Evening Star Newspaper, June 8, 1930, Page 55

Model Aircraft BY GEORGE first plane ride the other day. And it's great stuff. I went up with young Joe Bergling of the Aviation School of America. Joe is a great little pilot and I know most of you young model pilots have heard of him. He made a forced landing over at College Park And from what some of the aeronautical experts around town have to say, it was one excellent three-point landing. SAY. you model plane pilots have nothing on me now. I took my not long ago. We took off from College Park taken a practice flight when we first arrived as a matter of pre- caution, You see he wouldn’t have received this write-up if he had crashed. No—he would have received a much better one. Just a Bit “Shaky.” \ They're the sort of thoughts that were running around at random in my head when I first climbed on the wing of the ship to take my place in the rear cockpit. “Say, you!"” said Joe as I stepped on the wing of the plane a’ wanta | fall through and break that wing?” I felt very, very small as he pointed out the part of the wing near the body of the plane on which it was safe to stand. Then I climbed into the cockpit and Smmediately suffered a peculiar feeling in my stomach. “Now, don’t be monkeying with any- thing back there. Wait, I guess I better take those gears out of the| back,” said Joe. He did. | Then the Take-Off. | ‘We sped along the ground at a rapid frate, with the motor roaring like 10,000 mad lions. I immediately became par-| tially deaf. A moment later, &8s I was hoping the trip on the ground would continue to be a trip on the ground, we soared into space. “Heh!” shouted my pilot, who had my life in his hands. “You want to go over your house, don't you?” “Uh-huh,” said I, with pronounced weakness. I realized that most every one on their first flight must go over his house. | ‘We flew over the field for a while and then over the Eastern Branch. It looked like & snake “purgy’—you know, the little crooked gutters the boys dig #n which to play marbles. Up to 5,000 Feet. I turned around to see if Joe was #till with me. He held up five fingers and_ pointed down. When I got back on Mother Earth I found out that he| meant. we were up 5,000 feet. | Once, while we were passing over dear| old Northeast, where lives the writer, | the ship lurched a bit, and I suffered | another peculiar stomach reaction—the | same sort of feeling one receives while| taking a steep dip on the roller coaster.| Joe sept the ship to a lower altitude| when we flew over the cherished neigh- borhood. And it was just my luck that| everybody and his brother were in the house and didn't get a chance to see me. Well, I gave out a lusty vell that I eouldn’t even hear myself. And on through the air we sailed. As we went | over The Evening Star Building my spirits were buoyed some it. I thought of what a good “break” it was to be off work. By the time we returned to the field I was getting used to fiying. Landing Is Thrill Then came the greatest thrill of all.| Joe began circling the field for a land-| ing. We lost altitude quickly, and the| ground came up to meet us in & very,| Very displeasing manner. As we neared the ground for a landing Joe leveled the ship and neatly brought it to the ground. | “Well, how did you like your ride?”| asked Joe. I could rose he thought I was ungrateful when | just said, gort of weakly: | “All right.” . But if I see him again, now that I| am back to normal, or if any of you| see him—you see, he might not read the column—tell him it was a great| “just about hear him. T sup- | | because you were so long in sending | for it.” | W. WATERS. Flying Field about noon. Joe had trip and I want to go up again. Tl feel better next time. Frank Salisbury, president of the Capital Model Aero Club and one of| the District of Columbia Model Air-| craft League’s outstanding model-plane | pilots, writes a_ bit about his club. Frank says the club will meet Satur- day, and requests that all members be present at 8 o'clock that night. Frank| tells us that Everett Meeks, the young man who made the sensational flight| over Eastern Branch after releasing his | plane at Bolling Field last year, has| signed up for a glider course, and| starts at it with vigor next week. Good | for Everett! Hell make good. He's got the biood of a downright brave fire fighting official coursing through | his_veins. Then Frank tells us about John andleton, whose eflorts to teach young boys the art of fying model ships up at the District of Columbia Alr Legion have been highly successful. John, who| is & member of Frank’s club, is build-| ing another compressed-air _model, | which he will use in the next contest of | the District Model Aircraft League. Club Files Membership. The club has filed its membership | list with the Community Center De: partment, and expects to collect a to-| tal of 200 points. | Well. fellows, you_ know the ever- smiling Miss Helen