Evening Star Newspaper, December 8, 1929, Page 73

AVIA BY JOSEPH HE recent arrival of Old Man Winter in these parts, with his full bag of stage props, featuring frigidaire effects and northern blasts, has been accompanied by a recrudes- cence of one of the pilot's pet bug- aboos—ice on the wings. Though airmail pilots on the coastal run passing through this city are not affected very many times during the average Winter by this natural handicap, which is caused by only a few limited com- binations of the elements, two of them were forced down, one at Baltimore and one at Greensboro, N. C., by the formation of ice dur- ing the recent bad weather and others had a taste of one of th; most unpleasdnt experiences which come to the average pilot. Though both men got down safely, pilots who collect ice while flying do not always get off unscathed. The formation of ice on wings, struts, wires and even the rapidly moving propellers of airplanes adds a great deal of weight to the plane. This, however, is not the most serious trouble. . The ice forms chiefly upon the leading edge of the wing and propeller, changing their shapes. As the shape of the wing determines its lifting power, a change of its form affects its ability to maintain the plane in the air. Ice Forms on Propeller. Formation of a half inch or more of ice on the leading edge of a wing may so greatly change its lift that, coupled with the added weight of the ice, it may no longer support the plane in the air. To snis may be added a loss of effi- ciency of the propeller, caused by the formation of ice upon its blades. The result is that the plane be- gins to settle with increasing rapidity. The pilot’s cue is to peer about earnestly for a good open place in which to set the ship down and then get down there with the least possible delay. The formation of ice may be very rapid and the subsequent forced landing a matter of mo- ments. Pilot C. C. Taliaferro, on his way back to Hadley Field after flying the shuttle airmail service here one morning last week, picked up a quarter of an inch of ice during the few minutes of flight from here to Baltimore. He had come to Bolling Field with a quarter of an inch of ice on the leading edges, but elected to go back. The plane became so loggy that he got down at Baltimore and stayed there until the ice forma- tion period was over. He found that the ice deposit had doubled within a few minutes. To have continued for even a few minutes more might have resulted in a forced landing. Preventives Not Successful. Many expedients have been sug- gested for outwitting the ice demon, but so far the most logical seems to be to keep out of the air when the ice plastering is in prog- ress. It has been suggested that the wings be oiled or chemically treated. These methods have been tried without much success. Heat- ing of the leading edges by elec- tricity or piping of the exhaust gases through the wing also has been attempted, but without a great deal of practical success. To avoid areas where ice forma- tion is likely to occur entails the most accurate knowledge of weather conditions on the ground and aloft. Thermometers at the danger points are used by some pilots to give them warning that the temperature is approaching the danger point. This is no help after the formation of ice begins, however, if there is no landing field at hand. The average pilot is not much affected by ice formation because he is not often in the air when conditions are favorable for this formation. The airmail pilot, who must be up in all weathers, is a more frequent victim. Ordinarily the only time he is able to stop because of ice formation is after his ship has begun to look like a refrigerator advertisement. Then he has no choice in the matter. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, DECEMBER 8, 1929—PART FOUR. TION S. EDGERTON. The study of ice formations on airplane wings and parts has been undertaken by the National Ad- visory Committee for Aeronautics, which has constructed at the Langley Memorial Laboratories, Langley Field, Va., a small wind tunnel equipped with refrigerating apparatus. In this tunnel ice for- mations resembling those observed in flight may be obtained on round wires, struts and airfoil sec- tions and the effects studied. The effect of ice formation on an airfoil section, such as a wing. the experiments show, is to de- crease the lift and to increase the drag or air resistance, as well as loading the surface heavily. These tests are to be continued with a view to devising means of avoiding or overcoming the effects of ice formation. A number of flight tests also have been made by the commit- tee’s test pilots to study the con- ditions under which ice forms. In these flights,records are made oi cloud formdtions, altitude, tem- perature and other weather con- ditions. Various methods of pre- venting or avoiding ice formation are being studied and the data obtained will be correlated with | those from the wind-tunnel tests. Pilots who have had experience with ice formation say that the most dangerous conditions are| found when there is a fog or low clouds, with a temperature slightly below freezing, but not cold enough to congeal the water parti- cles in the air. It is known that under certain conditions the tem- perature of water may be