Evening star., 1937-01-10

ddNdHCC Va Vic tIlUdI BU lldS CducN
world attention to an unfortunate
condition. 1t has been naively argued
that the airplanes and engines which
have been exported to Spain are unfit
for combat flying and so can play nc
very important part, after all. in the
military fortunes of Spain. That, II
1t Is so, merely makes the matter the
more reprehensible.
Whether the airplanes and engines
are Of the most efficient combat types
or are merely collection of outworn
misfits Is, of course, beside the point
The fact that in the eyes of the world
war equipment has been sent from
the United States Is what is impor-
tant. In this light the affair is wholly
regrettable, since the greatest contri-
button the United States can make to
its own well-being and to troubled
world is to maintain a strict neu-
trality in the European mess.
THROUGH comprehensive remote
control system. the Army Air
Corps detachment at Boiling Field Is
able to conduct communications
through four separate transmitters
from the control tower or the field
operations Office, half mile away.
The remote control and operating
room is located in the same building
as the operations Office. the transmit
ters being in another building half
mile away. The transmitters, opera
tions Office and control room are con-
nected by master control board in
the remote control room.
The transmitters are started or
stopped by push buttons on the con-
troll board Red indicator lights show
which sets are in operation. The de-
sired frequency is obtained through a
device similar to dial telephone.
In case Of trouble in the transmit
ter building. all power can be shut
off by main switch to prevent fire
starting, until the trouble is located
The control board also has connec-
tions similar to switchboard by
which the sets can be operated from
the control tower or by the operations
officer from a switch box at his desk.
The panel has a volume control de-
vice by which the output to the trans
mitters may be increased or decreased.
The control room has seven receiv-
ing sets, station altimeter, a tele-
phone, a direct call system between
operations and the tranSmitter build
ing and a large clock with a face
marked to indicate commercial airline
schedules.
With this new system conveniently
and efficiently arranged and operating
on a 24-hour schedule, the Boiling
Field communications department is
keeping abreast Of aeronautical radio
developments.
TWO Navy Douglas transport air.
planes assigned to the Anacostia
Naval Air Station are being completely
equipped with the latest de-icing
equipment. They are said to be the
first Navy airplanes, with the excep-
ton of the astrological plane which
makes daily upper air weather obser-
vation flights to be equipped with de-
icerS.
A. v. Teeple, maintenance engineer
for American Airlines. specialist in
the installation of de-icing equipment,
has been loaned to the Navy to super
wise the work on the transports at
Anacostia, it has been announced.
Teeple recently completed the work
of supervising installation of such
equipment on 35 Douglas airplaneS of
the American AirlineS fleet.
The equipment used on the Navy
transports consists of anti-icer rings,
slinger-ring boots and rubber "shoes.
The wing re-icing system calls for
rubber shoes along the leading edge
of the wings and tail surfaces. They
contain rubber tubes which may be
inflated to break ice formations and
permit it to blow of. The rings are
used on the roots of the propeller
blades to feed an anti-freeze solution
to the blades.
THE daily meteorological flight at
the Anacostia Naval Air Station,
long of value to the Weather Bureau
and, as result to aviation in general
frequently has a particular bearing on
local flying.
four dove aCo tho rpao ttay u,aS ho
There was a ceiling of about 500 feet
and it was suspected that icing con-
ditions existed in the clouds above
The commercial airlines were not
operating in the vicinity Of Washing
ton.
One of the station transports, with
full complement of crew and ferry
pilots, was standing by for flight tc
the West Coast and it was necessary
that it should get off as soon as pos
sible, as more bad weather was due
from the West.
Although all other flying had stop
ped, the Astrological plane carrying
special equipment for bad weather
UpSIdllOllS, IuUh O11 dllO NllAhOON hh
through the clouds. 1t reported the
height of the clouds and favorable
conditions to the westward. 1t also
found that the icing conditions which
had been feared actually did not exist
With this information in hand, the
transport took off over the low Vir-
ginia country, flying on the south leg
of the Washington radio range beacon,
and climbed up through the clouds
into the clear sky above. 1t then
turned West and went over the noun
tains to Cleveland. Had it not been
for the flight of the weather airplane
the transport probably would not have
been permitted to leave.
So far as is known, the Navy re-
ported, this is the first time that a
small airplane has been used under
bad weather conditions as a weather
scout for a large transport.
A DUAL-PURPOSE turkey shoot
\ was held by the Naval aviation
reserve squadron at Seattle, according
to word received by the Navy Depart
ment, as a part of the December
training propram The turkev shoot