The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-03
Boake Carter
Says:
Aviation troubles
Why America Legs
Who Is 10 Blame7


German research engineers have
discovered regarding the Diesel
engine for aviation. the United
States government Is rushing
around gibbering about ordering
Il 900 planes for national defense.
II Is the confirmed belief of some
OF the soundest research engineers
Of America that the nation should
not build one plane until the under
ground alliance between certain
financial interests. plane manufac-
turers and the government be
broken TO pave the way for real
development OF our air industry
along sound engineering lines.
Here are some comparisons.
Remembe ring that civil aviation
in the United States lost 81, SOC, 200
last wear In its operation, spent
nearly sl0,00O,000 for gasoline and
could have saved more than half
that amount in fuel bills had IL been
using Diesel engines, Pan-American
Always has hut so per cent of its
equipment left to carry out its mail
contract across the Pacific.
The 30 per cent equipment lost
was gas-engine operated.
Contrast this with these facts.
All last year German filters were
making two round trips per week
between New York and Europe.
They did not carry an ounce of mail
because the postoffice department
declined to grant them an air-mail
contract
Had they had one. however. they
could have carried S32 900 worth
of mail every round trip because
they were Diesel-powered ships. II
they had operated with gasoline
they would have burned 1892 ,00O
worth more fuel than they sdid
operating with fuel oil
The main reason why no con-
tract was granted by the Pos.
Office Department to the German
transatlantic air group was be-
cause neither Pan American nor
the British Imperial Always -
seeking to operate in cahoots
were ready to compete with the
Germans.
The main reason neither the
American nor the British were III
a position TO compete was-snd
still is-because both have found
their gasoline engines force them
to carry such huge fuel loads tina
there is not space enough left to
provide payloads which can pay
the cost of operations across the
ocean.
Across the Pacific, Pan-Ameri-
cans loss in 1887 was about S95,.
600 a month.
Loaded, the British discovered
they cannot get off the water with
load of gas large enough to
bring them to the United States
Further, they found catapultine
provided no better results. In des-
/ peration, they tried the pick-a
back plane, which vas so vel
supported by propaganda last sum.
mer. This idea has now beer
virtually abandoned. Lastly va.
considered the scheme of rising
off the water and fueline in the
air.
Then tests showed that if a.
! little as 10 gallons OF gas were
sprayed upon ship. the static
discharge was enough to turn the
ship into flying bonfire Rough
air at refueling might mean the
spilling of gasoline on the flying
boat loaded with passengers anc
a horrible disaster occur.
1t Is not generally known, but
three years ago an American pas.
/ senger plane. in service on many
domestic airlines, was sold extern
sively abroad. Since then. how.
ever, the Swiss, Dutch and Ger.
man lines have turned To oil-burn.
ing Diesel-powered German pas.
senger planes. The reason? From
+ Berlin to Switzerland the average
/ German ship burns $40 worth OF
fuel oil. while the gasoline-pow.
cred American plane consumed
SlS6 worth of fuel.
! Ii Il known to but few in
/ America that last November
the first German passenger
} flying bOat-not a plane with
pontoons-containing 20 pas
sengers-10 army officers and
10 naval officers. completed
two round trips between Ger
many and Long Island Sound
at an average speed OF 200
miles per hour.
The trips were sufficient Il
prove all the German engineer.
desired to know. Recognizing the
impossibility of operating any
/ commercial venture without in
come and being barred from an,
air-mail contract by Jim Farley!
department in Washington. tn,
Germans intend TO operate theil
new 20-passenger DOX-l6's t
South America. where they expec
TO do large business. The frs
is expected To go into servic,
Jan. II.
Is 1t any wonder European ma
tions are grabbing off Soutl
American trade and commerce ?
United States citizens lose be
cause there is a service which the,
could use TO mail their letters L
Europe now hi-weekiy schedule
but through Pan American in" a
Washington, there is no trsns-At
lantic service at all since they art
not prepared to operate.
The government loses revenue
Europe obtains more bushes.
from South America.
! And Vet We sent a nice col
/ lection Of statesmen down to
Lima, Peru, to draw up noble
sounding agreements on fancy
/ paper. 10 be signed by diplo-
mats with gold pens, In the
hopes that we are promoting
closer ties and better relations
between North and South
America, A few drops of oil
would do more than all the
rold mems in the world