Collier, who labors | day by day up at the Community Cen- ter Department. She sent down some news for the column the other day. That was all right, but on that copy was a little note. And here it is. “If you don't think this is & lot of | news, you'Te crazy! I accumulated it Weil, fellows, what do you say? I say tardiness is sometimes very, ve beneficial. _Sorry, Miss Collier! Here's what the smiling young lady| writes: ‘ “The Playground and Recreation | Association of America, which con- | ducts the national playground minia- | ture aircraft tournaments, has just is- sued a bulletin of four contest Winning models, which includes the plans of a | tractor model Meeks, and with which he made his | record of 10:16:4 at the national tour- | nament at Louisville last Fall. Asked to Submit Lists. “All recognized clubs of the league| have been requested to submit by June 10 the complete list of their members, | in order that points may be recorded to! the credit of the club. The club cup is awarded each year at the close of the local tournament to the club having the most_points to its credjt. | “At its meeting on June 3 the ad-| visory board cited the following boys. | as stated: “Silver ace—Everett Meeks, John Sul- livan and Herbert Dorsey. “Aces—Sam Walker, John Pendleton, Robert Starkey and Frank Salisbury.” District Records Given. The following District records were| recognized June 3: | HL scientific—Indoor, Sullivan, 4:27:0, | October 18; outdoor, Meeks, 15:21:1,/ May 10. ROG fuselage—Indoor; Dorsey, 2:38:4; outdoor, Meeks, 8:20:0. Baby ROG—Indoor, Sullivan, 2:52:1, February 1; outdoor, Sullivan, 2:5 | Flying true scale—Indoor, “Walker, 1:18:3, February 1. | Helicopter—Indoor, Barrett, 1:07:0, ry | feet 6 inches, February 15. SOLO FLYERS PLAN FOR GELEBRATION Will Observe Anniversary of First Lone Flight by Club Member. Celebration this week of the first an- niversary of the first solo flight by a | member of the D. C. Air Legion, local private fiying club, finds the organiza- tion with 35 members who have made their solo flights. During the year one member has ob- tained his transport pilot's license, the highest type issued by the Department of Commerce; 12 have obtained private pilots’ licenses and two have sufficient time to qualify for limited commercial licenses. Two additional members are expected to solo this week, Five legion members have purchased their own planes during the past year, three of them holding private licenses and one a transport license. The first solo flight was made by| Alva Sole, president of the legion, after a long period of setbacks and disap- pointments. The legion was organized by 20 men and 2 women in March, 1928, none of them having had any ex- perience in aeronautics. They sei out to learn the business of fying from the bottom up. ‘The_legion, according to its manager, T. J. Waggy, who was one of its char- ter members, “made every mistake and | had about every setback that a flying club could possibly have. It had trouble with its original personnel, and, worst of all, it found after several months that its original ship, for which it ex- pended $3,650 of its Lmited capital, was not suitable for the training of students because of its high landing speed.” The club was more than a year old before the first member was able to fly alone, but since that time there have been few weeks when some mem- May 24; outdoor, Meeks, 1:43:2, May 10. Gliders, duration—Indoor, Pendleton, 15:4, May 16. Gliders, distance—Indoor, Meeks, 40 Seaplane—Indoor, Dorsey, 3:2 outdoor, Towles, 3:28:3. Dynamic—Indoor, Galliher, 10:1; out- door, Salisbury, 10:1. ROG _scientific—Indoor, Fish, :15:0; outdoor, Meeks, 5:17:1. Speed—Outdoor, Starkey, 20 mph. The 12 members of the first class in model building, inaugurated by the Air C. perfected by Everett |Legion, with John R. Pendleton, jr., as| instructor, are making great progress toward their goal—that of expert model builders and fiyers, according to their instructor. Although this class has been meeting | but eight weeks, several members of the class have built more than a dozen| most of which were success-| models, fully flown, and one of which came rather close to breaking a record. It is the belief of both Mr. Pendleton and John Arthur Shaw, leader of the le- gion’s junior activities, that several le- glon merhbers will make names for themselves during the coming year. Mr. Shaw again brought out the fact that these classes are designed for boys and girls who know little or nothing of model building and flying, and that all are eligible for membership. Members of the legion are showing special interest in the progress of the two Roberts boys, because these young men will probably be the first members to take the climes, The Roberts will be going back to South Africa within the next few months, their mother and father being missionarfes there, and upon their ar- | rival there will attempt to organize a junior