Evening Star Newspaper, February 23, 1930, Page 56

AVIA BY JOSEPH RE dreams that the Na- tional Capital some day might have a model airport than dreams? If the plans of the| joint congressional airport com- mission, as outlined by its chair- man, Senator Hiram Bingham of Connecticut, are realized, this city may find itself spending money for the development of an airport which, because of the limitations of size, never can be anything bet- ter than second rate. Size being one of the prime con- | siderations in airport rating, such a field never could be a model, no | matter how much equipment was provided or how elaborately it was finished. The plan Senator Bingham has | in mind, it has been indicated this week, is to combine Washington | Alrport and Hoover Field, t.ogether‘ with the portion of the Arlington Experimental Farms lying be- tween the railroad embankment and the Potomac River. This pro- posal was brought forward by Senator Bingham last year. As a temporary expedient the Bingham airport plan would be satisfactory, pending the con- struction of a real airport. As a permanent project it would be fatal to the District’s hopes for anything better than mediocrity. Ignores Use of Seaplanes. In outlining this plan, the com- mission ignores entirely the grow- | ing use of seaplanes and flylng boats. The Washington Airport- Hoover Field site is cut off from the river by Columbia Island and | by the fill now being made for the | Mount Vernon Memorial Boule- vard. If this location is deter- mined upon and seaplane facili- ties are provided in the future it will mean that the District must have two separate airport estab- lishments, with wasteful and un- necessary duplication of many of the items of equipment. To close the District to com- mercial seaplane development would be as great ogiece of folly, in the light of modern lvintlon trencs, as to_ close to trucks or railway urmmn to fre'ght trains. From the standpoint of acces- sibility the proposed Bingham air- port site is as near the ideal as can be found. There is no avail- able site closer to the business heart of the city, and it has direct communication by road and rail, through park areas, with the downtown section. This one great advantage, however, is overshad- owed by the natural drawbacks of the site. From virtually every viewpoint, except its proximity t8 the city and the transportation facilities which already exist, the Bingham site is unworthy of permanent development as the official airport for the National Capital. It is small, in the light of modern ex- perience. It is irregular in sha and cannot be utilized as - ciently as should the model air- port for which this ‘city had hoped. It has obstructions to the west and south which present an element of hazard if heavily loaded multi-motored rt planes are to be operated. adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery and would bring the noise and confusion of airport activities to that sacred area. The combined sites, according to Senator Bingham’s estimate, would make available a tract of 250 acres. This undoubtedly is generous. The officials of Wash- ington Airport say that after all filling of the marsh adjoininig their field is completed they will have a trifle less than 100 acres. Hoover Field covers 37 acres. Dr. W. A. Taylor, chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Depart- ment of Agriculture, told the commission last year that only 50 | acres of the experimental faim| land is contained in the usable parcel. This tract is east of the Rosslyn branch of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad, back of Columbia Island. Testifies Field Is Dangerous. Even if we assume 250 acres to be available for airport develop- ment, the situation is not im- g:oved materially. In testifying fore the commission last Spring, Henry J. Berliner, former operator of Hoover Field, declared that the obstacles surrounding the site “‘are pretty difficult, and it makes the field dangerous to get into and out of.” Consolidation of the two fields, he said, would not give enough land for the safe opera- tion of larger planes. Moreover, Senator Bingham himself realizes the inadequacy of the site—or did last year when his committee held its hearings. He showed this when, following th;adstahement of Mr. Berliner, he said: “As T understand it, the Na- tional Capital Park and Planning | Commission shows that if you take out the road leading to Arlington and make it go around | the field instead of right across the middle area, that field, to-| gether with the land belonglng to| the Department of Agriculture, would give you about 160 acres. ‘The runways in the enlarged area would be about 1,500 to 2,200 feet in the direction of the prevailing winds. But it lies close to the railroad and there isn't room enough for a runway which could receive a rating from the Depart- ment of Commerce of A-1-A.” Granting again, however, that 250 acres can be made available, this would constitute virtually the ultimate limitation of expansion. Leveling of the railroad embank- ment would make but little more available, since the hills leading up to Arlington Heights begin along the embankment. other side is the river. Some of this area may be lost through the Mount Vernon Boulevard treat- ment around the Virginia ap- proach to Highway Bridge. Ought to Have 1,000 Acres. “The principal airport for Washington 15 years from now ought to have somewhere between 500 and 1,000 acres of land avail- | able, in my opinion, if the de- velopment of the last two or three years is any indication at all of ] 4 ture,” Willlam P. MacCracken, jr. to remain nothing more| is|these requirements. It has been On the| th what we can expect in the fu- TION S. EDGERTON. merce for Aeronautics, told the commission. Col. Charles A. Lindbergh de- clared that 640 acres should be the minimum for the National Capital airport site; that the field should be at least a mile square. Porter F. Adams, governor at large of the National Aeronautic Association, of which Senator Bingham is president, and chair- |man of the Municipal Airport Board of Boston, declared that it |would be a “foolish waste of money” to build an airport here with runways less than 3,000 feet in all directions, “with an oppor- tunity to extend them to at least 5,000 feet, probably in the next |five years.” Others who should |know have testified to the same effect. If the National Capital is to keep pace with other American cities, even today, it must have an airport considerably more than 500 acres in size. Cleveland has more than 1,000 acres of airport space. Oakland, Calif., with 825 acres, is finding the area none too large. Pittsburgh, at the expense of a great deal of grading in the mountainous country there, made; available 600 acres. San Antonio, Tex., turned over a tract of 3,000 acres to the Army Air Corps for Randolph Field. Buffalo, N. Y., has an airport of 555 acres. There are a number of other cities with n‘h'pom in excess of 500 acres in size. No better plea for worthy treat- ment of the aerorfautical needs of the National Capital ever has been made than that of Mr. Mac- Cracken to the congressional commission during its hearings. “If Washington is to have a place in the far-flung network of air lines that is rapidly spreading out to encompass the four corners of the globe,” said Mr. Mac- Cracken, “it must be provided with adequate airport facilities. | | | to be worthy of the National Cap- ital. They should be the best in These facilities should be such as ‘.‘u" THE SUNDAY STAR, IFIGHTER TURNED OVERFORTESTS Boeing Monoplane Made Rec- ord Time on Flight From Coast. between the Pacific Coast and the Na- tional Capital, a new Boeing single- seater monoplane fighter now at the Anacostia Naval Air Station is to be turned over to Navy test pilots ‘hi-s week for a series of official flight tests | which probably will continue for a month or more. The little ship, a Wasp-motored all- | metal plane, was flown from Seattle, Wash.,, to the National Capital in 15 hours flying time, at an average speed of approximately 200 miles per hour. Edmund T. “Eddie” Allen, who piloted the ship, credited tail winds for much of the sensational speed. He kept the motor down to from 1,680 to 1,700 revolutions per minute, which is not high for the Wasp. The last leg of the trip, from Columbus, Ohio, to this city, was flown in 2 hours and 2 minutes. Kept Motor Speed Down. Prior to leaving Seattle, where it was built, the plane had been flown only 30 minutes and Allen kept the motor speed down to prevent pussxble dam- sse to the new power pl During the past week A]len has flown demonstration tests over the Anacostia station for ranking officials of the Navy Department and