carried below the freezing point without freezing. Fogs and clouds com- posed of unfrozen drops of water frequently are found, according to officials of the Weather Bureau, in temperatures below the freezing point. Aviation Danger Point. Water cooled below the freezing point, however, is inclined to con- geal very rapidly if violently dis- turbed or upon coming in con- tact with ice or snow. This con- dition is the aviation danger point. An airplane flying through the fog or clouds cooled to slightly below the freezing point collides violently with the water particles and they congeal instantly. The presence of ice upon the leading edges of the wings then, in itself, {lnstens the formation of more ce. Another condition propitious to the formation of ice is that which was found in this part of the country during the past week. Rain, falling from relatively warm areas above the earth, passes through a very cold layer of air closer to the ground and is chilled to the freezing point or slightly below without freezing. Upon striking any object, however, it freezes almost instantly, sheathing branches, twigs, wires and other exposed objects in a coating of clear ice. In a discussion of ice formation and its aeronautical aspects in the Boston Transcript, Carl Gustaf Rossby, professor of meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, points out that sound- ings of the upper air are impera- tive if dependable warnings are to be issued against ice formation. ‘Weather Hampers Forecasts. “Unfortunately,” Prof. Rossby said, “when the danger is most imminent and upper air data most needed, namely, in case of fog or low clouds at critieal temperatures. the airplane usually fails as a sounding instrument, since it re- quires a reasonable ceiling for safe operation. Captive balloons or kites may then be used, but the captive balloon does not work wel. except in very light winds, and kites require too much personne! and are too slow for universal use. The airport meteorologist is there- fore forced to recognize the oc- currence of dangerous strata from ordinary surface observations and from the weather map. “Accumulation of experience through daily contact with the airmail pilots plus upper air obser- vations, plus an intelligent inter- pretation of the weather map, will eventually solve the problem of forecasting ice formation.” NEW AIR SQUADRON FORMED FOR SERVICE Third Attack Group at Fort Crock- ett Increased by Addition of 13th Unit. Organization of a new air squadron, designated as the 13th Attack, as a part of the 3d Attack Group, Fort Crockett, Galveston, Tex., has been an- nounced by the War Department. The new squadron is composed of personnel from the 58th Service Squadron, from Langley Field, Va., under command of Capt. James F. Doherty. ‘The squadron recently completed the trip to Fort Crockett by special train and was given its new designation upon arrival. Capt. Doherty, who took the squadron to Texas, was appointed ad- jutant of Fort Crockett and post pub- licity officer and has assumed those duties. Command of the 13th Attack was given to Lieut G. A. McHenry. Officers of the new squadron are First Lieut. George A. McHenry, Second Lieuts. W. ‘W. Gross, Richard H. Lee, George W. Mundy, Robert C. Taylor, Thomas L Moseley, John L. Nedwed, Leslie O. Peterson, Ross N. Huguet, Army Air Corps, and Second Lieuts. Karl H. Kal- berer, William M. Prince, Philo G. Mei- senholder and Hernan C. West, Air Corps Reserve. SELFRIDGE RESERVE PILOTS FLY SAFELY tOnly One Minor Accident Reported at Field in Many Months. ‘The percentage of accidents among Air Corps Reserve officers who do their flying at Selfridge Field, Mount Clem- ens, Mich, is remarkable chiefly in that there is no percentage at all, it is stated in a report in the Air Corps news letter. ‘There has been but one accident there in many months, and that was of minor character. This is regarded as remarkable, as the Reserve pilots keep their hands in by flying only during intermittent visits to the field and oc- casional details to 14-day active duty. - ‘The first accident involving a Reserve officer on inactive status in many months _occurred recently when Lieuf. Daniel B. Burns was forced down about 10 miles from the field by motor failure. “He evidently tried to glide a little farther than the ship would go and took part of the fence around the Gra- tiot Airport along with him,” the news letter stated. “Although he escaped with nothing more than a few moments of ‘unrest,’ the plane had to be hauled back to Selfridge and was later shipped to Pairfield Air Depot for overhaul.” MANY INSIGNIA ARE ADOPTED BY FLEET'S PLANE SQUADRONS By the Associated Press. Many and varied are the insignia which decorate the fuselages of the airplanes of the Navy's battle fleet. Some are significant, others are not, but each juadron its painted on the sides of its planes, be they giant bombers or little fighters. ‘Those who cross the equator and are | initiated at Father Neptune's court be- come “shellbacks,” and the planes of the airplane carrier Saratoga are no ‘Those which were aboard when the Saratoga crossed the equator exception. have a “flying turtle” as their Then gnia. there is the “high hat gang"— insignia the shipboard fighters—which have a silc_top hat painted on their sides. “Feilx the