SEAPLANE RECORD

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 269, 13 November 1935, Page 9

SEAPLANE RECORD

PANAMA TO 'FRISCO.

AMERICA'S "FLYING ARMADA." DEFENCE OF THE PACIFIC. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SAN" FRANCISCO, October 23. Entirely devoid of ostentation, a new type of naval seaplane, with wing pontoons which fold back in flight, established a long-distance flight record for the United States Navy, completing a flight in 34: hours 45 minutes from the Panama Canal to San Francisco Alameda airport. Lieutenant-Commander Knefier J. McGinnis, veteran naval pilot led a crew of five on the flight, which covered an estimated 3300 statute miles, constituting a non-stop world record. The seaplane, painted the regulation silver colour of the United States naval craft, streaked up the coast of Central America, Mexico, and California at an average speed of approximately 128 miles an hour. Lieutenant-Commander McGinnis, who led a record-breaking mass flight of six huge naval amphibians to Honolulu from San Francisco in January this year, had the following men with him as crew of the gleaming ship: Lieutenant J. "Iv. Averill, Thomas Prior Wilkinson, aviation pilot; Charles S. Bolka, aviation chief mechanic; A. E. J. Dionne, chief radio operator; and E. V. Sizer, also a chief radio operator. The previous long-distance record for seaplanes was believed to be that credited to Mario Staffani, Italy, established January 16-17 of this year, when he flew an Isotte-Franschini 3030.10 statute miles from Malfacone, Italy, to British Somaliland. To be credited with a new record the United States flyers must have travelled 100 miles farther than Staffani. It was believed they had covered approximately 237 miles more than StefTani.

Fresh After Flight. The entire crew of the 'plane appeared fresh and untired after the long hop, most of which was made over water. They said that ordinary weather conditions were encountered. The seaplane left the United States naval base at Coco Solo, Panama, on the Atlantic side of the isthmus at 3.30.a.m., Panama time. When the flyers roared over. San Diego, which they were scheduled to reach at 10.30 a.m., they were so far ahead of schedule that they decided to continue on to San Francisco Bay region in a 'try for the distance mark. Colonel Charles Young and LieutenantCommander Charles Schieldauev, of Pan-American Airways, and LieutenantCommander Washburn, of the United States Naval Reserve, welcomed the crew of the twin-motored seaplane. Leo O'Reilly, United States Customs inspector, made a quick examination of the ship after it had docked in PanAmerican's seaplane base at Alameda aerodrome, used by the Clipper ship for trans-Pacific hops, the Clipper, incidentally, being at the time en route to Alameda by easy stages from Guam, 6480 miles to the west. Details of the 'plane's construction were not revealed, but observers immediately noted the special pontoons, apparently designed to retract in the same manner as wheels of landplanes, to cut down wind resistance. Ocean-girdling Air Cruisers. The seaplane, known officially as the experimental seaplane XP3Y-1. next day after its arrival in San Francisco Bay, flew south to its permanent base at San Diego, where it was the ceutro of immense curiosity. Two days afterwards a- remarkable sequel came when it was announced that the momentous 3700-mile Panatna-to-Alameda non-stop flight completed by the Navy's new flying patrol boat was "merely a forerunner of a vast fleet of such ocean-girdling air cruisers which are soon to join the high seas air force of the United States Fleet" in Southern California waters. This was disclosed at San Diego by Rear-Admiral Ernest J. King, chief of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, after a conference aboard the • fleet flagship Pennsylvania with Admiral Joseph H. Reeves, commander-in-chief.

Admiral King announced that sixty duplicates of the record - breaking XP3Y-1 would "be immediately built at San Diego by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, as the nucleus of a- great armada of flying cruisers for the fleet patrol wing, able to cross the Pacific non-stop and of such staunchness that they can base 011 the open sea, free, of all aid save by floating tenders. Congress, will be asked, next session to authorise expeditious construction of at least two fast tenders for the patrol wing. Facilities are being built up at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, as focal base for the new patrol fleet. Coastal Patrol. Admiral King disclosed that the Xavy is soon to establish two. similar long-range patrol squadrons at Sand roint, Washington, and Norfolk, Virginia, as nucleus of a coastal patrol air force which would maintain constant day and night watch over the entirety of America's coastal areas in war. He declared that the fleet's entire 1000-' plane air force has made the greatest development in its history in the last year under the guidance of Admiral Reeves and Vice-Admiral Henry Butler, air chief. Tactical progress of the squadrons based on the carriers, battleships and cruisers lias been particularly gratifying, he said. "This has been a year of notable accomplishments by all wings of the aircraft squadrons, but by far the most striking feat is Lieutenant-Commander Knefler McGinnis 5 flight in the YP3Y-1 here from Panama non - stop," said Admiral King. "To me it was remarkable flight, exhibiting the calibra of our flyers, our 'planes and their designers and builders alike." Admiral King urged the need of expeditious action in the Harbour Department's programme of converting Allen Field, amphibian airport, on Terminal Island. a.s a supplementary base for the United States Fleet's 124-' plane observation wing. He explained that two new 20.000-ton aircraft carriers, the Enterprise and Yorktown, will join the fleet in San Diego with their squadrons in the spring of 1937 and soon thereafter another carrier just started, to be called Essex, will be completed, Shore facilities for present fleet aircraft already are at a premium, he added.