Evening star., 1948-09-17
By Will Drop
Big Rescue Boat
Near Boiling
Splash to High Light
Air Force Day Show
Here Tomorrow

Here Tomorrow
A 30-foot ali-metal rescue boat
will be detached from q B-29 Super
fortress and will be dropped by
giant l00-foot parachute to the Poto-
mac River alongside Boiling Air Force
Base during the Air Force Day cele-
bration there tomorrow from II am.
to 7.p.m.
The boats 800-foot drop, unofiicial-
ly designated Operation Splash"
will be one of the highlights of the
big air power snow in commemora-
ton of the date in l947 when the Air
Force assumed co-equal status in
the national military establishment.
Thousands OF persons are expected
to be at Boiling to observe without
charge, all the modern advances Of
aviation. There will be parking
space Tor $4,000 cars at no cost to
the public. Similar facilities also
will be available at Andrews Air
Force Base. where another big free
admission air show will take place.
Bus lines are running extra sections
to both air bases.
Latest and Largest Boat.
The airborne lifeboat to be dropped
into the Potomac at Boiling Is the
latest. largest and most completely
equipped boat ever designed to be
'arried by an aircraft ana dropped
y parachute for air-sea operations.
The Air Force has designated
this craft the AS. 1t embodies
| lessons learned from the previous
use of airborne lifeboats, which first
were used in the English Channel
and the North Sea during World
War II to rescue air combat crews
forced down at sea,
The parachute contains 1857
square feet of nylon. 1t is the
largest ever standardized by the
Air Force. The distance from the
top of the parachute to the lower
end of the boat is $50 feet.
In developing the AS rescue boat,
Air Force officials said considera-
ton was given to the fact that .
boat was needed which could be
carried by airplanes accompanying
striking force of long-range bomb.
ers to effect rescue of air crews
downed at sea. The boats are ALL
metal so they can be serviced and
repaired more easily by Air Force
maintenance crews familiar with
aircraft-type metal construction.
All Equipment Aboard.
Every possible bit of equipment
has been included in the A-3 boat
10 make sure rescued personnel can
survive and return safely to land.
Special attention has been given to
making all equipment and operating
procedure virtually foolproof. The
boat has watertight matches and d
supply of warm clothing for is men,
as we'll as food and other provisions.
1t has sheltering facilities, a large
supply of fresh water, a fire extin-
guisher, tol kit, saltwater soap
ana so on. 1t has been dropped
from as high as 5000 feet, and dur
ing one test successfully rode out
violent tropical storm.
Capt. F. C. Spinney, the man who
| conceived the present A-3 rescue
boat, will supervise4the Boiling DEM
onstraton, which was arranged by
Brig. Gen. B. M. Hovey, commando
ins officer, and his staff.
The thousands of persons attend
ing the show also will see the arrival
|of two Super Fortresses from Fur
stenfeldbruck, Germany, and the ar
rival Of Bikini drone plane from
Florida. Other attractions will in
clude buzz-bombs, flying wings.
guided missiles, photo reconnais-
sance equipment, mock air attack
and paratrooper invasion" crash
flre-fighting methods, modern COM
mercial aircraft, Jet fighters, and a
4l-year history of military planes.
Show at Andrews Base.
At Andrews Air Force Base, where
the second show will run from 10
am. to pm, many spectacular at
fractions also are scheduled. There
will be acrobatics and formation
flying by the newest Jet Shooting
Star" fighter planes and by regular
TYPE aircraft.
Ground displays will feature sew
eral types of Air Force craft, which
will be open to public inspection.
These include liaison models and
B-50 Super Fortresses, successors to
the B-29. There also will be a hell
copter.
Visitors will be welcome to inspect
the facilities Of the base, such as
mess halls, the chapel. the gym
nasium, fire station, post exchange
and weather station.
Air Force movies will be shown
free to the public all day. Brig. Gen.
Y. H. Taylor, commanding general
at Andrews, will greet the public
during the open house, starting at
IN q m