cat; running smilingly with a lighted bomb in one paw, is the insignia of the Saratago’s light bombing v a lling fire from ing dragon, expelling fire its nostrils and carrying a bomb and a torpedo in its claws, is the insignia of the heavy bombing and torpedo squadron. ‘There used to be individual in- signia, fitting the fancy of the various pilots ‘of the battle fleet, but these be- came so many and so varled that naval squadron. GATERPLLAR LB MENBERSHP EANS iRoster of 186 Flyers Shown Today—Army Has the Largest Delegation. During the past 15 months the mem- bership of the mythical Caterpillar Club, composed of aviators who have saved their lives in emergencies by re- sorting to the parachute, has nearly doubled, according to the club roster | Corps. on August 3, 1928, when Flying Cadet William J. Croswell, Army Air Corps, made the one-hundredth successful emergency jump and became Caterpillar No. 100. The club roster compiled by Mr. Harmel today shows 186 members. ‘The Air Corps roster, Mr. Harmel said, may not be correct, as there is no official record kept of jumps by civilian fiyers. Military fiyers, however, are re- quired to make reports of such jumps and every one has been recorded on the club roster. The only sources of in- formation on many jumps made by civillans are newspapers and letters from interested persons, Mr. Harmel said. Parachute manufacturers also help to keep the records up to date. In checking over his roster, Mr. Har- mel found this week that 95 emergency parachute jumps were made by Army Air Corps personnel, 21 jumps by Navy personnel, six by Marine Corps officers and men, nine by National Guardsmen and 55 by civilian flyers. The first entries in the Caterpillar Club roster were made in 1919, when two men joined. One followed in 1920. In 1921 and 1923 there were no Cater- pillars created. There were two addi- tions in 1922, making five members during the first five years of the “club’s” existence. In 1924 there were 10 more added and from that time on the group has grown rapidly, as fol- lows: 1925, 13 members; 1926, 17; 1927, 39; 1928, 43, and 1929, up to Novem- ber 16, 68. The 195 jumps so far recorded re- sulted from 168 accidents. On one oc- casion four occupants of a’ doomed plane made successful jumps; on two occasions three simultaneous jumps were made and 20 times there were double jumps. Col. Charles A. Lindbergh remains “Chief Caterpillar,” having taken to his parachute four times to save his life. Two successful jumps each were made by Maj. James Rutledge, Capt. Frank O'D. Hunter, Lieut. James T. Hutch- ison, the late Licut. Eugene H. Barks- dale, Sergt. Fred P. Miller and Al Wil- son, civilian pilot. BUSTED STICKS ORDER FORMED BY AIR LEGION Organization Now Has But Three Members and Is Seeking No More. An “Order of the Busted Sticks” was created this week by the District of Columbia Air Legion to perpetuate the fame of student pilot members who crack up their planes. Three charter members are enrolled, and have de- clared that the order will be unique, in that there will be no campaigr for new members. The charter members, in fact, hope that the order will be so exclusive that they will have no fra- ternal associates. The three “busted sticks,” in the or- der of their ascent—or rather descent— to fame are C. L. Barnes, Alva Sole, president of the legion, and Eli Aman- uel, musician in a local motion picture orchestra. Amanuel went through his crack-up this week, and the order was formed immediately. 3 Barnes, the first legion student to crash, washed out the landing gear and wings of his ship on his first solo flight without injury to himself. He has had no great difficulties since. Sole was| wafted into the order when he was struck by another airplane on the ground just as he was landing. Aman- uel ground-looped his way to member- ship this week, when a landing gear strut, imperfectly welded and made brittle by the intense cold, snapped as he was landing. The fact that he was making what normally would have been a_ very good landing saved him from what might have been a bad crack-up. WEATHER REPORTING STATION IS UNUSUAL Daily Reports Forwarded by St. Mary’s School for Girls on New- York-Montreal Line. One of the most unusual weather re- porting stations in the airways network of the country is that on the New York- Montreal Initernational Airmall Line. Daily reports are forwarded to New- ark, the New York terminal, and Albany by Sisters of St. Mary's School for Girls, 0ol buildings occupy a promi- nent place on the bluffs of the Hudson River near Peekskill, N. Y. ) Four reports are filed daily by tele- phone and telegraph, glving informa- tion as to visibility, cefling and wind and cloud conditoins. Instruments are to be sent to the school to permit the taking of barometric readings and other observations. Young women taking scientific courses at the school will be taught weather reporting when the in- struments arrive, GAVIN BACK IN NAVY. Record Aviator, Who Resigned, Restored to Service. Lieut. Arthur Gavin, U. 8. N., who with Lieut. Zeus Soucek, holds several world records in the Navy PN-12 pa- trol plane, has recalled his resignation from the Navy and has been assigned to duty with the aircraft squadrons of the scouting fleet, the Navy Department has_announced. Lieut. Carleton