Evening star., 1946-10-14
Radar System
To Be Installed
AT Dc. Airport
cAA Takes Step
To End Hazard
OF Blind Landings

Vt Diino landings
Radar equipment to help eliminate
landing accidents in bad weather
will be installed soon at Washing
ton National Airport, it was learned
today
This was verified by Civil Aero
nautics Administration officials, fol-
lowing two accidents last Friday
night, in which five servicemen were
killed and 26 commercial airline
passengers miraculously escaped
death.
Both accidents occurred when
dense fog blanketed the airport and
surrounding territory.
The Army plane, a B-25, and the
Eastern Air Lines DC4 both were
apparently attempting to find the
airport in the fog when they crashed.
The radar equipment will be in
operation by January l, it is hoped.
Echo" Locates Plane.
Radar beams sent out from the
airport control tower will echo"
back onto screen in the tower.
They will reflect on the screen the
image of any plane within the vicin-
ity, the planes distance and direc-
ton from the airport, its altitude
and any other airplanes that might
be near it.
Thus, the control tower operator,
by means of radio, will be able to
direct the plane to the airport run
ways.
The equipment such as will be
installed here now is undergoing
exhaustive CAA tests at the In
dianapolis Airport. Three sets have
been loaned to the CAA by the
Army.
In addition to Washington, the
other two sets will be installed at
La Guardia Field, New York, and at
Municipal Airport, Chicago.
The radar sets are known as GOA
i ground controlled approach -
equipment. -
The arrangement for the GOA
equipment to be tested for CONNER
cial airline use was made through
the cooperative efforts of the CAA,
the Army, Navy, the Airline Pilots
Association and the Air Transport
Association.
The Indianapolis tests, it was
said, have proved satisfactory and
hope was expressed that installa-
ton of the equipment here will add
to the safety factor of the local
airport.
Other Improvements Planned.
Meantime, Hervie Law, manager
OF National Airport. contradicted
statements that the airport here is
in danger of being eclipsed by a
proposed airport in Baltimore. The
radar equipment is one of several
improvements scheduled here that
Mr.. Law says will enable National
Airport to maintain its high posi-
ton among the airports of the
country.
Work is expected to begin soon
on five new hangers here, Mr.. Law
said. The airport now has seven
hangers. In addition, work is sched-
uled to begin soon to enlarge the
airport administration buildings
facilities by about one-third, he
added.
Declaring that the airport now
has $5,000,000 for expansion and
improvements, Mr.. Law said that
the runways now are adequate for
amy ariplanes flying today"
welcoming the addition of ths
Baltimore port. Mr.. Law said:
I'VE have reached the saturation
point for instrument landings here.
Additional airports in the vicinity
for use as alternate fields are badly
needed"
Baltimore hopes to build an air.
port that ultimately will cost nearly
$l3,0oo,oo0 at Linthicum Heights.
Bond Issue Approved.
Baltimore voters already have ap-
proved s3,000,000 bond issue to
help finance the project and are to
vote again next month on an addi-
tional 100000 The remainder
would be financed by Federal funds,
according to advices from Balti-
more.
Baltimore already has acquired
approximately 1000 acres of land
for its new airport and additional
condemnation suits are scheduled
| to be heard next month in Anne
Arundel County Circuit Court for
the acquisition of an additional
1000 acres.
Work on the new field would
start next spring if the new bond
issue is approved and the land &C
| Quired, it was said.
Provided the new airport is built,
the Baltimore City Aviation Com
mission and the Baltimore Associa-
tion of Commerce are envisaging a
new four-lane, high-speed highway
linking the airport to Washington.
Mr.. Law also pointed out that
the Washington airport facilities
will be greatly increased when the
! Army's Air Transport Command
and the Naval Air Transport are