the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. Owing to the soft and deeply rutted conditon of the flying field, the tail wheel of the plane was wrenched in taxiing Wednesday after-| noon and the plane has been laid up| until repairs are completed to the| wheel. Allen has completed his demonstra- tion flights here except for checking a resetting of the propeller angle to give better efficiency and adjustment of the carburetor. Following these checks the plane will be turned over formally to the Navy test pilots, probably early in the week. Tests Withheld as Secret. ‘The plane first will be weighed and | checked for eenler of gravity and then testing will determine the performance ristics of the ship. If all the tests are success- ful the plane may be adopted for serv- the United States and should|ice use. serve as an example and inspira- tion to the cities of the world. Position Is Strategic. “Washington is located in a | strategic position to take full ad- ‘v'amage of all classes of air trans- port operations by providing suit- able terminal facilities for the aircraft that will fly the great | national and international air routes. To this end provision {should be made for the develop- /ment of adequate accommoda- |tions for landplanes, seaplanes and airships. At present, how- ever, Washington has practically nothing in the way of airport fa- cilities.” What is the solution? ‘Where can a site be found which will meet the requirements? It must be close to the heart of the clty, yet must not be in a built-uj tion. It must combine lan pla.ne and seaplane facilities. It must be accessible. It must be capable of nm. The approaches must and it should be easy for pilot to find by day or night. There is a site which meets all indorsed by officials of the Army, Navy and Department of Com- merce. It has been studied and praised by pilots. It has been ap- proved by the Washington Cham- ber of Commerce, the Washington Board of Trade, the National Aeronautic Association and many other civic and aeronautic or- ganizations. It is owned by the Government - today. It is the Gravelly Point site. “In connection with the exten- sive studies that have been made of available sites,” Mr. Mac- Cracken told members of Senator Bingham's commission, “many | flights have been made over the country surrounding Washington | $ in order that no site be mlssed.l and those sites offering promise have received careful study, both on the ground and in the air. As a result of these studies, we feel that Gravelly Point is ‘the Jbest. site for the Washington airport.” Land Must Be Reclaimed. Gravelly Point must be re- claimed by filling in of the flats of the Potomac River from Grav- elly Point, just south of the Rail- road Bridge, to Hunters Point, nearly two miles downstream, and from the river channel to the Virginia shore. The area must be filled in eventually. These noisome, weedgrown morasses border the Mount Vernon Boule- vard and the proposed Potomac River mrkwny, their reclamation by filling is a part of the engi- neering plan ot the district en- gineer’s office. This must be done. Since it must be filled, why not fill it for airport purposes? ‘The Gravelly Point site is with- in three miles of the business cen- ter of the city and may be reached within 10 to 12 minutes through a series of park districts where there is comparatively little cross | traffic. “It offers,” said Mr. Mac- Cracken, “opportunity for the development of an airport with facilities for the operation of landplanes, seaplanes and air- ships, and with a flat, level, ef- fective landing area 3,000 feet in width by 6,000 feet or more in length in the direction of the pre- vailing wind, and with excellent approaches. The np{erolchu on three sides are protected by water and on the fourth side by the pro- posed memorial boulevard, with its park area. The site is located in a district comparatively free from residential and industrial development, is served by electric line, railway and water transpor- | | | During the progress of the tests and, and detai withheld as military secrets, under the policy which has been adopted by both Army and Navy. ‘The plane is the first monoplane fighter submitted for tests at Anacostia. All standard Navy fighters are biplanes and all Army pursuit planes, which correspond to the Navy fighters, also are biplanes. The chief difficulty in the past in the designing of monopllne fighters and pursuit planes has that of building sufficient strength s a single wing to withstand the terrific stresses of pulling out of power dives and other maneuvers required of mili- tary planes. BALTIMORE-D. C. AIR SERVICE PROPOSED Conference Held in Which Addi- tional Handler Field Acreage Also Is Discussed. BALTIMORE, February 22.