New Britain Herald Newspaper, May 9, 1919, Page 10

A TIONS OF EARTH VIE FOR SUPREM/ By Ralph T. Folwell, U.S.N.R.F. (HE world seams on the thresheld of great achievements in cOMMe™ olal aeronauti under way in all the leading untries of the (aken as eriterion. The United States Navy a globa can be epartment as taken up the and, in 8 ‘o he Brst in atlantic fiyin with other nations Mttainment of so epoch-making ashievement, is bending every offo: aviation in all its phases. has promote In France, the governmeni algh commission on aerenautics worl ing ceasolessiy to stimulate the exten: glon of the use of airplanes in com merce n this respect 1taly, too, has a comi- mission at work with a s ubject in view Looking forward to world conque’ the Germany, Jespite her rom air, erfppled condition, has established an aviators’ league of boys of from fifteen hteen and is giving them w0 and practical aining in flying at feur marks a year. From England comes the announce ment that the government has air- planes capable of carry sengers and a crew of seven, iraveling at 100 miles an hour at an altitude of 10,000 feet 1200 miles. In Spain, been begun to make commercial avia- and without a stop in too, great activity has a success. Tn Scandinavian countries an almost feverish interest in aviation has been aroused and congresses are discussing ways and means and judicial prob- Jems regarding aeronautics, and aerial transportation formed. Japan, <ward in this movement and expects to rank companies are being of cou! ts not bac . gecond to no other country in com- mercial aviation. India, Australia and the big coun i %ries of South America are likewise on the alert in this field. Little Belgium, ravaged and in ruins, has mauled, mangled, shown the grit it is made of by establishing an aerial intercity mail service. . Following is a more detailed account of what the commerce in the a Fifteen foreign countries activ engaged in commercial ITALY First. At Rome is quartered the “Italian Permanent Commission of Aeronautics,” whose duties are to en- courage and promote all forms of aero- nautics in Italy. Second. Italy has four of the world’s largest airplane plants—the Caproni, Pomilio, Ansaldo and Iiat— also more than twenty minor airplane tactories, Third. In the northern part of Italy are many factories manufacturing daily more than 5000 square miles of veneer wood exclusively for airplanes. Fourth. The “Permanent Commis- sion of Aeronautics” has issued, through the Italian Bureau of Public Information, this statement: “That the plans for the regular aeronavigation between the various capitals of the Al- lied nations and that of the subsidiary lines across the Mediterranean have been officially approved. Fifth. Rome, Dec. 8—Glanni Ca- proni makes the following statement: “] am building a triplane which will eccommodate 100 passengers, with all modern comforts, cabins and beds. When sufficient planes have been built to form a flotilla I shall sketch out an itinerary for each one to take. For the present we cannot transport third-class passengers, owing to the expense of the journey. ‘We are posi- tive of important results, but think that others will follow that will be even more important.” Sixth. Mr. Caproni is also building a triplane of 1800 horsepower to make one of the first transatlantic flights early mext spring FRANCE rench Government has e high commission on aeronautics, who are untiringly working to stimulate the use of the airplane in commerce end planning ways and means to make France a leader in aeronautics. Second. Paris, Nov.17.—The Trench Government is contemplating the crea- tion of about twenty aerial lines con- pecting Paris with the chief cities of France and the great foreign cen Thir Paris-London aerial gervice inaugurated la June by Lorgnat. A permancnt service now. Fourth. France Is the largest pro- ducer of one of the three greaiest airplane engines, i. e. the “Hispano- Suiza,” having at the time of the sign- iug of the armistice seventeen facto- ries devoted exclusively to the produc: tion of this engine. Fifth, Four of best known makes of airplanes I'rench—the Spad, Caudron, Salmson and Breg Also the designs for the we -known “pe Haviland” came from the famous French designer, C: de Haviland. world is doing for its ly acronautics! First ers. nrail Mr. the are ptain Geoffrey GERMANY First. In Germany there is a new fiying Jeague, known as the “Deutsche Fliegerbund,” which, just as the “Ger: When English and American commercial carriers sail man Navy Le cas influential in giving Germany a powerful navy, is expected to promote