. an all-metal, heavy duty
freighter. is to have a pay-load ca
/ pacity of more than two and one
| half tons
The plane will become, in effect
| an aerial tramp steamer" being
available for service as a charter ship
| for cargo on routes in the Far North
where, due to greatly increased &C
tivity in the gold mining districts, il
will be able to speed up shipment OF
machine parts and supplies and to
| carry gold dust to the seacoaSt.
Aerial freight business is unusually
heavy in Alaska, where poor roads in
Summer, none at all in Winter, and
only one relatively short railroad line
make ground travel difficult in the
| extreme and very slow. AirplaneS
have been used extensively in golc
mining operations in South America
and Mexico over a period Of severa
years.
| The new freight plane is powered
with a single 7o0-horsepower gearec
engine, but otherwise is quite similar
IN construction to the former Fore
tri-motored transport. 1t is equipped
with three-bladed controllabie pitch
| propeller, radio and the most modern
navigation equipment. 1t can operate
on pontoons, wheels or skis. Fully
loaded. it will weigh 1880 pounds
and will have cruising speed o.
about ITO miles per hour.
European Record Falls.
The first of a fleet of American
Northrop Delta transport airplane.
ordered by the Swiss A. B AerotranS.
port, on its inaugural run between
Stockholm and Paris, has smashed
European scheduled air transport
records, according to reports received
here. The American plane covered
the distance of approximately 1000
miles in hours and 40 minutes, al
an average speed Of about 2l4 miles
per hour.
On its record breaking flight, which
cut in half the average time required
by European-built planes to fly the
route, the Delta carried passengers
heavy mail cargo, pilot and radio
operator. A second plane of the
same type now is ready for delivery
to the Swiss line, with others tc
follow.
Aviation Shrine Proposed.
Creation of a public airport for ma
tional defense purposes and as 6
shrine to pioneer aviators. on the site
of historic College Park Airport, Col
lege Park, Md, is provided in a bill
introduced III the House by Repre-
sentative Stephen w. Gambrill Of
Maryland.
Although supporters of the measure
concede there is no opportunity fol
its passage during the present session
Of Congress, it is regarded as of in.
| tereSt as a recognition of the part
the College Park field has played ir
aviation history. This field not only
was the worlds first regular airport
1t was the first home of the present
Army Air Corps, the first military
aviation training school in the
world, the terminus of the worlds
first established airway, the starting
point of the first military flying
competition and the scene of much OF
the most valuable Department OF
Commerce air navigation expert
mental work with radio equipment.
The Gambrill bill authorizes an ap-
preparation of 100000, half of this
amount to be used for purchase OF
the property; $4,000 for construction
Of an administration building con-
tanning a memorial hall devoted to
pioneer flyers who flew from or ex-
perimented at College Park, and
$4,000 for construction of a hangar
and airplane servicing facilities.
| The airport would be devoted for
amateur and sport flying activities
for private experimental flying
where reasonably possible" and for
military uses in case of emergency