—Acquisi- tion of additional acreage to Handler Field and inauguration of airplane passenger service w ‘Washington were discussed 'k by representatives of the Bnmmore Airways and the New York aviation interests. Plans for the new service are ex- pected to be completed by April 1. The airline will be hooked up with the Balti- more-to-New York air service, which is now in daily operation. On the Baltimore-to-New York serv- lce passengers may call the fleld from y - downtown hoatel in the city and be nkgn to the fleld in an auto. Sim- ilar arrangements are included on the return trip. KEYS HEADS BOARD. Capt. Doe Named President of East- ern Air Transport. intment of Clement M. Keys as an of the board of Eastern Air Trlnl rt, formerly Pitcairn Aviation, whlch holds the airmail contract on the New York-Miami line passing through the National Capital, has n an- nounced. Capt. Thomas B. Doe, for- merly vice president and general man- ager, has been elected president. Eastern Air Transport is a subsidiary of North American Aviation, operating unit of the Aviation Corpm'luon East- ern Air Transport planes fly a dail; total of 3,500 miles on schedule. Col. Paul Henderson, former Second Assistant, Postmaster General, in charge of air- mail, was elected vice president of the line, while other officers were re-elected. Harold A. Elliott, vice president and operations manager, has n transfer- red from operations headquarters at Richmond to New York, where he is in charge of all company activities. agreed upon Gravelly Point. An officer of the Army and an officer of the Navy were appointed to study the groblem. They reported in favor of Gravelly Point. Engi- neers of the District government conducted their own survey. They determined that Gravelly Polnt was the only logical site. The majority of all the testimony sub- mitted to the congressional com- mission has been overwhelmingly in favor of Gravelly Point. And so Senator Bingham and his commission, it has been indi- cated, have agreed that the Na- tional Capital’s airport should be at Hoover Field and Washington Airport. Figure that one out if you can. Its performance and en- tltio:lu and is easily located from e air” Mr. MacCracken and the De- partment of Commerce arrived at their selection of Gravelly Point through their own lines of reason- ing. The problem of selecting a site was turned over to the dla- trict engineer’s office and solved by. the elimination of all sites but Gravelly Point. The Board of Trade and the Chamber of Commerce made independent | studies and both fastened upon ‘Gnvelly Point as the one ideal . The National Aeronautic Auochtlon appointed a commit- tee to make an unbiased and in- d v durance add a unique and distinct improvement " to any mator car or truck. Lasts longer, serves better.’ : g is more important othi n rlonuh lubrication. AT v AL UL DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTH] Beware of sllblfil\l!‘l If your dealer can'’t lupply you, -] will tell Iy located 1o you. Bayerson Oil Worl, Columbia, 5228 l Following the fastest flight ever made | WASHINGTON, D. C., FEBRUARY 23, FAST MONOPLANE FIGHTER HERE 1930—PART _FOUR. SEEKTOHAVEAIR DERBY START HERE Aviation Section of Women’s City Club Launches Cam- paign Toward That End. of Washington Airport, will address the aviation section, describing his experi- ences as a test pilot since the World War and espec in the recent Gug- genheim safe-aircraft competition. Dr. Bernard L. Jarman, official aviation medical examiner for the District of Co- lumbia, will speak on the phyllfll Te- quirements. for the various of Ppot’s licenses, DETROIT PUBLISHES AVIATION DIRECTORY | | List of Air Activities in City Re- ! quires 43 Pages—Reveals 2,500 Factory Concerns. The newly-organized aviation section of the Wom{n a‘éfiy Clubul:n ]'nlu"n‘chfi a campaign, in co-Speration National Exchange Club and the Wash- ington Chamber of Commerce, to have the National Capital selected as the starting point of the national women's air derby, to