the German aim in “the next war” of conquering the world from the air. ying schools are to be established for the “theoret- ical and practical” instruction of boys from fifteen to eighteen years old. The training will be carried out by The fee will be one mark, about means of model airplanes. monthly twenty-flve cen “Practical” train- ing at four ma Air ome, s a year. traftic the Second. has begun be- tween largest German towns. The planes carry parcel post and pastengers. The passenger rate is two and one-half marks a kilometer, or about ninety-four cents a mile. Third. I British official who has visited Staaken comes this state- ment: “At Staaken, just outside of Berlin, an airplane for transatlantic flight is under construction. It has a wing spread of 198 feet and en- gines developing 3000 horsepower.” Fourth. This same authority states that at the Zeppelin factory at Fried- richshafen, which he visited, anotiier transatlantic -plane is being built which engines, ecight pro- pellers and will c 100 passengers. Fifth. While at the Zeppelin fac tory they related to him the story of a remarkable Zeppelin flight as fol- lows: At § a. m. on November 21, 1917, a Zeppelin with a crew of twenty-two, carrying twenty-five tons muni- tions and medicine, left Jamboli, Bul- garia, for German Atri on the night of November the ship was over Khartoum. when it received a wirel from Naucn order- ing it to return, due to the surrender of Von Letton-Worbeck’s troops in Africa the The airship came back to Jamboli at 8 a. m. on November being four days In the air w stop or a janding. The told by Herr Ra the fac tory. capable of going Jork and back without @ Sixth reports airplaie ing 250 propellers. of 140 feet 340 pounds ay up fou eizhty-one to be used between of now has nine of to British anchor at thout visitor wa ch, manasi irector of that the Berlin to New 1p W from stop! The same further that at Staaken he saw great of five motors develop- horsepower and They have a wing carry a crew of cight and of useful and can en authority eac riving five spread hours miles for ac an hour. ial London enth. Germa mous secret Dprepar mastery of tI companies are seeking cover in countries ure a grea 1d experimental rctories in Germany are pro- of engi- being converted from war production planes anc s, Staffs of 1 pilots in con- to peace-time nec ers ar stant traini tions are be principal are Gigantic hangars and constructed in all At just the chief German centers w linked up with Berlin, then Berlin will linked iwith Paris, London and New York. Eighth, Germany is the home of the ng towns. be infamous Gotha bombing planes and the Fokker planes used in that Hun “circus squadron.” Also Germany is the home of three very highly per- fected airplane engines, viz., the Mer- cedes, Benz and Maybach. GREAT BRITAIN First. Manchester, Dec. 20.—Lord Weir, British Air Minister, makes this statement: “We now have airplanes which can carry a crew of seven men and thirty passengers to a height of 10,000 feet. travel at 100 miles an hour, make a nonstop journey of 1200 miles and alight on the sea and rise again with a full load.” Second. London.—The first aerial commercial service in Great Britain is already in the last stages of develop- ment, with the initial route connect- ing London and Harrowgate. The planes will make about 120 miles an hour. Third. London to Paris ready to be inaugurated. The Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly, is the Enzlish ter- minus and the Ritz Hotel, Place Ven- dome, Paris, is the ¥French terminus. The time table that has been drawn up and which with the machines it 1s proposed to use it should in most cases be quite possible to adhere to, or even improve upon, is as follows: air service She Won the Prin the American girls who O ? ALL have foreigners, married titled had to so thorny a road the beautiful none has climb to recognition as Miss Dorothy Deacon, of Boston, Who became the Princess Radziwill. The marriage, which took place in London July 5, 1910, had been opposed family. His by the Princ entire mother had endeavored to wean Prince Antoine Albert Radziwill from what she thought was a passing infatuation (he American girl; but the en forced separation from his beloved so wrought upon his heaith that he began When it was found at stake he was ingland, where with her for to waste away 5 very life wa to Deacon was living mother. Although greatly piqued by the hos tile attitude of her Prince’s family NMiss Deacon was as much in Jove wil im as he with her, and, accordingly, crushed the feeling of resentment which zested