air legion on that continent. Much interest is felt in the prospect of thus having another air legion so many thousapd miles away. legion idea to foreign | | ! | | | Charles K. Gladhill, Alexander Callam. H. LARGE AMPHIBIAN ber has not reached the solo stage of his training period. During the 12 months the following legion members have made their first solo hops: W. K. Allen, Phillip G. Alter, Ell Amanuel, John C. Box, jr; H. W. Clapsaddle, M. G. Dooley, Charles Gannon, Charles K. Gladhill, Frances Jackson, H. S. Kempf, James Kousen, Elmer Kreis, C. A. Mason, C. R. Rohr, Joseph Seasholtz, F. S. Stowe, Marvin C. Solomon, T. J. Waggy, Charles Wilson, George M. Stone, Miss Mary Craig, J. L. Hutchins, C. L. Barnes, Herbert B. Hebb, Ralph H. Bangs, Charles R. Miller, Samuel Said- man, Albert Litoff, S. V. Sparrow, Alex- ander Callam, W. H. Hottel and Joseph C. Berghling. One member, William H. Hottel, now with Transcontinental Air Transport, has his transport license and the fol- lowing members have obtained their private licenses: Alva Sole, T. J. Waggy. . W. Clapsaddle, J. L. Hutchins, C V. Sparrow, J. Elmer Kreis, Albert Litoff, Samuel Saidman, Joseph Bergh- ling and Ralph Bangs. J. L. Hutchins and C. V. Sparrow have sufficient hours in the air to their credit to qualify for their limited commercial licenses. During the year the following legion members have purchased their own | ships: C. V. Sparrow, J. L. Hutchins, | Marvin Solomon, Willlam H, Hottel and Ralph Bangs. PLANE KEEL LAID Craft Approved by Lindbergh to Carry Passengers to Havana. Laying of the keel of the first of two huge amphibian planes, each of which will carry 47 persons, was started dur- ing the past week at Bridgeport, Conn., according to reports received here. The planes, which are to be the world’s largest amphibians and the country's largest airplanes of any type, are being constructed for the Pan-American Air- ways oversea line from Havana to Pan- ama and were approved by Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, technical adviser to the air line. The planes are being constructed at the Sikorsky plant and will be some- what similar in appearance to the pres- ent Sikorsky twin-engined amphibian. The new giants, however, each will be powered with four Pratt and Whitney Hornets of 575 horsepower each, giving an anticipated cruising speed of between 90 and 100 miles per hour. The keel just laid is for a boat hull 58 feet 6 inches long and 10 feet 4 inches in maximum beam. The plane will have a wing spread of 114 feet, the ing chord being 16 feet. The height the plane on wheels will be 22 feet 11 inches and the length, including tail surfaces, 72 feet 11 inches. Fully loaded, the plane will weigh 14 tons, with a use- ful load of 11,250 pounds. With this load the top speed is expected to be 129 miles per hour. The two now being built are to be used for the transportation of passen- gers and mail across the Caribbean Sea in two non-stop flights of approximate- ly 600 miles each, over the trail recently blazed by Col. Lindbergh. Each plane will carry 24 passengers and 1,000 pounds of mail and baggage, or 42 pa: sengers and a crew of 5 for four hours’ cruising. The 8-40, as the model will be known, is & monoplane with the four engines in line below the leading edge of the wing and fuel tanks in the wing with gravity feed. The two planes are to be completed for delivery late in the year. ‘The seaplane ramp at the Marine Corps base, Quantico, Va., is unavail- able for use-at low tide, the Depart- ment of Commerce aeronautics branch has warned civil aircraft pilots. THE MOST POWERFUL SIX IN ITS PRICE CLASS WILLYS STX PRICES s to $850. Body types include Coach,Sedan,SedanDeLuxe, Readster, Coupe, Touring. MID-CITY SALES COMPANY SIXES - EIGHTS The-big engine of the new Willys Six develops 65 horsepower, - with speed of 72 miles an hour in high end 48 miles an bour in second. Such beilient performance is “low-priced fReld. Other impressive advantages of the Willys Six include four double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers, rubber mounting of engine and fully enclosed four-wheel brakes. in the THE NEW WILLYS EIGHT WITH 80 H. P. MOTOR Distributors Parts and Service Departments, New and Used Car Sales Rooms—1711 14th St. N.W.—Decatur 5050 WOODSON MOTOR Silver Spring, Md. BAUSERMAN MOTOR CO. .. NEARBY co. Bl‘lflé‘f DEALERS COLLEGE PARK AUTO PLACE College Park, Md. MOTOR CO.. ‘atlett, 8| Amissvilie, Va. HAMTLTON MOTOR 0O.. TLLE GARAGE, . LEO McKENNEY Alexandria, Va. 3. W, SLAUGHZER. i 4 e, Md. