Evening star., 1934-01-21


Aviation" Vidal contends, must fol-
,cw the pathway of the automobile 1t
was not only the quantity system of
| automobile production which is reSpon-
! sible for the tremendous expansion of
| that industry, it was quantity pro-
| duction, coupled with the construction
of thousands of miles of paved roads.
IF private aviation is to develop as
! we are convinced it must develop
quantity production methods must be
employed to provide cheap, reliable,
| safe airplanes. This quantity produc-
! ton however, must be coupled with
the development OF great system of
community airports. which are to the
airman what paved highways are to
| the motorist."
When private flying develops it must
be segregated from air transport oper-
! ationS, the Governments aeronautical
| experts hold. For air transport opera
tions, with the large, fast passenger
planes of today and tomorrow, adequate
specialized air terminals must be pro-
vided in the closest possible proximity to
the hotel and business centers Of the
cities.
Smaller Fields Required.
For private flying, however, the situ-
alton calls for smaller. less elaborate
fields of the landing-strlp type, near
the residential sections and suburbs
The landing strip. or runway type, of
airport, consisting of two or more
landing strips in the directions Of the
prevailing winds, and covering a total
area of As or so acres of T. L or <
shape, is more suitable for private fly
ing than a great ,all-direction airport,
in Director Vidal's opinion.
ION the runway type of field land
ings and take-offs are confined to one
narrow strip at a time" Vidal ex-
planned. There is less risk of confu-
sion or collision than with a great, all
way field, where pilots might land OF
take of on converging paths in the
general direction of the wind"
| The Department of Commerce to
date has had responses to its 'hivver
plane" QUESTIONABLE, sent to $4,000 Ii
! censed pilots and mechanics, indicating
that there are some 10000 prospective
| purchasers Of a small, well-built, easy
! to-fy airplane selling for about $7O0
From this list of $4,000 it is hoped
that at least 10000 actual customers
will come when such an airplane is put
on the market.
Three Groups at Work.
| Three Department of Commerce
| committees now are engaged in the
preliminary work looking to the design
ing and construction of a family
airplane which can be owned and
flown by the average citizen. At the
same time Civil Works Administration
employees in every part of the United
States are at work preparing hundreds
of flying fields, from which it is antici-
pated private pilots by the hundreds
will fly, for business and pleasure, In
the dawning of new day for Ameri-
| can aviation.
This country is not the only one
feeling the pressure of private aviation
In many parts Of Europe steps are being
taken to meet the needs of ever increas-
ing numbers of private flyers. Within
the past few days the Department OF
Commerce has issued the following
report:
Amateur flyers and student aviators
have caused SO much congestion ir
Munich's commercial airport that the
city has decided to construct a new
flying field on the outskirts of the city
according to a report from Vice Consu
H. F. Ramsay.
1.-THE first work to be undertaken |!
the construction of a number of hangers
and outbuildings, followed by the build
ing Of a new roadway to connect tht
flying field with the main highways.
Sport flying, it is pointed out, ha'
made rapid progress in Germany
through the popularity of gliding. A
development which may serve tx
stimulate further interest in hyini
among the younger persons of German.
Is that the ordinary motorless glidel
can now be fitted with small 15-horse
power motor which enables the glide
to take the air without the assistance
Of ground teams to get the machine int
the air. The weight of the motor is no