Evening star., 1935-03-24

gage IN Ine prOmOtlOnal WOrk OF en-
couraging development of civil aero
nautics in Hawaii. and also will serve
as inspector of aircraft and airmen
engaged In the activities of civil aero
nautics licensed by the bureau.
Eaker Leads Fast Flight.
Capt. Ira C. Eaker, Army Air Corps,
for a number of years on duty in
Washington and now commanding the
18th Pursuit Group. led the three
squadrons of his group in a record
speed flight from El Paso to Dallas,
Tex, the War Department has been
informed. During the flight an aver
age speed of 223 miles per hour was
attained by the planes of the squad
rons.
The three squadrons. equipped with
P-26A low-wing pursuit planes, were
commanded by Capts. Morris, Peck
and Hine. The group was en- route
from March Field, Calf, to Maxwell
Field, Montgomery, Ala, when the
record hop was made
Cold Weather Lessons Studied.
AS a result of the Arctic flight
made by II airplanes of various stand
ard Army service types in the North
western United States during the CO.
tire month of February, a number of
projects are under study for the i'm
provement of military air operations
under conditions of heavy snow and
sub-zero temperatures.
If has hppn Horidnd fn ohond0v7 oil
efforts to start aviation engines by
normal methods in intensely cold
weather because of the breakage of
starters in turning over the cold en-
gines. Engines will be heated with
flrepots before an effort is made to
turn them over.
1t has been found necessary to re-
design skis for heavy ships, such as
bombardment and transport airplaneS,
to make possible better cruising speeds.
Standard engine covers failed to give
satisfaction and new types are being
designed. Further development of
Winter flying equipment. including re-
designing of cockpit and cabin heaters
and Improvement of flying and work.
ing clothing has been found necessary.
Designing of suitable ambulance
airplane for snow operations is re-
garded as necessary. The develop
ment of portable Office equipment for
installation in transport airplanes for
use on long trips of this character also
is being studied.
The month of Winter flying was
exceedingly eventful and developed
situations never before faced by mill
tary pilots in this country. Billiards,
temperatures ranging down to 80 be-
low zero, high winds, dust storms and
deep snow on landing fields made
heavy going for the detachment. The
flight was made by three P-26 and
three P-12K pursuit airplanes, three
Biz Martin bombers, three O-43A
observation airplanes, three A-12
attack and two CIT Bellanca trans
port planes. The fight was COM
manded by Lieut.. Col. Ralph Royce.
Glider Results Shown.
Interesting results are being OBJ
tanned by the Navy Department in its
experiments with gliders as a pre-
liminary training device for embryo
naval aviators. Although the expert
ments have not yet been carried on
over sufficiently long period to re-
suit in final conclusions as to their
value, they already have justified
themselves, in the opinion of many in
the service.
Active training of students in
gliders has been in progress since last
June, according to preliminary sum-
mary by the Navy In the Spring
of 1888 the Bureau of Aeronautics
purchased two Franklin gliders. Lieut..
Comdr. Ralph S. Barnaby, first IL
censed American glider pilot, who for
years was on duty in WASHINGTON,
then trained a group of five naval
aviators as glider instructors.
In August, 1888, these instructors
gave glider instruction to four stu
dents who have subsequently COM
pleted fight training courses and have
been designated as naval aviators.
The original experiment having indi-
Gated that an expansion of the prof.
ect was desirable, four more gliders
were purchased and since then ap-
proximately IS students have been
given glider training.
Students for glider training now
are being ordered to the Navy fight
school at Pensacola, Fla, three weeks
prior to the start of each regular
fight class so that both glider stu
dents and non-glider students may
be started In the regular aviation
training course at the same time and