Evening star., 1935-01-27

only a temporary form of direct
Commerce Commission into a tt
water and air transportation, OF
ment of TranSportation-proposs
serious consideration--would ab
mission.
Extensive lighter-than-air develop
ment is to be fostered by the commits
sion, it is understood. The commits
sion is believed to have submitted
recommendations for enlargement OF
the military aviation services, involv-
ing a virtual doubling of combat air.
plane strength.
The commission members are said
to be in favor of an amendment to
the airmail law wiping out the limi-
tation upon the number of primary"
routes which may be flown by an air
mail contract holder. If this section
is not repealed the Post Office Depart
ment will be forced soon to cancel
some of its most advantageous con-
tracts, including the Pacific coastal
service now flown by United Air Lines
and several of the routes of American
Airlines There already is legislation
pending in Congress which would en-
power the President to suspend this
section of the airmail act for one year.
While the Howell Commission report
was on the way through official chan
nelS to Congress with its recommen-
dations for expansion of airplane and
airship services in the United States
and abroad, Pan-American Airways,
connecting 80 countries of the Amer
icas, was preparing to- anticipate the
report that transoceanic air transpor-
tation is at hand.
Pacific Route Revealed.
Applying to the Navy Department
for permission to establish fueling
base on the deserted shore Of Wake
Island, 1900 miles west of the Ha-
waiian Islands, the international air.
line revealed for the first time the
route it is planning to fly between
California and China, beginning in
the Spring.
From the California coast the route
will be by way of the Hawaiian
Islands, 2,400 miles; Midway Island,
1.100 miles; Wake Island, 1,100 miles;
Guam, 1,100 miles; Manila, l,500
miles, and on to Canton, China. At
Canton the route will connect with
the existing Pan-American Airways
system in China
The Howell report is expected to
recommend the granting of Federal
subsidy to such lines as the proposed
tranS-Paciflc service of American
as a means of fostering American
leadership in the new field of trans
oceanic commercial flying.
Miss ingalls, Makes Plans.
What is said to be the longest range
Lockheed airplane ever built is being
completed for Laura ingalls,, who last
year made solo flight of 1900 miles
around South America.
Her new airplane is equipped with
tanks for $50 gallons of fuel, 80 gall
Ions more than the amount carried by
Sir Charles Kingsford- Smiths Lady
Southern Cross on the trans-Paciflc
flight. Miss Ingalls, plane is of essen
TALLY the same type as that used by
the Australian.
The new ship, with cruising speed
of 205 miles per hour, is claimed to be
capable of cruising 20 hours on a
single load of fuel, or the equivalent
of 1000 miles in still air. The $50
horsepower engine drives control
able-pitch propeller and wing flaps
are used to reduce the landing speed.
The equipment includes a new type
combination radio receiver and radio
compass and an automatic pilot.
Cowling Flaps Built.
Engine cowlings equipped with ad-
Unstable trailing edge flaps similar to
the air brakes on the wings of new
high-speed airplanes will be a feature
of "a new scout-bombardment air
planes now being built for the Navy
Department by the Chance Vought
Corp.
This new device, unlike the wing
flaps, is not intended for braking ef-
feet or increased lift, but is intended
to regulate the flow of cooling air
around the cylinders of the engine.
The effect is to provide increased
top speed in level flight and to make
possible the use of full throttle in
climbing without overheating the en-
gine.
The cowling flaps are based on
principles first announced in a tech
nical paper by R. B. BeiSel, A. Lewis
MacClain and F. H. Thomas which
achieved the distinction a few days
ago of winning both annual medals
offered by the Society of Automotive
Engineers-the Wright brothers med
al for outstanding developments in
aircraft design and the Manly me-
mortal medal for developments in
power plant design.
VIII Operate From Deck.
The "a new airplanes will be op-
Grated from the decks of aircraft
carriers. They are designed to meet
the conflicting necessities for oper-
ating from the small deck space of
the carriers and achieving high speed
and extreme maneuverability. They
are the result of three years of in
C6IlSlVe TeScdTCIl, ucSlSH anu OcSIlllS'
The model is known as SBU-1, the
first two letters designating the char
acter of operation - scout bombing,
the "U" being the Chance Vought
symbol and the 81" designating the
plane as the first of its series.
While details of the ships are with
held as military secrets. it is known
that they are biplanes, the entire
structure being Of metal except the
fabric covering. Split flaps are used
on the lower wing to slow the plane
for deck landings. Aerodynamic
"cleanness" is stressed throughout.
A single 700-horsepower engine is
used, driving controllable pitch pro-
peller.
Pioneer Passenger Sought.
The task of determining who was
the first regular air transport pas
senger in the United States is to de-
volve upon Eugene Luther Vidal, di-
rector Of air commerce of the United
States, about February 1.
Charles e. Planck Of Pennsylvania