Evening star., 1935-05-05

flight in q two-passenger flying boat
across Tampa Bay. Exposed to wind
and weather, he Travelled at q speed
Of about so miles per hour. He could
carry no baggage and paid at the
rate Of about 81 per mile for his
ride.
Mitchell has Just completed q
3,200-mile air tour as the guest of
the airlines. His comments on the
differences between his first ride and
the trip he has just completed have
served to stress the many respects
In which progress has been made.
His 1885 trip, In the year when
air transport flying became Of age,
was made in luxurious airliners car
rying 10 to IA passengers. He was
in q comfortably upholstered cabin
protected from all vagaries Of weather,
breathing conditioned air. The av-
erage speed was approximately $50
miles per hour. He carried just un-
der the maximum of IS pounds Of
free baggage and, had he paid for
his fare. the rate would have av-
eraged about 6 cents per mile.
A nine.lens aerial camera, weigh
ing 800 pounds, which will cover at
q single exposure an area which
would require 20 exposures by the old
type single-lens cameras, now is
being constructed for the United
States Coast and Geodetic Survey
by the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corp.
and Is to be ready for trial flights
late In the Summer.
The giant camera, developed in
connection with the proposed $117.-
100000 Federal project to complete
the mapping Of the United States on
the basis Of aerial photography, called
upon the experience of scientists In
many fields of activity for its design.
Although such . camera has been
the goal Of the aerial mapping in
dustry for years, many problems have
prevented its earlier development. A
camera of practical size involved a
focal length too short for high alti-
tude work. Success in this respect
has been made possible through the
recent development Of mirrors for use
In the field Of astronomy. Steel mir
rors, needed to hold adjustment
through wide ranges of temperature,
were subject to loss Of definition,
which has just been overcome by
coating them with evaporated alumni
mum or rhodium, q new chemical
II txyvHA
solenoids, developed by the Army
Air Corps and the Fairchild en-
gineers, made possible the simul-
taneous operation Of the nine shut
tiers.
The new camera will reduce mate
rally the cost Of aerial mapping. max
ing possible the instantaneous photo
graphing Of an area 130 degrees
square, as compared with only 50 de-
grees for the old single-lens camera.
1t will cover at one exposure four
times the area covered by the present
five-lens type. The spaces between the
wing chambers of the five-lens cam
era will be filled and the new nine
lens machine will operate on a single
fllm, covering q negative 23 inches
square at each exposure. The film
will be % inches wide by 200 feet
long, providing for 100 exposures.
The camera will bring an entire
quadrangle, about $50 square miles,
within the scope Of a single photo
graph at scale Of La, 900, according
to Lieut.. o. S. Reading, chief of the
section Of aerial Photographic topog-
raphy of the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey, who headed the work Of devel-
oping the camera. It also Is expected
to make possible extending the ad-
vantages Of stereoscopic mapping to
nearly level terrain.
c. Bedell Monro, president Of Penn
sylvania Airlines, and one of the coun-
try's youngest airline executives, has
been appointed q member of the i'm
portant Air Transport Committee Of
the Aeronautical Chamber of Com
merce of America. Monro became
president of the pioneer Pennsylvania
Airlines in 1884 and was in control
when the line expanded its service to
create through service from Washing
ton to Milwaukee.
Present holders of letters Of author
ity as licensed lighter -than-air craft