Evening star., 1947-09-23
End Of Human Error
lin Planes Seen After
Robot Flies Atlantic
BY the Asseeiofsd Press

by the Assoeiofsd tfeSS
The h-button flight OF an
Air Forces C-54 across the North
Atlantic may point the way to
railroad regularity for airlines
and the elimination of human
error in the cockpit.
The four -engined skymaster.
known as THE Big PUSH" few 2,400
miles from Stephenville, Newfound-
land, to Brize Norton airport in Eng
land yesterday without a hand on
the controls after the starting but
ton was touched.
A crew of nine rode along "just
in case" and there were five pas
sengers, including some British
observers.
While the venture brought i'm
mediate speculation of push-button
atomic warfare, the Air Forces re-
gard it only as part of an extensive
study into the problems of all
weather flying, centered at Clinton
County Airport, Wilmington, Ohio.
The Big Push has made a num-
Der Of shorter flights under circum-
stances similar to the Atlantic cross
ing. These included hands of"
trips to Wilmington from Mitchell
Field, Long Island; Washington Ma
tional Airport; Andrews Field, Nd,
and Long Beach, Calf.
The Air Forces hope to develop a
method which will permit the pilot
to serve only as a monitor in bad
weather, reducing If not actually
eliminating the human element 50
often blamed for crashes.
An Air Forces officer said the
fight of the Big Push proceeded
in this manner:
The control mechanism, which
operates 20 different items in the
airplane, was fully adjusted. the
motors were run up for test, and the
plane was TAXED to the end of the
runway and headed for takeoff.
Then the master switch was
thrown, after which mot even so
much as little finger was placed
by any human being on the mech
anism." Automatically, the throt-
ties were pushed to takeoff posi-
ton, and after eight seconds the
brakes were released. The plane
started down the runway, lifted into
the air, and when it reached 800 feet
altitude the throttles- were retarded
to climb position.
The plane then climbed to 5000
feet, and the throttles were pulled
back to cruise position. At that time
also the planes radio picked up a
directional beam from a picket or
guide ship about third of the way
across the ocean.
An automatic direction finder
(known as "ADF'D thereupon act
uated the controls to keep the plane
headed directly toward the ship
along the radio beam. When the
plane reached the cone Of silence"
or dead spot Immediately above the
ship, the receiver automatically
turned in another frequency and
the "ADF" then homed on a second
ship farther along the course.
Robot Lands Plane.
When the second guide ship was
reached, the radio turned to third
frequency, originating at the British
Airfield. When the plane reached
the cone of silence-actually a part
of the instrument landing system
Cor "ILSD-the radio actuated
cor af ooyfro1c u,biob rof fordaJ }Ln
throttles lowered the landing flaps
and cracked out the landing gear.
Then the plane homed on the
glide path, sloping beam which
is part of the equipment at 100 or
more airports in this country, and
flew down to the runway. After
allowing a certain time for roll,
following the touchdown of the
wheels, the brakes were automat-
ically applied.
The crew, which had done moth
ing for 10 hours, TAXED the plane
off the runway.
AS a combat device, the auto
matte plane would have to be de-
veloped to home on radio beams
transmitted from friendly territory
or ships. One military observer sug-
gested the possible use of loran Qong
range navigation) to establish a
course for the robot. Both the
British and Germans tried radio
beam guidance for bombers in the
last war.
The size and complexity of the
automatic control equipment raise
serious problems, however. The
Air Forces may be more interested
in remote control by radio, which
has been demonstrated successfully
for short distances.
Pilot Prefers Robot Brain