C. Champlon, jr., for- mer holder of the world altitude record, has been detached from VO Squadron 3B and assigned as staff aide to the commander of the aircraft squadrons of the scouting fleet. FLAG STOPS 'FOR PLANES. Radio Gives Service to Cities on T. A. T. Route. The aeronautical “flag stop” has made its appearance. Three flag stops have been established on the Transconti- nental Air Transport line at Vandalia, ;J)'am. and 8t. Elmo and Terre Haute, nd. These stops permit the line to give service to cities at which regular stops cannot be made without disrupting schedules. The planes are ‘“flagged down” by radio to pick up or discharge passengers who have made advance arrangements. Plans to Teach Aviation Law. which s being kept by Frank Harmel, | | 0f the office of the chief of Army Air | The club reached the “century mark" ! | amusement concessions. MAINE, MICHIGAN MAPPED BY ARMY Flyers Chart Rugged Land in Unsettled Areas of Two States. ‘The feat of the Navy's Alaskan map- ping expedition in making a photo- graphic map of thousands of square | miles of rugged and inaccessible coun- try in the southeastern portion of the Territory has been matched by the Army Air Corps, which during the past Summer has completed the aerial map- ping of large unsettled areas in Maine and Michigan. The Michigan mapping expedition was at work four months, it has juse been announced, the greater part of the time being spent waiting for abso- lutely clear days. The portion mapped included 2,200 square miles of the west coast of the southern peninsula of Michigan, comprising the counties of xl\illx‘skezon, Oceana, Mason and part of e. The propect was undertaken at the | request of the United States Geological Survey, and a total of 3,300 photographs were taken. The work was accomplish- ed in 20 working days, totaling 78 flying hours. During the four months there | were only 22 ciear days, and on several days clouds rolled in after the mapping plane had reached the required alti- tude, necessitating abandonment of work for the day. The _expedition consisted of Lieut. Willis R, Taylor, commanding the 21st Photo Section, Scott Field, Ill.; Pvt.Clar- ence Ostes, photographer, and Corpl. Joseph C. McCullough, mechanic. Pvt. Oster later was replaced by Master Sergt. Nico G. Loupos. The work be- gan July 1, when Lieut. Taylor took off with a Loening amphibian and estab- lished the first base at Muskegon. The | Loening later was replaced by a Doug- | lass 02-H observation plane. The aver- age altitude flown for mapping was 11,500 feet. ‘Another Army Afr Corps mapping ex- | pedition was completed with the recent return to New York from Maine of Lieut. Guy H. Hale and four sergeants. ‘The party took off in an amphibian plane last June to conduct an aerial survey in the Aroostook region for the purpose of correcting existing maps of this wild and difficult section. The un- dertaking was financed in part by the State of Maine. COST TO RUN PLANE THIRD MORE THAN AUTO American Motorists’ Association Shows Per Mile Rates by Com- parison Favoring Air Travel. It costs only one-third more to run an airplane than an automobile, accord- ing to statistics compiled by the Amer- ican Motorists’ Association. The aver- age automobile, according to these fig- ures, costs 6.48 cents per mile to oper- ate, as against 9.39 cents for a $3,000 alrplane, powered with a 90-horsepower engine and carrying three persons at an average speed of 100 miles per hour. The costs per mile are divided as fol- lows: Gasoline, automobile, 1.31 cents; airplane, %.41 cents; oll, automobile, .22 cents, airplane, .21 cents; depreciation, automobile, 1.39 cents; airplane, 2,55 cents; maintenance (tires, revairs, etc. automobile, 2.86 cents, airplane, cents; insurance, automobile, .21 cents; airplane, 267 cents, and garage or hangar, automobile, .44 cents, airplane, 1.8 cents. GROUP WINS SILVER CUP. Army Attack Planes Excel Navy Flyers in Formation. A flight of six Army attack planes from the 3d Attack Group, Fort Crockett, Texas, won a silver cup for expert formation flying in competition with a Navy formation during the dedi- cation ‘of the Dale Mabry Municipal Alrport at Tallahassee, Fla, last month., The planes were piloted by Lieuts. O. C. George, T. L. Thurlow, M. S. Savage and T. L. Moseley, Alr Corps, and Lieuts. A. J. Lanier and R. N. Huguet, Alr Corps Reserve. Lieuts. Moseley and Huguet are members of the newly or- ganized 13th Attack Squadron, DESIGN AVIATION CLOCK. Two Sets of Hands Will Tell Pilot of Flying Time. A new type of aviation clock to as- sist the pilot in compumnf fl‘um time has been brought out ‘jgam ly by one of the largest aviation ‘instrument com- panies and a leading watch manufac- turer, The clock has two sets of hands, An institute of aviation law has incorporated by Northwestern ppes sity, under dircction of Fred D. Plagg jr. The institute will provide instruc. tion and information concerning air law in all countries of the world and will y suthorities limited them t@one to the promote the sound development of it . law in the United States, one palr of red hands being manually operated. ‘When the pilot takes off, he sets the red hands to mark the starting time of the fliight. The black hands function normally, and the difference between take-off and la g time is shown ~upon the