that she reject bis further courting. After their marriage, Prince Geor&e, the head of the Radziwill family, ¢¢ creed that none of the children of thelr union should have the right of suc on. Prince George also forbade his peopie from going the i viera, lest encounter Prince An toine and his bride, who were honey mooning there The young Prince—he was twenty four at the time of the marriz was ir to immense landed estates in Ru: Germany, France and Italy \ income of $1,000,000 a ources. And all this about to be diverted ces an to they { as well as 1o year from othe seemed now to be from him on account of his marrnage. His bride, however, by tact and Wit and the wonderful charm of her per- sonality, succeeded in winning the Sovyrizht 1919, by Public Ledger Co. Departure London, 10 a. m. Departure from 10:30 a. m. Arrival Paris airdrome, 1 p. m. Arrival Ritz Hotel, Paris, 1:30 p. m. The fare has at present been fixed at fifteen guineas, which will, it is ex- pected. include an insurance for £1000 for each passenger. Seventeen tickets have been sold for the first trips. The machines to be used at first will be converted bombing planes. These ma- chines are very fast twin-motored bi- planes, of about 130 miles an hour. so that in bad weather they will maintain an average speed over the ground of 100 miles an hour. Fourth. Captain Wild, of Shackle- ton's South Pole expedition, has laid plans for an exploration trip by air plane to the North Pole. This flight will commence next April, going via Spitzbergen. From this point it is only a nine-hour flight to the Pole. Fifth. London Daily Mail is offering $50,000 as a prize for the first success- ful transatlantic flight. The first entry lodged with the Royal Aero Club was on November 15, by the ‘Whitehead Aircraft Company, Ltd. The machine, which is almost complete, is a biplane with four propellers, each driven by 2 400-horsepower Liberty engine. The by motorcar, Ritz Hotel, London *airdrome, even love of the Prince’s mother; and, in a short time the rest of the family, too, took her to jts heart and showered her with favors. Prince George's harsh decrees were withdrawn; and, after his death, the husband of the American girl became goul Braces over the seas together wing spread is 120 feet and the overall length y-five feet, while the speed is estimated at 115 miles an hour. It is planned to start early this spring. Captain Arthur Payze, R. A. F., is nominated as pilot, and he will be accompanied by ant pilot, a navigator and a mechanic. Sixth. England leads in the produc- tion of aircraft. It is the home of six of the greatest makes of airplanes known, viz. the Handley-Page, Nieu- port, Sopwith, Whitehead, Bristol and Avro. n assis SPAIN Madr! Captain Herraro, chief ot the Spanish air service, has had sev- cral interviews with King Alfonso on the subject of aerial services between Spain and Ame a. A large shipping corporation will finance the project. Large machines capable of carrying forty passengers besides mail will be used. The fare will be about $400 and twenty-five cen an ounce for letters. NORWAY SWEDEN, DENMARK, FINLAND First. Prince Axel, of Denmark, with a party of Danish aeronautical experts, is at present a guest of the United States navy and is touring our country inspecting particularly th: aireraft industries. Prince A 1 is ce—and His Family, Too the head of the princely house of Rad- ziwill and owner of its vast estates. The have greatly shrunk, owing to the confiscation of the Rus- n properties, which included a great sugar refinery from which the major part of the income was derived. estates PRINCESS RADZIWILL \/ / \ captaln commander of the Danish navy and also an aviator since 1912. Second. On April 26 and 27 an inter- Scandinavian on aviation was held in Stockholm, presided over by the Swedish Crown Prince delegates from the acro clu countries planned transportation and problems regarding aviation Third, In Norw Denmark and Sweden large corporations for aerial {ransportation have been established and mail and passenger service be- tween the capltal cities Will begin next conference Here s of three for discussed lines aerial judicial spring. Fourth. nounces The Bergens Tidende an- a new airplane company formed at Christiania. Norway, with a fixed capital of kr. 350,000. Fifth, Christiania, Dec. 31.