Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-05

man who is empowered and dil
foster the development Of civil
the United States" D. w. Rented,
head of the Civil Aeronautics Ad-
ministration. Along with other
high officials Of Government
agencies dealing with transpor-
tatlon of all kinds, he was called
before the House Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee to
bring the legislators UP to date
on this broad subject which has
concerned the President, Con-
gress. executive departments and
the industry in recent months.
Personal flying has the poten-
tial, to all appearances. of becom-
ing a major industry like that OF
the automobile, yet since the war
with one-half million trained
pilots and general prosperity. il
has spiraled downward until only
3.400 private planes were manu-
featured in 1949." the CAA adj
ministrator reported.
BY implication, Mr.. Rented at.
tributed this poor showing" tc
the present types of small planes
which he declared "are not use
full enough to justify their COM
paratively high cost of opera
ton"
Not a New Plea
eve need" he said, IAN air.
plane which will be more usefu
to more people," He then gave
what he called a very genera
specification for such a plane
as being lone that could fly safe.
ly as slow as 20 miles per houl
yet have a top speed of at Least
100 miles an hour. It should be
able to operate safely from a two
acre field. It may be desirable
for it to be readable. Certainly
it should be of simple construction
with low maintenance costs" (Mr
Rentzels very general specifica.
ton was a composite description
of several experimental and some
what revolutionary models of light
planes and combination planes
and automobiles now flying, pri-
vately built and financed. but al.
a long way off from mass produc-
ton for mass market. a multi
Million dollar industrial venture
which is still a-begging.0
Until such a plane Is available
Mr.. Rented declared. "it is difficult
to foresee the development of {
substantial small-plane industry il
the United States. Such a de
velopment will not come overnight
and it may require some Govern
ment assistance in corporation
with the industry"
| This is not the first time higl
official of the Commerce Depart
ment's Civil Aeronautics Admins
tration and predecessor organiza
tons has publicly pleaded for al
"airplane which will be more use
! full to more people" and ha
Offered Government assistance t,
the light-plane industry for tn,
development of types for popula
consumption. Its been going OF
since 1888 and those generous
offers have never been accepted
by the ight-plane manufacturer.
as a group, particularly the plar
by the CAA nearly three years agt
to obtain 100000 from Congress,
Ito improve the airplane to tn,
point where it would be purchased
and usefully employed by a widel
segment of American citizens"
Offer Rejected
The ight-plane people, through
their trade organization, the Per.
sonal Aircraft Council of the Air.
craft Industries Association, with
headquarters here. turned dowr
that offer not because they wer,
opposed to improving their prod.
uct. or to producing and selling
more planes, or expanding theil
industry, but because they hele
the CAA was primarily a regula.
tory agency and they shrank from
making any commitments thai
conceivably could lead to Govern,
ment domination and control, BY
regulation. of light-plane design
and manufacturing.
(The American aircraft manu-