tace of the clock. FIRST PRIZE WINNER IN NATIONAL AIRPORT CONTEST This airport design, grouping all buildings in one corner of a rectangular field, leaving a quadrant-shaped flying area, was unanimously chosen for first prize from among 257 designs submitted in the Lehigh airports competition. was submitted jointly by A. C. Zimmerman and William H. Harrison of Los Angeles, who will be awarded the $5,000 first prize. The design includes a passenger terminal, the front perospective of which is shown above, with underground access to airplane loading platforms. It is flanked by hangars, automobile parking spaces, a hotel, recreation building, shops and It —Associated Press Photo. NEW SYSTEM OF COOLING MOTOR AIDS PURSUIT PLANE EFFICIENCY Tests Show Weight Cut, Better Speed and 10 Per Cent Saving of Fuel in “P-6" Fighter Ships. Service tests of the first Army pur- Suit plane to be regularly equipped with the newly developed ethylene-glycol cooling system show important improve- ments over water-cooled models, accord- ing to a report to the Air Corps news letter from Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, where the tests were conducted. ‘The tests were made with the first of | than a series of 18 planes equipped with the new radiator system, and show a reduc- tlon of weight of 100 pounds, a 10 per cent saving in fuel, a decided increase in speeds at all engine revolutions, and a reduction of radiator drag from 15 to 4.5 per cent of the total drag of the plane. ‘The new series of planes has been designated “P-6,” being a development of the P-1, built around a Curtiss V-1570 engine, rated at 600 horsepower at 2,400 revolutions per minute. The first of the new ships was flown to| ba ‘Wright Field from the Curtiss plant by Capt. Gale Breene of the Air Corps power plant branch. Fastest Pursuit Plane. Capt. Breene reported that the ma- neuverability and climb of the new plane at high speed had been unusually good, and that preliminary flight runs indi- cated that the plane is the fastest pur- suit plane the Army has had. Several important changes have been made, in addition to the new cooling system, all designed to increase the speed. The radiator, which is about 35 per cent of the size of the usual radiator in the water-cooled types, is built in a tunnel under the fuselage. The auxili- ary fuel tank, carried under the ‘use- lage of the ordinary P-1 type pursuit plane, becomes a permanent installa- tion in the P-6. It is placed to the rear of the radiator and oil cooler, and is covered with a carefully faired cowling extending from the engine to the tail. The fuselage is deeper than that of the P-1, the body line being cleaner in design and more nearly elliptical in cross-section than the older model. ‘The engine exhaust stacks are cut short to reduce drag, and the fittings at the top and bottom of struts and brace wires have individual stream-lined cowlings. Fuselage Is Lighter. The fixed-gun installations are moved forward just to the rear of the pro- peller, eliminating the necessity for blast tubes and permitting the use of shorter impulse cables for the syn- chronizer, The fuselage of the P-6 Hawk forms a decided advance beyond the type of construction in the older Hawks. Chrome-molybdenum steel has been substituted for carbon steel in the framework, effecting a_considerable re- duction in weight, and the fuselage is fully faired and streamlined to increase speed apd efficiency. The cockpit has been made roomier, and has more leg room for the pilot, through a change in position of the fuel tank. A new oleo landing gear has been installed. ‘The P-6 has a high speed of 181 miles per hour, almost 25 miles per hour more its predecessors, according to the manufacturers, and a _crusing speed of 145 miles per hour. Its stalling speed 1s 61.3 miles per hour, and it can climb at the rate of 2,170 feet per minute.| It can climb 14,400 feet in 10 minutes, ;n% an absolute ceiling of 24,400 eet. The weight of the P-6 empty is 2,430 ounds and the gross weight loaded is ,154 pounds. The difference of 724 pounds, comprising the useful load, is composed of the following items: Pilot, 220 pounds, including parachute and ggage; fuel and oil, 330 pounds, based on 50 gallons of gasoline; equip- ment, 27 pounds, and armament, 167 pounds. Cruising Range Increased. ‘The 10 per cent fuel economy means that a previous cruising range of 500 miles with a given amount of fuel and water cooling is increased to 550 miles with the same amount of fuel and ethylene-glycol cooling. Owing to the reduced amount of cooling fluid re- quired, the liquid volume is 30 per cent less than the amount of water required for the same engine. This resulted in a saving of 26.5 pounds in cooling fluid weight alone. The saving in radiator weight increases the saving to approxi- mately 100 pounds. The new chemical cooling fluid has a boiling point of 335 degrees, as com- pared with 212 degrees, for water, and an initial n-eexlng point of zero degrees. Between zero and 45 degrees below zero the liquid is in the form of slush, freez- ing solid below 45 degrees below zero, Long Experimented With. Ethylene-glycol cooling in this coun- try dates back to experiments beginning in 1923 at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, where an investigation of heat losses