Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-04
Truman S New Plane,
Fitted as Flying Office,
Nearing Completion
BY w. H. Shipper, Jr.
g.. S.off r,v,.xr..A.,t

BY w. H. Shipper, Jr.
Ssor Staff Correspondent
: SANTA MONICA, Calf, June Al
President Humans new million
iollar plane, fitted as a flying office
'or the White House staff, is being |
readied here for early delivery under
he careful inspection Of Mr.. Tru-
mans pilot.
The responsibility for flying safety
Of the Chief Executive falls alike on
the shoulders of 1t. Col. Henry T. |
Hank Myers of the Air Transport
Command and the personnel Of the |
Douglas Aircraft Co.
Col. Myers chatted with newsmen
yesterday from the pilots seat while |
they filed through the big plane,
which is to replace the Sacred Cow
with q Sneed stepped up to easy
cruising at 315 miles an hour. The
Independence, named In honor of
President Truman's native city in
Missouri, was conceived and built
for speed with safety.
Called Safest Airplane.
Col. Myers was willing to 60 on
record as saying it was the safest
airplane In the world, containing all
the gadgets yet developed for all
weather navigation. The airplane
also carries fittings for hot meals,
sleeping and communications ON a
standard enjoyed at the White
House.
Whether the Independence flies
over oceans, continents or mountains
in any hemisphere, the President
always will be able to pick up the
telephone and be connected with
Washington. The telephone system
will be supplemented with an auto
matte typewriter.
If the President desires, he can
go to the galley and cook up his
own dishes In stove as complete
as his family knows in Missouri, or
he can summon his friends around
a poker table for a big game of
penny ante, with eight seats pro-
vided.
Cabin Can Be PRESUMED.
The President will never have to
resort to the uncomfortable device
used by winston Churchill in his
converted Convair Liberator. Mr..
Churchill's transport was equipped
with a device known as a pres
stlrized COUCH" a cofhnlike chest,
In which the wartime Prime Min
lister would recline when the plane
climbed. This small space was
pressurized, to assure his comfort
In the thin upper air. The entire
cabin of the Independence can be
pressurized. so that important per-
sons who use it can have low-alti-
tude comfort at any fight level.
Another interesting feature of the
new executive airplane is a built-in
electrically operated ladder, which
Is slowed In closet at the right
hand side of the main door. This
enables the Independence to OPP
crate from fields not equipped with
large 4oading ramps. 1t should be
remembered that when President
Roosevelt few to Casablanca the
special ramp prepared for his board
ing destroyed the carefully pre-
pared security which was supposed
to protect the wartime chief.
Col. Myers and his crew fly to the
Douglas plant at every opportunity
in order to familiarize themselves
with the planes characteristics. Be-
fore the Independence is turned over
TOR its important mission, it will get
100-hour shakedown, during which
the Nation will be shown that the
airplane is the best science can pro-
duce and the crew will acquaint It
self with the auxiliaries aboard.
These include airborne radar,
terrain clearance indicator system
and complete instrument landing
system. In addition, the standard
Instruments which are used in
ground control approach are in
stalled.
Thermal De-Icing Used.
The old de-icing system which
used pulsating rubber boot applied
to the leading edge of the wings and
tail have been replaced with thermal
de-icing. This system channels the
hot gases out of the engine ex-
hausts and carries it inside the
wings leading edge, thus preventing
the formation of ice rather than
removing it after it has begun to
form. The use of the thermal de-
icer has brought to light an interest
ing phenomenon. When the Their
NAL de-icing system is operating,
the plane appears to pick up cruis-
ing speed without any increase in
power
One of the so workers shining up
the Presidents plane remarked:
Those wings are not gold plated.
Don't cry about the fact that the
Presidents airplane costs more than
million bucks-maybe Joe Stain
can top 1t ANYHOW"