—Doctor Keilhau, manager of the Norwegian ‘Air Trafic Company. states that plans are completed for the establishment this summer of an air line between on the coast of Norway, on the coast of Scot- Stavanger, and Aberdeen, land. Sixth. Helsingfors, Finland, Sept. 29, —_ Announcement was made of an air traffic company formed there with a capital of 2,000,000 Finnish marks. JAPAN First. Tokio boasts two large aero- neutical organizations, “The Imperial” and “The National Aviation Associa- tion.” Second. Last fall the Japanese Prime Minister was a guest at a lunch- con with Baron Sakatain and General Nagaoka, the respective vice presi- dents of the Imperial and National Aviation Associations, and a large company of bankers and other men of affairs, who met in order to form a combined national association to se- cure the widest financial help for an effort to raise aviation in Japan tc the level of other countries. INDIA Simla, Oct. 14.—The government of India is planning to establish an aerial service in India. AUSTRALIA Plans are made for the formation of a company to operate air lines be- tween the chief cities of the differ- ent Australian provinces and also to London. Passengers and mail will be carried. BELGIUM Brussels, Dec., 1918—The govern- ment has established acrfal mail serv. «ce for its intercity correspondence. BRAZIL First. Aerial mail service will be in- augurated this spring between all principal Brazilian cities. Second. The government has granted concessions to a corporation allowing it to develop aviation for aerial mail, express and passenger service. In a {ime of war the zovernment will take over the company. CHILE Santiago, Chile—At a New Year's celebration a ceremony marked the inauguration of an aerial mail service between Santiago and Valparaiso. UNITED STATES First. Home of the most powerful and efficient airplane engine in the world, viz., the “Liberty Twelve.” Fifteen months after the first Liberty engine was built and tested, more than 10,000 of them had been delivered to the government. The “Liberty Twelve” develops 400 horsepower, a great fac- tor in commercial aviation. Second. Home of the first successful heavier-than-air machine ever built and flown. The Wright brothers, on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, C., made a fifty-nine-second flight in the first flying machine ever under full control and driven by a gas engine. Third. Home of the two greatest aero clubs in the world, i e., the Aero Club of America and the Aerial League of America. Through their untiring en- ergies more has been done and Is being done to encourage and stimulate aeronautics than by any other two ar organizations in the world. For proof of this, turn to their records at their headquarters, 297 Madison avenue, New York city. sim Fourth. Two aerial mail lines now running on schedule time—New York city to Philadelphia, New York city to ‘Washington, D. Two in an experi- mental stage of operation—New York city to Boston and New York city to Cleveland and Chicago. Plans for fifty- two new airplane postal service lines are now completed and only awaiting suitable planes for inauguration. Fifth. Bight definite necting all the States have been mapped out approved. They are: (a) The Woodrow Wilson Airway— From New York city in a direct westerly course to San Francisco, touching all the chief Intermediate cities. (b) The Wright Brothers Airway— From Washington, D. C., in a south westerly course to San Antonio, Tex., then in a northwesterly course t, San Diego, Cal. (©) The Langley Philadelphia in a westerly course, somewhat parallel to course No. I, to Santa Barbara, Cal, (@ The Chamber and Bell Airway— From Boston through the States to Seattie and Ore. (&) The Rodgers Newport News and Los Angeles, Cal portant cities 10t other airways. (f) The Atlas tic Airway — From Bangor, Me., to Key West, Fla, and will touch every city on the Atlantic coast. (8) The Pacific Alrway—From San airways con- in the Union and officially Airway — From northern Portland, Afrway — If Norfolk, touching toiched om Va, ‘o the im- by tho A / ()N Diego to Puget Sound, touching every, city on the Pacific coA (h) The Gulf Airway — From Key West to the mouth of the Rio Grande, following the coast and touching every city on the Gulf seaboard. Sixth. On Friday, November 22, army. rplanes from flying fields in various parts of the United States started a cross-country mapping and charting They will gather valuable sta- tistics and locate for landing flelds and airdromes. The fields are to become a part of the great chain of transcontinental airways, and the airdromes are to shelter and assist all visiting fliers. Seventh. The Aero Club of America is backing Captain Robert A. Bartlett in his Polar expedition by airplane. The expedition will leave the United States next June to take advantage of the six weeks of warm