Evening star., 1938-07-11
Hughes
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: HuSnes
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the airport that every one was caught
unawares. The first inkling was when
the plane hove out of the clouds to
descend quickly to the field.
Because the plane is of the same
type as those used by large CONNER
ctal airline with terminal here, many
observers thought at first the plane
was simply another airliner from
london.
Crowds Surprised.
The first intimation officials had
that the flyers were over France was
aradio message informing lie Bourget
they were about to land.
-s1t barely had been received when
tie planes broad wings dipped down
toward the surprised crowds.
Until that moment, in fact, airport
officials denied the flyers even had
reached the French coast.
Brown hat awry, Hughes Immediate
y checked the plane and gave orders
to refuel it, He said he had not been
able to check but believed he had $50
gallons of gasoline left when he landed.
Hughes was so eager to get of as
4st as possible he refused to eat or
drink.
He said weather reports showed good
Conditions on the other side of the
Rhine and he would head straight for
Moscow by way OF Cologne, Germany.
Permission to fly over Germany, he
said, had been granted.
: (The airline distance from Paris
to Moscow is 1,541 miles, about
eight hours flying time if Hughes
plane matches its transatlantic
speedy
Forty minutes after touching ground
the sportsman flyer was poring over
weather maps and inquiring about
conditions, with Ambassador Bullitt
helping him as interpreter.
The plane already was being fueled
and oiled. Mechanics were checking
and overhauling it,
Rain, which fell just before his ar
rival. had stopped but it still was very
cloudy. The ceiling over lie Bourget
was about 1900 feet with q wind of 8
or 10 miles an hour
= A ground temperature of 80 degrees
took heavy toll of the fuel supply after
the heavily loaded rebuilt transport
plane turned its blunt nose skyward
from Floyd Bennett Airport at $40
pm. (E. S. T.) yesterday.
Three hours later Hughes, broad
casting over a national hook-up of
American stations as the plane plowed
through intermittent rain squalls at
IN average speed of over 100 miles
m hour, said:
The heat has made it impossible
TOR us to secure the economy from our
engines we had expected. The ship
y performing about as expected"
Leaky Windshield.
Rain sweeping through a leaky
Windshield added to the discomfort Of
the flyers during the first hours of the
flight
AS the plane turned toward the
open sea. Hughes reported an elec-
trical reel in the hold Of the plane,
used for lengthening the radio anten-
ma. had broken. A hand reel was
quickly put into service.
= As dawn broke over the Atlantic,
1,400 miles from the takeoff. Hughes
expressed doubt whether the fuel sup
ply would enable them to reach Paris,
but said he was confident they would
u able to reach land safely.
II hope We are going to get there"
II added. I'VE don't anticipate land
Ing the plane short of the other side,
however"
The rebuilt plane, freighted to a
gross weight of $4,000 pounds, gave
5000 spectators 40-second nerve
trgling thrill last night as it labored
down the runway for more than 5000
fAet before lurching heavily into the
ar. 1t barely cleared a patch Of trees
at the end Of the runway.
Fuel Supply Reduced.
Before the take-off, the fuel supply
vas reduced from 1900 to 1000 gallons
after Hughes expressed doubt the big
cFaft-measuring IS feet across the
wings. could leave the ground.
The laconic 34-year-old pilot. a g.
foot 3-inch Texan, listened as Grover
Whelan christened the twin-motored
plane New York World Fair, 1889"
a few minutes before, Hughes, aero
d utical adviser for the fair, told the
d Pwd in brief speech over a public
d dress system:
Hope that in some measure this
q kht will bring about . world fellow
slip among aviators. No matter
weather you are Hindu or American,
Il I am, If you fly you speak the
q ne language" -e
l3he flyer, who once set a world
speed record for land planes and still
holds the transcontinental speed rec
ord, bade farewell privately to Kather-
Inc Hepburn, screen star, to whom he
has been reported engaged, before he
drove to the field. Miss Hepburn did
not visit the airport.
Pitted cylinders and balky right
wing motor had delayed the start for
almost "a hours. A new magnetic was
installed by mechanics two hours be-
fore the take-of1.