The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-08-12
. Clapper J.
Greatest Need OF u. S.
Is Land Cargo Planes u
Cargo Flying Boats Okeh :
But We Need Others More
Plenty Of Landing Fields
Avoid Need Of Water Ships
By RAYMOND CLAPPER

BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
WASHINGTON - Land cargo
planes are needed far more des-
perstely than flying boats.
For that reason II is TO be
hoped that the government will
not stop with turning Henry J.
Kaiser loose on cargo flying
boats. Probably in his case IT
was more practical to put him
on flying boats rather than on
land planes. His works are
adapted to building hulls. This
astounding Kaiser organization
also will now have an opportun-
itv to demonstrate how rapidly
7O-ton flying craft can be built.
and a good deal will be learned
out of the experiment.
But it would be unfortunate
il the attempt at super flying
craft were allowed to rest on the
flying-bost trial. The land plane
is the thing. The idea that an
airplane must have a hull If il
is to fly over water IS like the
idea of the early automobile.
which was an imitation of .
horse-drawn buggy.
The land plane is the thing. It
is faster, because it can be more
completely streamlined. 1t is
simpler to manufacture. The
upkeep on the hull of a flying
ship is a large item. About all
that can be said in favor Of it
over landing gear is that no big
rubber tires are needed.
Before the war Pan-American
Anyways was shifting to land
planes for over-water flying.
The flying boat was little mod
ern justification. 1t was used
in the beginning by Pan-Ameri-
can largely for two reasons.
First, there was not adequate
landing fields in Latin America.
The simpler procedure was to
use flying boats that could be
set down on rivers and protected
waters, thus using natures
ready made landing fields. But
for war purposes landing fields
are available or under construc-
ton almost everywhere they
would be needed for heavy cargo
planes.
The second reason that Pam
American found flying boats de-
sirable was the safety factor. 1t
was more apparent than real.
When ocean flying was new
passengers felt safer in a flying
boat than in a land plane. But
your real safety over the ocean
is not in the fragile hull Of a
flying boat. II is in the rrdiabls
engine maintenance and thu fly
ing skill which have given AN
American such an astounding
safety record. That is what they
depend on, not on being able TO
stay afloat and be picked up
after forced landings.
Anyway, for war purposes, the
safety factor is secondary.
Speed and efficient use come
first The advantage of the
cargo plane is that il can pick
up its cargo anywhere inland
and lay it down anywhere inland
that conditions require.
That advantage is lost with
flying boats. which must operate
only where large areas of pro-
tected waters are available for
take-offs. To make super fly-
ing boats effective for delivery
of troops and supplies to the
fronts where delivery has TO BE-
made, super land planes will be
needed to complete the haul.
Surely they aren't planning to
use flying boats 10 get across
Africa.
Not only the future but the
present is for the land plane. for
flying over either land or water.
Flying boats will be especially
useful for supporting the naval
flying arm and for transport to
places like the Aleutians. But
they are Of limited use TO the
army. The present Kaiser pro-
gram Of flying boats needs TO DO
mated by a similar program for
super land ;argo planes.
The country and Washington
have responded 10 the aggressive
imagination Of Kaiser and IL -
all 10 the good. This is not
written in criticism but on the
contrary is vote for going on
with the sequel as quickly and
on as extensive a scale as pro-
duction facilities and materials
permit. The desperate situation
in Russia grows chiefly out OF
our inability TO transport suffi-
Gent weapons, and il emphasizes
tragically the key weakness OF
the allies. which is inadequate
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