in a water-cooled cylinder was under- taken to study the possibility of reduc- ing the jacket heat rejection and the size of the radiator. High temperature cooling with the ethylene-glycol com- pound was suggested by S. D. Heron, research engineer of the power plant branch. A series of tests upon cylinders was started with this liquid, and later tests were run upon a Liberty engine. In February, 1924, flight tests were begun with the Liberty, and later with a D-12 motor, which was mounted in a P-1B airplane and floyn by more than 50 pllots for more than 100 hours without cooling trouble, AERONAUTIC STUDY DECLARED SUCCESS University of Minnesota Reports to Navy Department 140 Class- men Enrolled for Training. Unusual success has attended the in- auguration of the new course in aero- nautics at the University of Minnesota, according to reports received by the Navy Department. Approximately 140 seniors and underclassmen have regis- tered for the course, which follows Navy | gre requirements for flight and commission training. A apegclfl course in naval aviation has been installed in the extension division of the university to take care of appli- cants who have graduated from the university and now are employed in oc- cupations which prevent their registra- tion for the day school courses. A program of student selection has been established to make tentative se- lections from freshmen and sophomores for flight and commission training after graduation. These men will be kept in a clvillan status under instruction by naval personnel during the remaining years of their university work. o “Through such a program.” it Is stated in the news letter of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, “it is hoped eventually to obtain a student personncl that is better grounded in naval mac- ters and aviation knowledge prig,r to their departure for flight training. PLAN WOMEN’S SCHOOL. Mrs. Louise Thaden Co-operating to Instruct Pilots of Her Sex. BURGH, Pa. (#).—Pittsburgh is to have a flying school for women o . Loulse Thaden, winner of the 1929 woman'’s air derby, is co-operating with operators of the Pittsburgh-Butler Alrport in establishing the school. She will have charge of the students, but the.actual training will be given 1.y men, UNIQUE PLANE RACE GETS SHIPS NOWHERE Two Army Pilots Make 130 Miles an Hour, but Stand Still in Gale. A unique race between two Army Boeing P-12 pursuit planes, in which the fast little ships flew at a speed of approximately 130 miles an hour but re- mained in the same spot for more than a half hour, has been reported to the War Department. It is said to be the t time two men have raced so fast without going anywhere. The stationary racers were Lieut. I. A. Woodring and Lieut. W. R. Casey, of the 95th Pursuit Squadron, Rockwell Fleld, Calif., who went up for a two- plane formation flight at 25,000 fect al- titude. Both planes were equipped with supercharges and oxygen tanks for fly- ing at that great altitude, which is above the range of any unsupercharged military plane. The two pilots were to meet at the top altitude and fly formation to test out the maneuverability and speed of their ships in the thin upper air. Upon gaining altitude, however, Lieut. Wood~ ring found himself over Tiajuana, Mex- ico, and when he headed for Rockwell Field at the prescribed altitude, he found that he was bucking a 130-mile per-hour head wind which held him stationary. Over Rockwell Field Lieut. Casey was having same experience, being forced to maintain a speed of 130 miles fir hour to avoid being swept awaj ckward from above the fleld. Botl officers finally were compelled to de- scend to lower altitudes before they could get together for the formation. Automatic Lights for Runways. The first automatic lighting system for aviation runways has been installed at the Grosse Ile Airport, Detroit. The lights are set under glass disks buried flush with the surface of the runway 100 feet apart. The glass is sufficiently heavy to hold an airplane and the runs waw_ lights yare controlled by changes in the dir ) @ the wind, BY GEORGE P Aircraft League. Record at the tiny indoor flying and time again the tiny s lgs air currents and either dashe into the audience. d af ‘W. WATERS. o eliminate tricky air pockets existing at the Macfarland Lfix?h:ture Airdrome are being considered by the District Model ights cannot be made under existing conditiong %lace, the league announced today. Time have been caught in the treacherous gainst a wall or sent nose-diving The league in its issue of Plain Talk this week stresses the problem of handling the large crowds at the airdrome during contests, Crowd Too Large. The model flying publication says the “D. C. M. A. L. is getting so large that fiyers and spectators tumble over each other.” The junior pilots of the city call at- tention to the record flight made at the miniature airdrome last week by Her- bert Dorsey. The flight was made after a greater portion of the audience had left the airdrome, and air currents which are caused by the opening and shutting of doors and the movements of spectators about the room were elimi- nated. Several suggestions to eliminate the menace have been offered to the league. The best of these, the league announces, is the proposal to organize a council composed of