Evening star., 1935-04-28

simple as possible to preserve light
ness and the road speed will be con-
fined to about 20 to rs miles per hour.
There are, Of course" Pitcairn
said, many problems to be worked
out. Such matters as the require
ments for motor car accessories, lights,
horns and muf11ers will be interesting
and possibly amusing questions.
1T is premature at this time to
predict when machines of this type
can be placed or the market COM
merc4ally, nor do we know what these
machines will cost. The encourage
ment given us by the Department Of
Commerce in purchasing the first
coupe type machine is a significant
commentary on the foresightedness of
the aviation branch of our Govern
ment."
Plane Control Simplified.
Flight control operations on the
part of the pilot are cut in half in
the Weick experimental plane now
being constructed at Hagerstown.
The airplane is q modified version of
the highly advanced model designed
and constructed by Fred Weick of the
engineering staff of the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
at Langley Field, Va. The plane is
being reconstructed at the Kreider-
Reisner Aircraft Co. plant to incor-
porate still more advanced ideas.
The result is expected to be an
airplane as simple to operate as an
automobile. in which the pilot would
require only a single operation for
turning and another single operation
for controlling the position of the
airplane in the vertical path.
IF the trials prove successful" it
was explained by Eugene b. Vidal,
director of air commerce, "even ANA
teurs should have no great difficulty
in landing their planes on a definite
spot and turns would be no more
complicated than in an automobile"
The plane can be landed at any
speed, followed by immediate applica-
ton of the brakes. 1t also can be
trimmed to fly at any speed which can
be maintained regardless of any
manipulation of the throttle, 1t was
explained.
In the conventional airplane turns
are made by use of both rudder and
ailerons and these operations must be
properly co-ordinated. A single mo-
ton will turn the new airplane. The
conventional airplane is controlled
in the vertical plane by co-ordinated
use of throttle and elevator. The
v,,alal mill ~
air brake in single lever which will
automatically coordinate all controls
in the vertical plane.
This simplif1cation of controls, it
was explained, is expected to bring
flight within reach of the novice, with
greatly increased safety.
Runway Work Started.
Extension of the runway system at
Capital Airport, near the Eastern
Branch between Benning and Bladens-
burg, has been undertaken and Man
ager Eddie Etitt has requested that
pilots keep clear of the field during
the next three weeks except in case of
emergency.
The lower runway and the diagonal
runway both are being graded and
extended and each will have length
of about 1900 feet when completed
Tractors and grading equipment on
the runways, in addition to soft and
uneven earth, will form hazards while
the work is going on.
Spring repair work and painting has
been completed at Mount Vernon Air
ways field, south of Alexandria, Va,
and some field improvement work is
in progress. Paul WINNER, Clarendon,
Va, is the latest addition to the list
of local pilots storing their ships at
Mount Vernon Always. He has an
OX-5 Challenger there.
Washington Airport has reported
passenger hopping during Easter week
100 per cent better than last year.