Evening star., 1935-10-10
BIG CLIPPER SHIP
HAILED BY CAPITAL
|. ON MAIDEN FLIGHT
AirpIane for Malt Service
to Orient Is Largest
Ever Seen Here.
80 PERSONS ABOARD
MAKE WEIGHT 20 TONS
President Trippe of Pan-American
Discusses Plans for World
Girdling Service.
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON.

ington skies yesterday afternoon in
the first passenger flight of the giant
Pan American Anyways China Clipper,
largest airplane ever seen here, Juan
T. Trippe, youthful president of the
10000 mile international airline,
calmly discussed plans for an air
transport girdle around the world.
Thirty-nine persons were aboard the
huge four-engined flying boat late
yesterday as it left its home Chesa-
peake Bay waters for the first time
and headed across 40 miles of rolling
Maryland countryside for its public
debut over Washington.
The China Clipper and two sister
ships, now receiving their finishing
touches in the Glenn L. Martin plant
near Baltimore, together with only
slightly smaller Sikorsky clippers
which now are blazing the trans
Pacific air trails, soon will be put
to work maintaining regular service
between California and China.
In the near future, Trippe revealed
as the great flying boat circled above
Washington at an altitude of nearly
1000 feet and at speed of 100 miles
per hour, plans are expected to reach
completion for spanning of the At
lantic through joint British-American
operations. When this is done, he
pointed out, air transport operations
completely around the globe will have
become an accomplished fact.
Accepted by Always.
Yesterdays flight followed imme-
diately the acceptance by Pan-Ameri-
can Always of the new China Clip
per from its constructors. Thirty-three
newspaper men and aviation leaders
from Washington, New York, Phila.
delphia, Baltimore and Detroit were
Trippes guests on the flight, ir
addition to a crew Of six under com.
mand of Capt. Edwin C. MuSick
Musick, chief pilot for Pan Am" wa.
in charge of the first trail-blazine
flights across the Pacific during tht
past Summer.
Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, VIII
played a large part in the drafting
of specifications for the air giant. flew
down to Baltimore yesterday morning
from New York to make a final IN.
spection Of the clipper, but took of
again for home before the arrival o.
the fight party and spectators.
Lindbergh previously had flown tat
giant plane in the early stages OF it
tests. Before the China Clipper ha!
completed the performance require
ments set up by Lindbergh and othe
heads Of Pan-American Airways, /
will have to better 27 world and Amer
lean aircraft records, establishing rec
ords in five categories which no air.
plane ever before has attempted.
The first of the new records is ex
pected to fall on Monday when thl
clipper will take of from the Martin
base with a pay load of about 22,00I
pounds-greater than any airplan,
ever has lifted to an operating alti
tude in an official flight.
On Tuesday the China clipper is t.
be flown to New York for official in
spection by officials of the operating
company, after which it will go Il
Miami for a series of grueling test
in hurricane-swept Caribbean waters
It may reach the Pacific Coast by No
vember in readiness for inaugura
ton Of service to China.
Bid for Air Supremacy.
Flight guests arriving at the Mar
tin plant, on Middle River, northeas
of Baltimore, found the new clippel
tied to a float beside the launching
ramp, its giant 130-foot wing dwarf
ing everything in the vicinity.
The ceremony over, the long line o
crew members and passengers fllee
aboard through q doorway in the sid'
of a hull as large as small rivel
steamboat and found deeply-cushion
ed, luxurious seats in a large saloor
and four smaller cabins.
Although seats have been provided
for only 48 persons aboard, the Chins
clipper. with a maximum pay loaG
capacity, actually could lift into tn
air 100 passengers having an average
weight of ITO pounds each; coulc
climb with them to an altitude O.
$4,000 feet, or well over three miles
and could carry them at a maximum
speed of 179 miles per hour. USING
only 65 per cent of the horsepower o.
its four engines. the clipper can main
tain cruising speed of 157 mile:
per hour.
Circles City.
Only 81 minutes after the clipper
with its cargo of 80 persons, had lef
the water of Middle River it crossed
the District of Columbia boundar.
and began q series of three graceful
leisurely circles around the downtown
section of the city. Although, II
those aboard, the great ship seemet
to be moving very slowly, it oyer
hauled a waiting Photographic air
plane flying a parallel course 81
rapidly that the smaller plane ap
peared to be standing still.
Throughout the fight a continuou
running broadcast was sent from th'
plane to ground stations for rebroad
casting to listeners in all parts Of th'
country.
A completely equipped kitchenette
lavatories with hot and cold RUNNING
water, full-length berths for lS passen
gers, q large saloon with three long
deep lounges, q half dozen larg'
individual chairs and a table, ant
dressing rooms are among the passen
ger facilities aboard the new air giant
Separate radio and chart rooms nea
the captains bridge and pilots com
partment are provided for the crev
and there Is q bunk in the tail o
the ship for the. use Of members O
fhn rrou off.uafr2H