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON. D. C, JUNE 8, 1930—PART FOUR. CURTISS MARINE TROPHY RACE AERIAL ENGINEERS MAY BE HELD HERE REGULARLY | WILL HEAR GERMAN BUUSTS ARMY PLAN‘ Comdr. Douglas Given Credit ALL-METAL CRAFT Flies Over Capital During House Hearing on Air- ship Bill. ‘The first visit of the Navy's all- metal dirigible, the ZMC-2, to the Na- tional Capital during the past week was of unusual interest in view of the fact that Congress now s considering legislation authorizing construction of a 3,000,000-cubic-foot all-metal dirigible for the Army Air Corps as a result of the success of the Navy experi- mental model. ‘The ZMC-2 passed over the Capital on the way from Langley Field, Hamp- ton, Va., where it was berthed in the Army airship hangar for several nights, to its home station, at Lakehurst, N. J. It strung over the House Office Build- ing, where members of the House com- mittee on military affairs were holding E?\rlnn on the Army metal airship ill. Proposed Dirigible Would Be Big. The ZMC-2, which was completed last September, is very small, as air- ships go, but the proposed Army metal dirigible would rank in capacity with the Navy's Los Angeles, though it would be smaller than the Graf Zeppe- lin and would be less than half the size of the two giant Navy dirigibles now under construction at Akron, Ohio. The ZMC-2 was built by the Detroit Aircraft Corporation at Grosse Ile, Mich., and, after extens.ve flight tests, was delivered to the Navy at Lake- hurst Naval Air Station. It is unique among the world aircraft, incorporat- ing three distinct aeronautical innova- tions—all-metal construction, a new method of control and an unusual ratio of fineness, or relationship, between length and girth. The hull is entirely of metal, being made of the aluminum alloy known as alclad, made in very thin, strong sheets “sewed” together with millions of tiny rivets. Eight fins are used for con- trol instead of the usual rudder and elevator arrangement. ‘The ZMC-2 is 150 feet long and 52 | feet in diameter, the ratio of fineness, therefore, being approximately 3 to 1. It contains approximately 200,000 cubic feet of helium gas. The thick body is designed to afford great lift in com- bination with maximum lift and ease of control. With a crew of four the Navy ship has a speed of 62 miles per hour and a flight radius of more than 600 miles. House Bill Hearings Held. The Army dirigible is authorized in identical bills introduced in the Senate and House by Senator Arthur Vanden- berg of Michigan and Representative Florence Kahn of California. Hear- ings have been held on the House bill during the past week, but the com- mittee has not yet taken action on the measure. The bill would authorize an appro- propriation of $4,500,000 for the con- struction of an airship 546 ‘feet long When at Atlantic City, you are invited to attend the General Motors Ex- hibit at the Steel Pier, where the New Oakland Eight and Pontiac Big Slx, in all body types, are on display. for Successful Event This Year. Anacostia Air Station Men Sacrificed to Provide Public Show. The Curtiss Marine trophy race, which this year ranked as one of the outstanding aeronautical events of the year, will ome a permanent annual institution in the tional Capital, if plans of local aviation people are suc- | cessful. The race was held two weeks ago at the Anacostia Naval Air Station, the scene of the classic for several consecu- tive years. This year's race was the largest ever held ‘and ranked as the greatest aeronautical show this city ever has seen. Most Elaborate Preparations. Much of the success of the event this year is attributed to the work of Comdr. A. H. Douglas, commandant of the An- acostia Naval Air Station, and the offi- cers and men composing his command, all of whom worked for weeks to pre- pare for the races. The preparations were the most elaborate ever made for an aviation show in the National Capital. Approximately 7,000 automobiles vis- fted the station and were routed to parking places and parked under di- rection of Marines and sailors, com- manded by Lieut. C. F. Harper, acting police officer for the day. It is estimated that these cars brought nearly 30,000 persons to the station. Officers of the station not only were forced to give up their spare time to complete the arrangements, but, be- cause of their duties in handling the races, were unable to compete in the annual classic, except for a lone rep- resentative of the station, Lieut. Aaron P. Storrs, 3d, former member of the “Three Seahawks,” famous Navy acro- batic section, who placed second in the Curtiss trophy competition, also taking second prize for fighting planes. Programs Provided Free. As a part of its free service to the public in connection with the races, the and containing approximately 3,000,000 cubic feet of heltum,, giving a Wift of some 100 tons. Owing to the strength of the construction and cleanness of design it is estimated that a cruising speed of 100 miles per hour could be obtained with this airship, making it the world fastest lighter-than-air craft and enabling it to rank favorably in speed with present-day cargo, airplanes. | Army lighter-than-air activity has dwindled almost to nothing during the past 10 years as a result of lack of appropriations, and the Air Corps now has no