Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
AirIines' Progress
In Europe Crippled
By War Threat
British Rote Army First
In Equipment Scramble;
Germans Busy Elsewhere

III equipment S@'0sIiOsSS
Germans Busy Elsewhere
NEW YORK, July l (NA.NA).-
The beginning of passenger service
across the Atlantic by Pan-Ameri-
can Anyways brings into sharp focus
the future possibilities of trade by
air with Europe.
Notwithstanding the strong lead
the United States gains In having
begun its operation ahead of the
rest of the world, the fact remains
that potential competition is not to
be taken lightly. Short of the actual
outbreak Of q major war, when ev-
erything commercial would be dis
rupted, the picture is bound to de-
velop along already well-defined
lines.
Germany at present Is doing
nothing to project either passenger
or mail carriage, which is significant
in itself, since it is the nation which
Is second only to the United States
from the standpoint of survey work
completed Great Britain, on the
other hand, through Imperial Air
ways, which had been putting up a
real race with Pan-American, is
now sitting back and taking her
time. France has already made
two successful survey flights this
summer and is sending others over
shortly.
Actually, the military factor is so
overwhelming in any consideration
OF what may happen that it would
be definitely unfair to say that any
one of the other countries can or
cannot put their overwater routes
into operation. The "if" bulks too
large.
Army Motors Come First.
Al an example, Imperial Anyways
has now four of the 26-ton Short
flying boats ready to 60 into service
over the North Atlantic to Canada.
But she is having engine trouble.
Not In the usual sense, but in the
fact that what she will use is a COM
mercial version of a military engine,
and with engine plants under pres
sure production for army ships, she
can only bide her time until the
plants are at liberty to turn them
out.
Within the past two weeks. the
first of.the empire, G-class, 33-ton
boats, the Golden Hind, was
launched and is now running fuel
tests of England Its two sister
ships, the Grenville and the Gfena-
der. are due shortly. The Golden
Hind is supposed to make at least
one survey flight to South America
to test a projected new British
route, and it may later 60 to the
north for experimental work be-
tween Canada and London. 1t is
claimed in England that these ships
will be able to carry "a passengers,
with no mail load on board, over
the Atlantic, but observers feel this
may be too optimistic.
Imperial had earlier announced
beginning of Canadian-London mail
service as Of the list of June, and
recently, pushed this forward to
the 1st Of August. Even this date
Is now in doubt, however, due to
the engine delay. 1t is fairly Ger
tain that no passengers can be car
ried this year.
France, on the other hand, which
had been very slow in making its
surveys as compared with the
United States, Germany and Great
Britain, is now showing surprising
development. Her survey data are
nearing completion, and her four
60-ton flying boats are on the ways.
French Ships Very Large.
These are extremely interesting
planes, larger than our present clip
pers by almost 20 tons and COM
parable only to the passenger
ships for which Pan American asked
bids from American manufacturers
last year. They will each have six
1,500-horsepower Wright Cyclone
engines with 5,0OO-mile flying
range, and an estimated cruising
speed of 200 miles per hour, which is
considerably in excess of our Boeings.
Built on luxury lines, they are to
have individual cabins and lavora-
tories Two are under construction
by the Leo Co., one by Latecoere, and
one by Potez-Cams at Marseille.
In the Potez version, six-in-line
Hispano-Suiza engines will be used.
A quarter scale model Of the ship
was built some time ago at this fac
tory, considerably before Glenn
Martin tried the plan with his new
bomber, and 1t has been flying now
well over q year with considerable
success.
The Compagnie Air France Trans
Atlantique, which will operate these
flying boats, does not expect, how
ever, to begin service with them be-
fore 194l, and that may possibly be
put of another year. Henri Bon
anne, chief engineer of the company,
is coming to the United States in
August to study our production
methods and make some purchases.
The company is taking one i'm
portant short cut in planning to
buy American equipment wherever
1t is available, instead of going to
the tremendously expensive and
slow business of developing and
manufacturing in France. For ex-
ample, all these planes will be
equipped with Bendix CIV trans
mitters and receivers.
To Make Flights to Fair.
A second important move is the
plan to make experimental flights
to New York this summer with two
new four-engine Farman land
planes. one of which completed its
air-worthiness tests a week ago.
These flights are to be run at $4,000
feet altitude with pressurized cabins
and will be very interesting to
watch. The company is planning
on building up oxygen rather than
atmospheric pressure in the cabins,
which is regarded somewhat doubt