Evening star., 1934-03-25

per hour.
The S-42 is nearly twice the size
of the big Navy patrol boats which
recently few from California to Ha-
wall For ocean service, as an air
mail plane, the big boat is expected
to have a nonstop flying range of
$500 miles, much of the present
passenger space being devoted in this
case to the carrying of fuel
Designed and built by Igor Sikorsky,
the S-42 is a startling departure from
the previous airplane designs of this
noted aeronautical engineer. 1t is a
high-wing monoplane, with four TOO
horsepower Hornet engines built into
the wing. The tail assembly is mount
ed directly on the 80-foot hull. The
time-honored Sikorsky outrigger de-
sign has vanished completely. The
engines are supercharged, with a To-
to-1 blower and are geared to three
bladed comfortable pitch propellers.
Sandbags for Passengers.
For the first flight tests the in
terror has not been finished and sand
bags will take the place of paSsen-
gers. Capt. Boris Sergievsky, veteran
Sikorsky test pilot who holds a num-
Der of seaplane and ampnibian plane
records made incidental to the hight
testing of previous Sikorsky planes, is
to be at the controls during toe trials.
In addition to the regular manu-
facturer's test flights, which will be
made first, the S42 must face Fed
merce inspectors and engineers and
American Airways. The first two
series of tests are to be flown with
the interior stripped. The final tests
are to be made with the interior COM
pletely fitted for passenger service.
Although the big boat has been
ready for flight for more than a
week, the tests were delayed because
of ice in the waters around the
Sikorsky plant at Bridgeport, Conn.
No chances will be taken of tearing
out the ships bottom on ice foes
during landings or takeoffs and the
tests have been delayed until the last
bit of ice is gone.
Two more of the big ships are to
be built by Sikorsky at once and
three other flying boats of equal ca
pacity are in process Of conStruc-
ton at the Glenn L. Martin plant
at Baltimore. All six ships have
been ordered by Pan-American Air
ways as the result of lengthy studies
made by board which included Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh among its
members. The 30,000-mile flight Of
Col and Mrs. Lindbergh, which in
cluded crossings Of the North and
South Atlantic, was preliminary to
the completion Of the big flying
boats.
Germany Operates Service.
Germany now is operating a regu-
lar South Atlantic flying boat service,
using the steamship Westfalen as
midocean refueling base. This service
will be augmented in May by resump-
ton of regular service by the Graf
Zeppelin, which has been flown be-
tween Germany and Brazil twice a
week during the past two Summers.
Development work is being pushed in
Germany on large tri-motored Junk
ers seaplanes expected to be capable
of regular nonstop service across the
South Atlantic.
The French are ready to test the
q
by the government at a reported cost
Of nearly $3,000,0OO. These planes
are designed for nonstop service to
connect the South American COM
mercial markets and the European
industrial centers.
The SAP, its sister ships, and the
new Martins are the concrete proof
of American determination to main
tain its place in the race for key
positions on the important interna-
tlonal trade routes.
Navy Orders Gliders.
So encouraging have been the
results Of Navy tests with glider
training as preliminary to the air.
plane training of flying students that
four more utility gliders have been
ordered and, beginning with the June
class at Pensacola, Fla, half the men
of each class will start with course
in glider flying.
While one-half the men of each
class will start in gliders. the other
half will proceed with flight training
IN the usual manner. Thus the Navy
hopes to learn with scientific precision
the effect upon beginners of glider
training. 1t is hoped that the fol-
lowing points will be determined, ac-
cording to officials of the Soaring
Society of America:
First, will glider training make
students more apt and enable them
to fly more quickly?
Second. will it reduce the cost of
flight training?
Third. will it produce better
aviatorS?
No difficulty is anticipated in de-
termining the first two points. The
third, however, can be determined only
by following through the flying his
tories of many aviators through long
period of time.
Purchased Two Gliders.
Nearly year ago the Navy Bureau
of Aeronautics purchased two Frank
lin utility gliders for the Pensacola
Naval Air Station, where all naval
aviators receive their fight training
On June l, 1888, Lieut.. Comdr. Ralph
S. Barnaby, first naval glider pilot
and one of the glider pioneers of
America, went from Washington to
Pensacola to train the naval flying
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flying and of teaching glider flying
to novices.
More than 40 naval pilots were
checked out with flights from 1000
foot tow line and five officers were
trained as instructors during the
month Barnany spent at Pensacola.
These instructors trained four officer
candidates for pilot ratings on gliders
prior to their receiving any airplane
training. These students then joined
a regular class, all of whom had re-
oeived an elimination course of at least
10 hours dual and hours solo
before going to Pensacola. The four
glider students were able to keep up
with the rest of the class, it was re-
ported.
Comdr. Barnaby, now on duty as
naval inspector at the aircraft plant