members of the league tu meet and draft a set of rules for con- tests. The council, which will be or- ganized at an early date, will consider some means of obtaining co-operation between the various classes of league, so that experienced pilots can assist novices in the improvement of their ships and flight. John Williams Recovering. With the rapid recovery of John H. Williams, model aircraft “instructor in charge of District contests, who was in- jured while repairing a model plane some weeks ago, comes the announce- ment that the scale model contest will probably get under way shortly after the Christmas holidays. Junior pilots are asked to begin preparation of their scale models. Rules and awards for the meet will be announced at an early date. ‘The ‘' Capitol Model Aero Supply House has been purchased by the In- ternational Engineering Corporation and will be operated under the sales division of that company. Model plane officials announce that after December 26 the supply house will be located in larger quarters at 2037 K street. Walter Roth, Who formerly operated the supply house, will continue his activities with the Dise trict Model Aircraft League. Roth has been active in teaching and sponsoring model aircraft at the various junior high schools of the city. Qualifying Round Held. A qualification meet was staged by the League yesterday at the Takoma Park School, Piney Branch road and Cedar street. Many members of the ‘Takoma Model Flying Club were listed in the league yesterday after theie flights proved lengthy enough for qual: ification. After the qualification roun the regular met was held. The types of planes flown were hand launched sclentific, rise-off-floor scientific and helicopter models. William Roth, ase sisted by Robert Williams and F. L, Harries, was in charge of the meet. For those boys in the city who wish to register with the league the column announces that a flight of 5 seconds timed by an official of the league is required for entry, ‘The next meet to be staged by the league will be held at the MacFarland Miniature Airdrome, Friday morning, December 27, beginning at 9:30 o'clock, Contest winners up to date follow: November 2—H L scientific—Ace, 1, stout; 2, Dorsey; 3, Sullivan. A, 1, Salisbury; 2 Y. i 3, Murray. 3, Pendleton. B, 3, Millichamp, : 3, Danielson. liams; timers—M, H. Young, R. Towles. November 23: H L scientific; RO® fuselage, R O F scientific, helicopters, Ace, 1, Dorsey: 2, Schmidt; 3, Meeks, A, Salisbury; B, 1, Walker; 2, Betts; 3, Larison; C, 1, Murray; 2, Pendleton; D, 1, F. Davis; 2, Petrides Cohen; 2, Rupert; 3, ce; 3, Howe; 3, Referee—E. L. Cooney; timers—R. 8, Williams, H. Dorsey. E 1, 1, W. Walla ECONOMY FEATURE OF NEW FORD SHIP Smaller Motors Outboard Is Most !mportant Change in Plane. Greater economy of operation will be a feature of a new model of the Ford tri-motored passenger transport plane, to be known as the 7-AT type, it was ax)n’lccunced last week by the Ford Mo- r Co. ‘The most important change from the 5-AT type will be reversion to the ear- lier practice of smaller motors for the outboard units. Two Wright J-6 mo- tors of 300-horsepower each form the outboard units with a 425-horsepower ‘Wasp in the nose. In apxreu'ance‘ it is said, the new plane will be virtually the same as the 5-AT type, production of which is to be continued. The dimensions also will be almost the same. The 7-AT will have a wing-spread of 78 feet and a length of 50 feet over all, with a height of about 13 feet 6 inches. The new motor arrangement, with a total of 1,025 horsepower, it is claimed, will give a top speed of 134 miles per hour and a cruising spéed of 112 miles per hour. The stalling speed is 63 miles. A service ceiling of 14,000 feet and an absolute ceiling of 15,600 feet are claimed. The useful load, it is announced, will ,630 pounds, bringing the total weight fully loaded to 12,910 pounds. In addition to the 7-AT and 5-AT, the company will continue production of the 4-AT, powered by three Wright J-6 engines, and the 6-AT, equipped with pontoons for use as a seaplane. i BALTIME TO DISPLAY ARMSTRONG SEADROME Model of Plane Landing at Sea to Be Entered in First Air- craft Show. BALTIMORE, December 7.—Visitors to the first annual Baltimore aircraft show, which opens Monday at the Fifth Regiment Armory, will have an-oppor- tunity to see a model of the Armstrong seadromes which are being planned to provide landing places for planes at sea. That the Edward R. Armstrong Com- pany, of Wilmington, would enter a model of its seadrome was announced by Ray Krimm, director of the show. A large 30-foot model of the seadrome, which was designed by Mr. Armstrong, now is undergoing tests in the Little Choptank river and a smaller model will be entered instead. It will be placed in a large tank of water which will be made active by a fan to stimulate ocean conditions. EXPECTS PILOT’S LICENSE ‘William H. Hottel, Former Legion Member, Now in Oklahoma. William H. Hottel, former student pilot member of the District of Colum- bia Air Legion, who went to Waynoka, OKla., last Spring to become field man- ager for the Transcontinental Air Transport terminal field there, expects to have his transport pilot's license by Christmas, he announced in a letter to legion members here this week. Hottel had completed his ground course and had some dual flying time when he left this city about June 1.