Smyrna times., 1935-10-03
EXPECT PLANE
FOR $500 SOON
Experiments Give Promise of
Supplying Public Planes
at Low Price
WILL BE SAFE OUTFITS

Detroit.-Eugene Vidal, federal
director of air commerce, reviewed
the progress made here to date in
the nine most promising projects
concerned with the development of
a light and inexpensive airplane
sufficiently safe for an automobile
driver to fly.
Despite the apparent inability of
the aircraft industry to believe in
the possibility of turning out 500
airplane as indicated by the ma
chimes on exhibit at the 1885 all
American aircraft show. Vidal as
serts that there is every hope that
such a machine will be on the mar
ket within a short time. He said
several builders whose experiment
al designs were ordered built by
the bureau have turned out ma
chimes which seemingly meet all
these demands.
AT least three of our projects
are very promising indeed" he said.
The ships can be flown absolutely
safe by novice pilots. They do not
spin, they land themselves hands
off or with the stick all the way
back from 200 feet. They are, what
we think safe airplanes.
Ships Are Safe.
Don't mistake me to say that
these ships are unsafe" and he
waved out the window where sew
eral transport air liners were
drawn up before the Detroit City
Terminal building, dozens of small
er planes We're 'hopping passen-
gers" and vidals own cabin mono
plane he had flown down from
Washington with Frederick Il.
Neely, chief of the information sec
ton of the bureau.
Properly flown they are safe,
bur the planes we are building can
be flown with only couple of hours
instruction almost by anyone at
all The plane nearest completion
is the tailless Waterman high wing
monoplane The enclosed cabin
seats two and has % horse power
motor turning a pusher propeller at
the rear. The rudders are at the
wing tips with ailerons and eleva-
tors in the trailing edge of the
wing.
We are ready to give the machine
an approved tyne certificate (the
ultimate stamp of Department of
Commerce approval and it is
to be flown East by novice
pilot. 1t passed all its tests with
flying col0rs. having top speed
slightly over 40 miles an hour, and
can he landed with wheel brakes
locked We tried for two weeks
to spin it. but couldn't"
Another machine is the Weick
high wing monoplane with pusher
motor. Its tail is at the rear, on
the end of an outrigger boom. Fred
Weick of the Langley field, Va.
N. A. c. A. laboratories was the
original designer, but it now is be-
ing completed by Fairchild. 1t has
flown beautifully" Vida said.
Speed Over t1o Miles.
The readable autogiro" an entire
ly different sort of machine, Neely
stated. When finally delivered to
the bureau in October 1t is expect
ed to be a sensation. Direct lift,
meaning that no forward run will
be necessary for 1t to get into the
air, perpendicular descent, cruising
speed over 40 miles an hour on
a 90 horse power motor, and gear
ing to allow 1t to be driven at 20
miles an hour over highways, the
pilots garage" and clear field.
are the unusual characteristics.
There are three attempts under
way to convert inexpensive produc-
tion type automobile engines for
airplane use. One is a Hudson Ter
raplane engine with a belt and pull
ley reduction gear, another is a
Ford VS. engine, and the third is
a Plymouth motor.
Dean Hammond. youthful design
er of the Hammond Y safety plane
which In Its original version has
failed to meet the speed require
ments Of the Department of Com
merce contract under which 1t was
built, appeared at the show and he
said he Is building a new machine
which will incorporate all the safety
features Of the first one. but with
top speeds considerably above the
ITO minimum demand.