Evening star., 1937-02-20
By Joseph Edgerton.
A r LANGLEY FIELD, on the
~ shores of the peaceful Back

SOrpS Is gathering squadron OF Ln6
greatest bombardment airplanes yet
built. They are l6-ton giants, pow
cred with four engines and they are
said to have greater range and speed
than any the Nation has seen.
Since bombardment aviation. in
It's new role, constitutes the backbone
Of the Nations air defense, the deliv-
cry to the Air Corps of these super
bombers is likely to prove an event of
some significance. It is almost Ger
tain that when the newly equipped
squadron has shaken down" and be-
come thoroughly familiar with the
big ships, some very interesting oper-
ations may be expected.
1t has been pointed out that the
new bombers could cross the Atlantic
in formation. 1t is improbable they
will do 50, since they are land air
planes and since the air policies Of
the United States today are for de-
fensive rather than offensive prepa-
ration, but it is regarded as probable
their potentialities will be demon
strated by flights fully as interesting.
At the same time, the Navy is con-
eentrating in the Pacific, based on
Pearl Harbor, a tremendously power
full force of long-range patrol flying
boats. Twelve of these big ships,
manned by 80 officers and men. re-
Gently completed the flight from Cali
fornia to Hawaii. Others are to make
the flight during coming months. Six
others had made the flight previously,
establishing a new world seaplane
distance record in doing so. and others
were delivered in crates and assem-
bled in the islands.
WHILE these concentrations are
going on, the General Head
quarters Air Force, spearhead of the
Nations aid defense, is carrying on
q rather spectacular training pro-
gram in the North. A provisional
group Of three combat squadrons and
q headquarters or service squadron,
comprising virtually sll Of the stand
ard fighting airplanes Of the Army, IS
deliberately hunting the worst Winter
weather available in the northern tier
Of States. Oficers, men and airplsnes
are weathering snow and ice in the
open in a savage test of the toughness
and durability Of our military air
forces.
1t Is the function of the composite
group to test the performance Of pur-
suit, attack. bombardment and cargo
airplanes under severe Winter condi-
tions and, at the same time, to test
the efficiency of ground and flying
personnel, new flying clothing. lubri-
cants and maintenance equipment.
More than 100 officers and 800 en-
listed men are participating in the
Winter flying test. They were drawn
from as far as Barksdale Field, La,
and Langley Field, Va. The partici-
pating units have been organized into
the provisional Cold Weather Equip
ment Test Group" commanded by
Col Walter H. Frank. Air Corps.
The group is composed Of the 9th
Pursuit Squadron, Selfridge Field,
Mich. Mai. Warren r. Maxwell COM
manding; the 9Th Attack Squadron,
Barksdale Field, La, Maj. Lester j.
Maitland commanding; the lst Bom-
bardment Squadron, Mitchell Field,
N. Y, Maj. Claude Duncan command
ing, and a headquarters detachment.
This detachment is operating nine new
Douglas transports and two Lockheei
transports and all personnel and sup
plies are being moved by air.
These widely separated, spectacular
events are not isolated. random oc-
currences. They are not merely spec
tacles, unrelated and snowy. They are
rather incidents in the growth of the
air defense forces, now going on
inethodically under the impetus of
new construction and training pro-
grams. They mark the beginning Of
q new period Of more rapid develop
from this standpoint, high lights of a
co-ordinated program which is affect
ing virtually every phase of military
aviation and every squadron and air
base ashore and afioat.
NEW tactical airplanes Of greatly
advanced types are being de-
iivered by the hundreds to the mill
tary services There Is a strong flow
into the squadrons Of new pilots from
the flying schools and from the Re-
serve ranks.
At the airdromes Of the Army tao
tical squadrons and at the shore sta
tions and aboard the carriers OF the
Navy are appearing the new and
formidable fighting airplanes which
mark the new era In air defense de-
velopment. These airplanes wear the
colorful insignia of the old-line SQUAD
fons, but in every other respect they
are new and different-bigger, faster
and more deadly. At their controls
may be seen a new generation Of
young pilots fresh from the service
flying schools, many of them still in
their cadet uniforms.
The Nations aircraft factories now
are engaged heavily in military pro-
duction. They are at work on Army
and Navy contracts which, during the
current and the past fiscal year, are
said to have reached a total of nearly
s80,000,000. Their production pro-
grams constitute the largest peace
time military airplane construction
operations in the history of the air
craft industry, In value If not in
numbers.
During the calendar year just
passed the Army took delivery Of sos
military airplanes These deliveries
are part Of a program which during
this fiscal year and the past fiscal
year call for 1,543 airplanes and $500
aircraft engines for the Army and
Navy. OF this number, $50 airplanes
and 1,425 engines are for the Army
and 593 airplanes and 975 engines
for the Navy.
The new aircraft are Of virtually
every type used in the military serv-
ices and they all are startling in their
advancement over previous types.
They represent, according TO Secre-
tary of War Woodring, the best
auuipment available