weather which exists in the Arctic regions after the middle of July. Captain Bartlett will use a large-sized airplane and several smaller ones. It Is his intention to fly from Cape Columbia on the Amer- jcan side to Cape Chelyuskin on the Siberian side, over the top of the world. He further expects to explore the upper air of the Polar region, the bottom of the Polar basin and to show by photographs and maps from the plane the existence or nonexistence of land in the one million unexplored square miles in that -eglon. ghth. Captain Benjamin B. Lips- ner, who recently resigned as superin- tendent of the aerial mail service, stated on December 17 that a syndi- cate had been formed to back him in establishing an aerial transportation company. The capital is $1,000,000. Captain Lipsner said that the planes o be used would carry forty passen- gers or their equivalent in express matter; that the rates will be within the reach of all; that a regular sched- ule would be maintained and that all modern conveniences would be in- stalled in the planes such as wireless telephony, stationery and all the latest scientific The company will insure its passengers and cargo. A definite rebate will be offered for every minute the plane is late. Perish- able goods and exXpress w ill be carried. Airplanes can be chartered for special trips or certain altitudes. Only the most expert pilots will be employed. Ninth, Curtiss will operate an air line, beginning this spring, between New York city and Atlantic City. The service will be extended down the coast to all resorts, including Florida. Flying boats will be used and the trip to Atlantic City will take less than an hour. Tenth. The Aero Transport Com- pany, with offices now in Atlantic CIty. Philadelphia and New York, opened its first season February 1, 1918, at its Atlantic City station, where its sea- plane flying school is located. It Is ex- pected the company will open flying schools for both land and sea planes at Philadelphia and New York city. On April 1 its “joy rides” of fifteen miles commence. A fee of $15 will be charged for this “joy ride.” Tickets will be available soon at all the lead- {ng hotels in the eastern States. The “rides” can be had at any one of its present flying stations. It is planned to begin passenger service between the three points about June 1 The fare will range from $25 to $50. IN CONCLUSION Commercial flylng is coming on with amazing strides in every civilized coun- try. All forelgn countries now engaged in it are receiving governmental sup- port, financial, judicial and technical. Every encouragement is given design- ers, engineers and inventors to bring about the most efficient commercial types of planes. In the United States the government at present is not offering such en- couragement and has been restricting designers, engineers and inventors to military types of planes. If this should continue, our country will fall back at least ten years in commercial ovia- tion as compared to countries having government support. It is to be hoped this drawback will not be permanent in the country of countries for avia- tion. In order to attain the best -e- sults an independent department of aeronautics should be established at Washington to offer to the airplane industries every support and encour agement. Then, as to which cities in the United States are to become the lead- ers in this newest, greatest of com- mercial activities, it may be stated that all have a chance as yet. The three cities which show a “live-wire” interest are Albany and New York city in New York, and Atlantic City, N. J.. where municipal airdromes and flelds are to be opened to the public this spring. Philadelphia is contemplating a similar airdrome and fleld. Philadel- phia should become the leading city in aeronautics, for there is plenty of ground which could be leveled for landing flelds, and it has two large rivers so situated that seaplane sta tions could be established at points vory accessible from all sectlons of the city. All those who wish to see evidences of the statements in this article or who are inferested in commercial aero- nautics should attend the Interna- tional Aircraft Exposition to be held in Madison Square Garden, New York city, from March 1 to 16, both dates (melusive. It will tell the story of “The Future of Acronautics” All kinds of aircraft used in the world war will be shown, as well as many. new types designed for commercial Purposes,. There will Lo lecturers o describe the airplanes, their produo tion, uses, costs and thelr great fu. ture, S tour. sites appliances. -