be held in connection with the national air races at Chicago next Summer. The section has sent a letter to woman pilots asking them to start the | annual classic for woman pilots from | this city. In this letter the section says | that Washington, because of the center- | ing here of all governmental aviation | activity, is the logical choice, and that the starting of the race from here will arouse Nation-wide interest. Plan Glider Unit. ‘The section is formulating plans for organizing a glider unit, it has been an- nounced by Mrs. Lyle B. Steever, aero- nautical director of the section. This | unit will use for its glider work a 100- acre field on the estate of Mrs. Merritt O. Chance, president of the club, in the Maryland foothills of the Blue Ridge. The section will hold a tea at 4:30 | o'clock this afternoon at the club house. Among the guests of honor will be Maj. | | Gen. James E. Fechet, chief of the Army Air Corps, and Mrs, Fechet; Rear | Admiral Willlam A. Moffett, chief of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, and | ‘The first municipal aviation directory | has been published by the aircraft bu- reau of the Detroit Board of Commerce. Forty-three pages are required to list| lll of the aviation activities in that city. e directory reveals that there are 2 500 manufacturing concerns in the | Detroit area, including many not listed |in the directory which are equipped for engineering, development or production of the various essential parts or mate- rl.l.ll required in the assembly of air- The fact that aviation activities the Detroit area have grown to such an extent as to require a publication of this size to list all of the manufacturers, air services, etc., is in itself remark- able" the aircraft bureau introduction to the' directory explains. “The speed with which this new industry is grow-| ing compares favorably with the prog- | ress made by the automobile industry | in its early da; The directory is divided into sections| dealing with airplane manufacturers, | engine manufacturers, accessory manu- | facturers, processing, branch offices, air- | 1 The ban of Navy censorship has been cast around this fast new monoplane fighter, flown here from Seattle, Wash., in 15 hours’ flying time, to undergo ofllclal flight tests. Ernest Lee Jahncke, Assistant Secrelary of the Navy (right). Mrs. Moffett; Maj. Clarence M. Young, shown inspecting the plane. At the left is Lieut. F. M. Trapnell, U. S. N., nm Assistant Secretary of Commerce for | Navy pilot to fiy the ship. The photograph was made at the Anacostia Naval | Aeronautics; Capt. Thomas Carroll, for- Air Station, where flight tests will begin this week. —Harris-Ewing Photo, mer chief test pilot of the national ad- organizations, aeronautical engineering, | aviation schools, airport engineering, aircraft magazines, glider manufactur- | ers, aerial photography. airline opera- tors, airline operating schedules and rates of fare, airmail and air express schedules and rates and information concerning the 14 airports in the De- troit area. | { o Anto Engine Used in Phne An air-cooled automobile engine, used as a power plant for a Waco plane, mlde l fll‘hl of one hour A Apeed of les per hour attal = =" visory_committee for aeronautics, and | Mrs. Carroll; Lieut. Comdr. Joseph Y. STARTER DEVELOPED. Is sald to draw less amperage and volt- | Dreisenstok, ‘Capt. Prank O'D. Hunter, | % age than the ordina automobile | Army Air Corps; Lieut. Walter n, —_— s el | Lieut. and Mrs. Ralph, Barnaby, Lieut. Development of a new electric starter | ‘ G. P. Tourtellot, Army Air Corps; Lieut. forairplanes which is 32 pounds lighter | AR auxiliary hand crank also is pro-| Elwood R. Quesada, Army Air Corps, than any previous device of the kind | Vided. which may be operated either in-| and Mrs. George llowland Chase, M:t- 3 ot side the cockpit or outside. The starter | ing president of the Ju and which has only seven WOTKng |is said to bé the result of a year of Next Friday at 5 pm. Gapt. Garroll parts has been announced. - The starter | experimental development. ! who now is engaged in the development | 80 i ‘;i\v\ il ‘ i J.‘ .