airships in operation except two or three very small training blimps of the TC type. DOUGLAS., U. 8. Navy DR. A. H. station provided 8,000 programs of the | event at a cost of $1900, which was | met entirely from the proceeds of ad- vertising space sold to Capital business concerns and aeronautical companies. ‘The site for the race is selected an- nually by the contest committee of the National Aeronautic Association, under the terms of the donation of the trophy by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, piloneer seaplane designer and pilot. In view of the success of the race and the skill with which the arrangements were han- dled by Comdr. Douglas and his com- mand, the contest committee of the as- sociation is to be asked to designate the Capital as the location for the 1831 | races and for succeeding years. PROP SMASHES WING Australian Pilot Lands Two Pas-| sengers in Spite of Accident. ADELAIDE, Australia (#).—Jim Denny, young Australian pilot, was put to a severe test when, while fiying at 3,000 feet, the propelier spun off his| plane and smashed through a wing. | Denny had left Streaky Bay, on the | west coast of South Australia, with two passengers when the accident occurred. He glided for 6 miles in a moderate gale to a small field. Although the plane struck a fence, nobody was seriously in- | Jured. SCHOOL COST RETURNED PARIS (#).—Part of the cost of learn- ing to fly now is refunded by the min- istry of air to young Frenchmen who join the Aviation Corps and prove their | ability by winning their military pilot's license in three months. | This method is intended to supple- ment the supply of pilots normally | trained by the army. The refund runs| up to $240, usually less than half what the civil training schools charge, i Amu@A?“m Dependable.... ! New Type of Gas-Turbine Motor for Planes to Be Explained. Alrcraft power plant engineers from this city are to be represented at a meeting of international Diesel and fuel-oil engine designers and builders at Pennsylvania State College Thurs- day. Friday and Saturday. ‘The most important item of the pro- gram is expected to be a discussion by C. A. Lorenzen of Germany of a new type of gas-turbine engine for aircraft propulsion, which now is undergoing block tests and which soon is to be delivered to Lufthansa for actual flight testing in airline service, The application of the turbine princi- ple to the aircraft power plant is ex- pected, if successful under actual op- erating conditions, to contribute ma- terially to the development of air trans- port. Its advantages include simplicity and the lack of reciprocating parts, thus allowing for lighter construction and the concentration of power. The Lorenzen paper is to contain de- tailed descriptions of the gas cycle em- ~ | ployed in the turbine and an iliustrated technical explanation of mechanical details, This is one of 16 papers to be presented to the Diesel experts. g s Warning to pilots that Swoap Field, Farmville, Va., has been discontinued and is unsafe for landings has been is- sued by the Department of Commerce, ‘The tract now is being used for farming. PAINT- FIRST-CLASS TOP WORK H e your top renewed eor repaired now. . perts on any make car. SEAT COVERS Finest mal manship at prices. Made to ord any type car. QUALITY AUTO PAINT- ING AT REASONABLE RATES FENDER AND BODY WORK 11,000 Sgq. Ft. Floer Space Rowe Auto Body Co. Decatur 4438 57 N St. N.W. because it embodies features which assure unfailing service The Pontiac Big Six enjoys a worldwide reputation for . dependability—because it is built on big car principles and to big car standards of quality. - Its 60-horsepower motor develops maximum powerst moderate engine speeds—is never over-taxed, no matter howfast or far you drive. The big main bearings are of the costly interchangeable airplane type. There is definite protection in the full pressure oiling system and crankcase ventilation which prevents dilution of the engine oil. Highly efficient cooling is assured by tiac delivered prices include only authorized charges for freight and delivery and th: 4o Tor any additional or 745 ‘end op, .. D. Pentiac, Mich. PONTI BIG SIX PRODUCT OF GENERAL MOTORS L. P. STEUART, Inc. DISTRIBUTOR THERE'S A RELIABLE OAKLAND-FONTIAC DEALER NEAR YOU PADGET-JOYCE MOTOR CO.. 712 E & Salesroom 14th & R. I. Ave. Decatur 4800 o J. L. JE o 334 palics MOTOR oot Berwyn, Md, Gingell Motor Co. Dai Md, 3. M. Gue st. N.W. Rainier, Md. BORDEN MOTOR CO., Bethesds, Md. MARYLAND Prince Frederick, Md. Prince Fred. Mot. Co. TEMPLE MOTOR CO., Alexan: Upper Marlbore, Md. Southern Md. Garage Annapolis, Md. Warner Motor Co. the cross-flow radiator. And Pontiac internal-expand- ing brakes are so well designed, so thoroughly weather-proof that they frequently rua 30,000 miles before the lining needs replacement. de- partanddetail. You know, when your buyadonting Six; you are buying a dependable-can, Ve, [oter Co, , Va. Bards