Evening star., 1938-08-14

Charter to Air France, has been re.
called from It's post in midocean
for refitting and reservicing for the
flight program. With weather experts
of the French government and the
airline aboard. the Carimare has lust
completed year Of important weather
research work In an area midway
between the Azores and Port Wash
ington.
WITH this aid a complete weather
service has been set up through
cooperation with Pan-American Air
ways weather stations in the West
Indies and slong the Atlantic sea-
board and stations Of Air France on
the European mainland. The Carimare
Is due back on her mid-Atlantic sta
ton by the first week in August to
permit operation of the first survey
flight by the middle of the month.
The route to be followed by the
French has not as yet been deter
mind, except that their American ter
minal will be Port Washington. The
French have been granted permis-
sion, restricted to the survey flights,
to use British facilities at Foynes and
BotWood
And now back to the United States
end OF the program. Right now the
American effort is concentrated in
Seattle. where the big Boeing flying
boats are coming along rapidly. These
giants have a wing span of l52 feet
and hull length Of l09 feet. To indi-
cate the thoroughness of the prepara-
tory work, the factory test program
alone includes 3l4 different items to
be checked at least twice each-seven
times the number OF actual fight
test items. August is to be the heavy
month for the flight-test crew. While
the weeks Of testing and checking
every inch Of No. l Of the big Boe-
ings are dragging along, however,
work is going forward rapidly on the
other five Of the series.
| According to the latest progress
report from the plant, No. 2 has left
the factory and is on the ways. The
wing has been mounted, and the
four 1,500-horsepower engines, giving
a total Of 5000 horsepower, are in
place. Sixty-one men are at work on
her in the process of installing con-
trolls, connecting plumbing and wiring
and fitting out the flight deck. She
will be ready to slip down the ways on
her way to the proving ground Just
as soon as No. moves out of the yard.
lust INSIDE the factory doors No
has moved up into the first in
side dock. At the time Of the latest
report, nearly = month ago. 1900 feet
of her skin surface had been put in
place, and early In August she Is to
be ready TO come out into the sunlight
for wings, engines and fittings.
No. 4 is inside in the second inside
dock, with all Of her framework as
sembled, ready for the outer skin.
No. 5 Is in process Of center-section
assembly. No. 6 Is still neatly arrayed
on a series Of Shelves total Of some
5000 completely fabricated. checked
and approved parts-ready and wait
ing for clearance Of the primary as
sembly dock.
Approximately 900 men are working
in shifts on the big hying boats. All
the nascelles, tanks and other major
parts for all of them have been com
pletely assembled.
The big Boeinss will hAvs many
Of the features Of the latest ocean
steamers. There will be private state
rooms, dining lounge, upper and lower
decks. There will be an interplane
telephone system with nine stations ir
various parts of the airplane and wha'
is believed to be the first ship-to-short
telephone. At dock. the plane will
be connected to regular shore tele.
phone lines.
In addition to the nine-plane pub
lie" telephone system aboard the plane
there will be a private radio telephone
in the captains office on the fligil'
deck, over which he may communicate
with the control ONCE ashore or with
the clippers tender while on the water
preparing for take-of or while ap
preaching the base after landing
These communications services are III
, addition to the regular radio telegraph
system for flight communications serv'
ice. This outfit may be used for two.
way communications in the air Of
afloat over range of more than 5000
miles. ,
THE super clipper, weighing Al:
tons, is divided into 18 different
. rooms or compartments, on sever
: different levels.
The Boeing engineers allowed them.
selves 10 days for their test program
on No. /. After that the Bureau o.
Air Commerce inspectors are scheduled
to take over for the ofdcial certifi
/ cation tests. After that the ship i
, scheduled for delivery to Pan-Ameri
! can Always. which, in turn, will con
!. duct its acceptance trials.
S And so the stage is set for . bus.
e summer for the North Atlantic, will
total of IS crossings schedules b,
D the survey airplanes of Britain. Ger
i many and France, to be followed b.
/ the Inauguration Of regular servic'
Y by Pan-American Always during tn
Y fall.
D Although the program for the i'm
a 1See ATLANTIC FLIGHTS, Page C-5.