Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16

The China Clipper soaring
oUer San Francisco Bay, 1Dith
the city in the background,
on the start OF its Pacific
flight.
occasional ship sighted on the ocean
far below or raised" by radio some
where along the route as the plane
speeds on her lonely way through the
heavens. When the sky is overcast
with clouds that pile up above the
Clippers practical cruising level and
neither sun nor stars are visible, these
other aids are indispensable.
Now the sun has dropped from sight
into the Pacific. The incredible fam
ing hues Of semi-tropic sunset fade
into the pale prelude of night. The
time in which the navigator really
delights is at. hand One by one the
stars come out, growing brighter and
more numerous as night advances; his
octant now has not one but many ref
erence points in the sky. ArcturW,
Polaris and the constellation Orion
are old and easily recognizable
friends; in the latter group he takes
a fix as usual on Betelguese-
Beetle Juice" as the navigators joe
ularly dub the vinking reddish star.
Glass Clear and Flat.
BY projecting the lines of position"
obtained from two or more stars on
his chart until they intersect, the
navigator obtains an exact position OF
the speeding plane. Frequently the
Clipper, high above a cloud blanket
that shuts out the sky from surface
craft, is able to tell its location with
an accuracy denied to steamships far
below.
1t astonishes the passengers some
what that the Clippers navigator does
all Of his star-shooting through the
windows, coming back from his own
compartment into the cabin so as to be
out from under the flying boats giant
wing and sitting tailor fashion on the
floor to get a better view of the heav-
ems from the chair-height windows.
But the glass is clear and perfectly
fiat and does not. by refraction, dis
tort the accuracy Of his celestial
sights.
Above the navigator's room-on
what Is really the upper deck of the
Clipper-and aft Of the radioman's
cubbyhole. though at a still higher
level, is the "cabane" This is long
narrow space in the very top Of the
ship where the great hull thins up to q
streamlined juncture with the wing
Here is the flight engineers domain
he sits in small and rather cramped
seat surrounded by a maze OF dials
gauges and valves even more confus-
ing than those on the instrument
board Of the control cabin.
Concentrated about him are all OF
the indicators that tell how the Clip
per's battery Of four twin-row, radial
950-horsepower Wasp air-cooled mo-
tors are functioning; oil temperature
and oil pressure gauges that warn if
aught goes wrong with the life-blood
Of the engines: tachometers showing
the speed at which each power plant
is running; manifold pressure gauges
which show when too much power is
being pulled" out OF an engine, and
thermo-couple with a selective
switch which permits the engineer
in an instant to take the head and
base temperatures of critical" cylin-
ders in any engine.
Fuel Consumption Control.
Here also are tiny fuel meters, SIM
liar to those that click OF the gallons
of gasoline pumped into your car al
roadside filling stations; they keer
count Of the Clippers fuel consump-
tion-a highly important matter when
the next service station is 2,40O miles
ahead!
The engineer officer is one of the
busiest members of the Clippers crew
Not only is he nurse to four motors
upon whose flawless performance de-
ponds the safety Of all aboard; he
must also keep a detailed written
record Of that performance. This in
cludes fuel consumption, periodic en-
CINE instrument readings, attitudes a,
which the ship flies, outside temper.
atures and numerous other data that
have to be turned in with his report
at the end Of each flight across the
Pacific. He has the least comfortable
post on the plane; the "cabane" OF
the big Martin trans-Pacific flyine
boats Is neither sound-proofed mol
heated, and he must remain in thu
same cramped position for hours at q
time. Even in the daytime it is cold
at 10000 feet, where the Clippers fly
despite the temperate or sub-tropie
ATTITUDES in which they operate. Al
night the engineer officer must don 8
fur-lined flying suit to keep from
freezing.
Members Of the Clippers crew stand
regular watches, just as though they
were on ship at sea. One or more
Of them Is qualified to substitute al
job Of every man aboard, from cap.
tain down. Only the steward theo-
reticany remains on duty all the
time, catching what rest he can when
his services the not in demand by
passengers or crew.
Thus the Clippers captain Is In
command only three hours at the
beginning Of q flight, before he Is re.
lieved for An hour by the first onicer
Thereafter, normal ships routine call.
for him to be tn charge four hour