|h: After taking over his post at Waynoka he “clubbed together” with two or three associates to purchase a Curtiss Robin, in which they have built up their fiying time. Hottel now has nearly 200 hours of solo time, and has had five hours in tri-motored Ford transport planes of the type used on the passenger run to and from his fleld. COLLEGE FLYERS GET RECOGNITION ! Intercollegiate Body Is to Be Affiliated With National Association. The Intercollegiate Aeronautic Assos ciation, composed of flying clubs of 14 colleges, is to be affiliated with the Na= tional Aeronautic Association, it was announced here last night by Jesse’ Loeb, secretary of the private flying club committee of the national organi= zation. Under the terms of the arrangement made with the intercollegiate group & special membership category has been drawn up which will permit all under~ graduates who_are membess of recog= nized colleges to receive special mem~ bership dues, and the by-laws have been changed to meet the requirements of college men who are taking active ine- terest in aviation. The Intercollegiate Aeronautic Assoe clation has grown in two years from 2 to 14 units and now is headed by C. L. Morris, president of the Yale Ae‘mmutlfia;‘ Society. ntercollegiate aviation competiti following the first meet this yep:r, &% be sponsored by the National Aeronautic Association. Grover C. Leoning, air- craft designer and manufacturer, has authorized a grant of $2,500 to be set aside in the treasury of the contest committee of the National Aeronautic Association to_stimulate intercollegiate competition. Prizes will be distributed to colleges making the best showing in aeronautical engineering, number of hours flown; largest active membership ;;Tr amateur records set 'during the The Intercollegiate Association's membership at present is confined to | Bastern colleges. A merger with West- | ern colleges is anticipated, bringing about a co-operative effort on the part of all colleges which have added aero= nautics to their regular curriculum and :.é;lfh g'l“l:t’?s‘aum flying clubs where ve flig] nstruction is bein byTl;lndle;grnSuabes. b e 14 colleges now enrolled are Yale, Harvard, New York University, Michie gan, Detroit, Illinois, Purdue, Akron, Toronto, Carnegie Tech, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Case, Northwestern, Kenyon, Ohio Wes= levan, Toledo University, Cincinnati, St, Vincent's and Ohio State, i AIR LEGION MEMBERS TO GO TO BALTIMORE Group Will Leave in Body on Thursday Afternoon to Attend Aircraft Show. Members will attend t! in a body of the D. C. Ailr Legion he Baltimore aircraft s’tzmw Thursday night, which has .tfeen designated by show officials as D. C. Air Legion night.” Chartered busses will leave this city at 5:30 p.m, Thursday, returning after the show. Other Washingtonians are invited to join the party and may make Teservae tlons for' bus seats by communicating With the D. C. Air Legion, room 11, International Building, 1319 F street, :sm'g‘no;l,‘ It lslfix%;cted that members e legion w receivy Ritchie of Maryland, "o 0 * Go% The Baltimore show will open tomor« row and will continue all week in the National Guard armory. Approximately 40 airplanes are to be exhibited, in addition to motors and accessories, 1t ma’zt:tbteen announced by the show come et. Members of the Aero Club of Washe ington Chapter of the National Aero= nautie Association will be guests of the D. C. Air Legion at a joint meeting m the legion headquarters at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow. Lieut. Noble C. Shilt, ground sch.’)zl instructor of the legion, will speak. \ “"METAL MIKE" OF AIR SERVICE HAS RIVAL IN BRITISH ROBOT Stirred by published accounts of the feats of “Metal Mike,” the robot pilot which recently flew a Ford tri-motored Army transport plane from Dayton, Ohio, to the National Capital, C. G. Grey, eminent British aeronautical authority, has retaliated with a story of a similar British gyroscopic airpiane control mechanism known as “George.” “‘George,” according to Grey, is-an older member of the robot family who now is serving with the Royal Air Force. “ ‘George,’ " the story says, “has been understood to say that although he has always shrunk from publicity himself | and looks with horror on the notoriety which has fallen upon his American cousin, he would like to point out that he himself has been an air ace for sev- eral years. Not only has he flown vari- Sus types of aircraft for many sands of miles, but he is a flying-boa pilot of no mean order. “Other pilots in the squadron to which ‘George’ is attached say that it is quite untrue that ‘George’ is a qualle fled air naviga In fact, he has proved himself to be a highly tempera= mental pilot and cannot be relied u in an emergency. Replying to charge, in an interview ‘George’ said that the truth was that when flying metal-hulled flying-boats the rest of the crew would leave him in charge of the controls while they went bolow to fry kippers on the primus stove. ‘George” considered that the smell of kippers, of which he was not offered a share, was bad for navigation and discipline and according he looped the flying- twicqavith the idea of calling the at'caw uontm crew to their duties,” i i