Milford chronicle., 1935-03-29
BY LOWELL THOMAS


beneath 1t. 1t was an impressiV,
novelty, spectacular first time
the first time in history of this an.
cient earth and its modern science
thai a winged sky craft ever scared
among the clouds, carrying another
vehicle, a full sized roadster, fixed
between the wheels of its land gear.
But what does it mean? What's IL
all about?
War tanks launched by airplane
behind enemy lines of battle, ar
mored cars brought through the
sky TO critical war areas for obser-
walton and espionage, exploration
automobiles released by aircraft in
desert wllds, exploration motor
launches flown TO jungle lakes and
rivers, motor llfeboats for swift
rescue work ferried through the
sky to imperiled ships at sea, sup
ply cutters released by plane in
food areas, clOudland transports on
long flights carrying small planes
for communication with the earth
these horizons of the future are
suggested by the simple demonstra-
tion that an airplane can fly readily
with a bulky burden, a WOrk-a-day
rOad-running vehicle, suspended be-
low its fuselage.
The plane was a giant Uppercu-
Burnelli transport, of the type that |
Clyde PangbOrn, globe girdler and
prize winner in the LOndOn-Austra- |
liza Air Derby intends to use in a
Forthcoming nonstop, refueling
fight around the world. The plane
In itself points suggestiVely into the
future. II is a new type of aircraft
Dnilt along the flying wing idea. The
designer, Vincent Burnelli, looks
ahead to an airplane which, instead
1f being a dead weight cabin be-
Ween two wings, will be all cabin |
ind all wing. The cabin of the Up
transport is broad. /
WelVe feet wide, as compared with
i've feet in ordinary air liners. II I
las the proportions of an actual !
com. II Is shaped like a wing sur /
ace, and in itself has lift-all S
jointing toward an increasing {
Width and an increasing lifting pow {
r of cabin. until the flying wing is '
chieved. The broad fuselage of the
Jppercu-BuTnelli transport prOvid- I
d the space needed to fasten a Ford II
oadster between the wheels of the /,
anding gear 3
The immediate significance, the fl
purpose, was to test the a
uick starting qualities of Blue Sum bi
co motor fuel under the most try II,
ig natural conditions that ingenu- Ia
y could devise-in an actual auto el
IObile, in the open. in winter wea- IA
her, al high speed, at high alti- pl
ldes, airplane attitudes. But il is in
commonplace of science that an ec
experiment., having successfully ser o,
ed its first intention, may open av- nj
lues OF progress in unexpected di-
ections. So, the airplane-autOmo- III
lie spectacle staged at Floyd Ben W
ett Field, New York, opens a pam eS
anna of new possibilities, a parade m
hying futures, to the eye of i'm Ia
yination M
The experiment had all the air Of in
adventure. In the cockpit Ia
ere two veterans of perilous en- as
rpTise. At the controls was Lou ca
who flew the Atlantic
Veral years back, encountered a m,
ind fog off the coast Of Ireland SIX
d had one of the most exciting de
capes in the history of oceanic "a
y voyages. With him was Zeke va
eyer, the automobile racing star. Ri
nfnnfann f,c 4
9ed behind him, in the prize nal
'ney year after year at Indianap- ma
s, survivor of many wild crash dis
the speed classics Zeke Meyer Tie
8 the test man for the tryoW of II
le SunocO motor fuel II was his edy
at the height of more than a bee
e TO climb down through trap for
'r into the Ford Roadster and ed
rt the motor. Zeke had never min
N up in an airplane before. Il boa
) his first flight. mis-
lane and auto took off easily. An rom
ervation plane few along TO II
rk the test. The Uppercu- Burnel- big
has futuristic look, nlar
its broad beamed cabin. II ther
ed still more futuristic as IL belo
led in the sky carrying beneath The
le bulk of the roadster. When to r
altitude of a mile had been tanc
he'd, Meyer opened the trap door tain
le bottom of the cabin and step by !
down into the drivers seat. He anth
a parachute, had been told ture
to use it, should the automo- the
by some mischance break loose onIv
fall a mile through space. A hanl
e tingling time for Zeke. who sche
never been up in a plane before, smal
r raising first flight. meet
e temperature was zero. The hello,
was a hundred and thirty tran,
an hour. The windshield of and
FORD broke the icy breeze, bur iowa
hreiking back-lash was an arc tice
DrnadO. The observation plane n
flying alongside. Zeke pushed futu,
tarter, and a bright light fash actu,
side the windshield of the au- eInne