Evening star., 1939-12-24
Navy Orders Fleet
OF Big Flying Boats
For Pacific Patrol
West Coast PIont Gets
$4,000, 900 Contract
For 4-Motor Croft
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Navy has ordered a fleet OF
giant, long-range, four-motor flying
boats to patrol its far flung "line Of
observation" in the Pacific and to
reinforce the Administrations hem
isphere defense policies.
Authoritative sources reported
yesterday that possibly so or more
craft with a range Of more than
5000 miles were involved in a $20,-
o16,669 order just given a California
plant. The contract, the largest
single aircraft purchase in Navy
history, went to the Consolidated
Aircraft Corp, San Diego, Calf. In
accord with the Navys policy de-
tails were withheld.
The newest additions will augment
IS other four-motor ships of the
same general type ordered last year,
and more than 200 smaller two
motor flying boats already in serv-
ice.
The two-motor patrol craft have
been "ferried" nonstop by the score
to Hawaii and Panama and have
been termed by foreign aviation ex-
perts "incomparably" the most
formidable overseas striking force
of the kind in existence.
Weighs About 30 Tons.
The Navy has been experimenting
with four-motor flying boats since
1885. The newest planes ordered are
a development of the Consolidated
concerns experimental model, the
PB2Y2, high-wing monoplane with
four 1000-horsepower 14-cylinder
motors. This plane weighs about 30
tons, has 118-foot Widespread and
carries crew of nine.
The unofflcial estimate that 50 or
more were involved in the $20,016.-
669 order was based on the cost of
those contracted for last year.
President Roosevelt asked Congress
for s3,875 900 for nine four motor
Navy planes, in addition to six
provided for in the 1889 budget, so
that their unit cost was ap-
proximately s430,ooO each. 1t is
understood that the unit cost was
reduced in the new. larger order. {.
Both Army and Navy are expert
menting, meanwhile, with still more
giant craft.
The Army, seeking to extend the
range and load capacity of its bomb
ers, intends to build five planes
nearly twice the size of its present
17-ton. four-motored bombers. Ap-
proximately s400O,o0o was included
in pending budget estimates for
craft to weigh about IS tons and
capable of nonstop flights of well
over 5000 miles.
One 4-Ton Bomber in Use.
A single 34-ton Army bomber the
BIS, has been making experimental
flights for the last two years. It
took medicines to Chile after an
earthquake early this year.
Fifty-two of the four motor, IT.
ton fortress bombers, such as have
made round-trip goodwill flights
to South America. were in service or
on order when the $500 OO0, 900 Air
Corps expansion program was voted
by Congress last year.
In recent months orders for a
somewhat larger number were di-
vided between two Pacific Coast
plants.
Further. the War Department es-
Inmates turned over to President
Roosevelt are understood to have
included provision for 200 bombers
of all types, of which large proper
ton presumably would be of four
motors.
The newest models turned over
/ to the Air Corps are capable of top
speeds OF more than 300 miles an
hour. and they can carry five tons
OF bombs each, aviation circles un-
derstand.
To increase their range and power
still further, the Air Corps is help
ing finance experiments with a e.
| cylinder motor.