| AFINER CAR with zzewly slyled bod;es by Fisher T ] 0 H _11111luw ol it blll!lllllill : lid The 4-Door Sedan Body by Fisher ITS modish new bodies by Fisher, as in its smoother 60-horsepower engine and rugged chassis, the New Series Pontiac Big Six has been notably improved. It is a smarter, more vividly beautiful car, with its fresh new Duco colorings and deep, luxurious upholstery in harmonizing shades. It is also longer, lower and more rakish in appearance, due to the fine sweep of its new stream- line belt moulding. on roller bearings gives greater facility of control. We want you to drive the New Series Pontiac Big Six. We want you to learn what its many improve- ments contribute to fine performance and excep- tional value. You will find many sound reasons fot agreeing that the New Series Pontiac Big Six is a finer car with a famous name. Prices, $743 and wp, 1. 0. b. Pontiac, Mich., plus delivery charges, Shock abe sorbers standerd equipment. Bumpers and spring covers at slight extra cos, General Motors Time Payment Plan available at minimum rate. Departing in no important essential from Pontiac styling of before, the New Series Pontiac Big Six represents a sound example of keeping an attractive car always abreast of the current mode. Similarly, in the basic construction of its bodies the New Series Pontiac Big Six offers the same wear- resisting stamina found in all Pontiacs and achieved by the skillful use of heavy gauge steel over a foundation of selected wood. All'through this newest Pontiac you will discover the qualities which have made its name famous—plus refinements which make it a finer car. ‘Improved Lovejoy Hydraulic Shock Absorbers at no extra cost give added riding comfort. Improved internal, dirt-and-weather-proof, four-wheel brakes increase its safety. A new sloping windshield lessens head- light glare and safeguards you while driving at night. A new type of steering mechanism acting —————— Consider the deliverld price as well as the list (f. 0. b.) price when comparing @ntomobile values . . . Oabland-Pontiac delivered prices include only euthor- ized charges for freight and delivery and .« charge for emy edditional @ccesseries or financing desired. PRODUCT OF GENERAL L. P. STEUART, Inc. DISTRIBUTOR THERE'S A RELIABLE OAKLAND-PONTIAC DEALER NEAR YOU PADGETT-JOYCE MOTOR CO. 712 E St SE. BORDEN MOTOR CO. Bethesda, Md. Salesroom 14th & . Ave. N.W, r 4800 1119 to 1127 21 Potomac J. L. JERMAN 3342 M St. NW. BAILEY MOTOR CO. Mt. Rainier, Md. 514 H St. N. TEMPLE MOTOR CO. Alexandria, Va. MARYLAND La Plata, Md. e VIRGINIA Berwyn, Md. Gingell Motor Co. D M4, Manassas, Va. Pence Motor Co. plane distributors and_ dealers, aircraft | ] D. C. AIR LEGION " TO FORM COURSES @liding and Specialized Subjects to Be Taught by Former Army Officer. Courses in gliding and in the special- ized subjects which go to make up the limited commercial ground school course | will be organized within the next few days by the D. C. Air Legion, it was an- nounced yesterday by Alva Sole, presi- dent. There will be five specialized courses, as follows: Aerial navigation and me- teorology, which will require five weeks to complete; airplanes, including the history of aviation, theory of flight, no- menclature, aerodynamics, construction, rigging inspection, maintenance and re- pair, which also will take five weeks, aviation engines, including principles of internal combustion, Ilubrication and cooling, carburetion, ignition, construc- tion, maintenance and repalr, five weeks, and air commerce regulations, two weeks All these courses are to be given under Lieut. Nobel C. Shilt, Legion ground school instructor, who was an Army instructor during the World War. The course in gliding will be inaugu- rated this week and will include six lec- tures on the theory of gliding and soar- ing and enough actual pi in glid- ers to permit the smdent to take the first-class glider's pilot's license exami- nation. o Airport Survey Planned. A Nation-wide survey of municipal and commercial airports has been un- lertaken by the aeronautics branch d of the Department of Commerce to de- termine the amount of the country’s | present investment in airports and l;l,t}clplted expenditures in 1930 and AVIATION NEEDS AIRCRAFT DRAFTSMEN COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF DRAFTING Enroll any time—Day and lvuiu Classes. Continued year. Correspondence lnnflleuon Send for Free Catalogue 1ith and E Sts. N.W, Metro. 5630 A FAMOUS NAME ¥ THE NEW SERIES PONTIA BIG SIX +745'% MOTORS Service Station, st St. N.W. 3200 H. R. KING HO'I':I co. SERVICE MOTOR CO. Silver Spring, Md. Va.