Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-11
Extensive Use
Of Cargo Planes
By Forecast
Find Interest Growing
in Possibilities of
Trains of elders
BY FELIX GOTTEN


BY FELIX GOTTEN
Init News service star Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June H.
ILarge-scale use OF air transport
to help solve the transoceanic
shipping difficulties Of the present
war was forecast today as heads
of government war agencies re-
vealed a growing interest in the
possibilities of cargo planes and
trains of elders.
A committee appointed by War
Production Chief Donald M. Nell
son will draw up report on the
entire air transport outlook for
Nelson's guidance in handling a
program for construction of air
cargo ships.
The committee is expected to
relate, in the report, the accom-
Iplishments Of air transport to
date, and to describe future posi-
|bilities.
ALLOCATE MATERIALS
AS a result, it is said, Nelson
will have at hand, in allocating
materials for building air cargo
planes and elders, an expert study
OF the whole problem, and will not
have to rely on catch judgment.
The inquiry is entirely apart
from the question of military or
naval strategy. The committee,
which is headed by Harold z. Tai
bolt, deputy director of the WPB
production division, will undertake
only to tell Nelson what can be
done with air transport, not what
the demands of the armed serv-
ices may be.
Plans already are under way for
construction of large numbers of
cargo planes and gliders. Interest
in elders, described as "the freight
cars OF the air." is particularly
keen.
The Nazis, In the conquest Of
Crete. brought dramatically to the
attention of the world the posi-
bilfties of air transport. elders
were used effectively as troop car
riers. But the Nazis, some experts
believe, have hardly scratched the
surface of air transport possible
ties.
elders, a number of which can
be towed by single plane, have
been developed to a point where
they can carry substantial num-
Der of fully-equipped men, as well
az carOo and icons
DUE TO SUB LOSSES
The primary factor behind Off
|cial interest in air transport is
the shortage OF shipping. High
administration officials stress the
point that war production is run
ming ahead of shipping, and that
shipping looms as the major bottle
neck in the whole program of
turning the tables against the
Axis.
The shipping shortage Is due
to submarine losses and to the en-
,arged needs for shipping space
caused by the necessity Of sup
porting several fighting fronts
OQkAiVQl WI
Air transport is regarded as a
major answer to the need for
more shipping. The big factor in
air transport is, not the amount
OF cargo space in one plane or
glider. but speed. which is at least
Is times as great as that of an
ocean vessel in a convoy.
The committee appointed by
Nelson will try to avoid going
too far in the direction of Jules
Verne speculation. But there is
reason to believe that it will paint
a very favorable picture of air
transport possibilities.
PIONEER ENGINEER
One of the members OF the
is Grover Looming,
pioneer aeronautical engineer and
designer, who made some very
startling. observations on the
future of air transport in a recent
speech in New York. Here are
a few of the things he said:
That $4,000 Flying Fortresses
which Henry Ford will make at
the rate of 1000 a month in the
Willow Run plant could, if con-
verted into transports, haul all
the freight carried by the ma
tons 100000 freight cars.
That las of these planes, which
Willow Run is capable of turning
out in about four days, could
carry all the railway express
handled in the country.
That $500 175-ton planes which
both Glenn Martin and Igor ST.
korsky say can be constructed
could haul as much freight as the
entire merchant marine OF the