Evening star., 1935-03-10

which will break the long ocean
crossing
Alameda Airport. San Francisco
Bay, has been leased as the United
States base, and other terminal sites
on the California coast are being
studied. A new traffic Office Is to be
opened in San Francisco about April
l by Mr.. Kennedy. Necessary con-
struction work is in progress at Ala
media to handle the big ocean-going
flying boats.
The fight tests over tropical waters
have been making air transport his
tory and may lead within a few days
to establishing of new world seaplane
distance records as the big ships
reach the long-range stage of the test
programs.
Pacific Veterans Make Tests.
The tests are being flown by the
crews planned for the Pacific flights,
consisting Of master pilot, a second
officer pilot, a third officer pilot, a
navigation officer, an engineering Of
ficer and a radio officer. During the
tests, in addition to this regular train
ing crew, two motor specialists were
carried on initial flights to supervise
fuel consumption tests and operation
of auxiliary engine instruments in
stalled for experimental purposes.
After navigational test flights of up
to 1900 miles through all types of
weather, permanent installation of
ocean-dying instruments is being
completed in preparation for the final
portions of the test program, which
will take the ship up to full range
limit, estimated at 5000 miles or more.
In addition to the special test ship,
sister ship now is in regular service
operation on the South American line
and two others are nearing compile
ton at Bridgeport, Conn, after de-
lays due to ice, which prevented test
flying.
Minor alterations are being COM
pleted on the still larger Martin flying
boat which has undergone preliminary
tests at Baltimore and the big ship
soon will be out for further flight
testing.
Engine. Development Pushed.
Considering that the improvement
of airplane designs has outstripped
progress on airplane power plants,
European aeronautical engineers and
builders are concentrating upon rails
ing the efficiency of aviation engines,
it has been reported by John j. Ide,
technical assistant to the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics,
on duty in Paris.
Mr.. Ide, discussing European prog
ress before officers of the Army Air
Corps Materiel Division at Wright
Field, Ohio, recently pointed out that
the European engine program EVIL
IDENTIFY is bearing fruit in higher air.
plane speeds, including a new world
record for land planes.
European designers have been pro-
foundly impressed with the high
speeds attained by the new American
transport airplanes, Mr.. Ide said, and
have taken the viewpoint that in air
planes OF this type the aerodynamic
design OF the airplane has been
pushed to the limit of present prac-
ticability.
In many Of the advanced European
engines development was greatly ex-
pedited by placing the engine in serv-
ice rather than by continuing mere
laboratory development on the test
stand. 1t Is believed that in all cases
development will be hurried by follow
ing this policy, provided the military
services are willing to cooperate
by worrying along with "teething
troubles
Except in Germany, according to
the N. A. G. A. observer, little progress
has been made with the heavy oil
aviation engine. European design is
keeping pace with that in the United
States as regards replacement Of BIZ
plane designs by low-wing monoplane
types, and the general adoption of
metal construction.
Exact distances flown by scheduled
air transport lines in this country
are being checked by the Bureau Of
Air Commerce to provide a more &C
curate basis for airmal payments by
the Post Office Department.
While the shortest distance between
two points should be the normal air
line distance, it Is not always possible
for scheduled airliner to fly the
shortest route because of presence of
high mountain ranges or other char
acteristics of the terrain, including
lack of emergency landing areas.
An airline may be forced to operate
over one route by day and another by
night or may use one route IN good
weather and another and longer way
when weather conditions are unfavor.
able, It was explained.
Each airlinehas been asked to send