AIRCRAFT ISLANDS

Evening Star, Issue 19843, 17 April 1928, Page 6

AIRCRAFT ISLANDS

Li.sunKHon's flight across the Atlantic was one of 11,610 miles. .1 he latest Gcrman-irish aerial navigators, making the reverse passage, shortened the distance by more than onc-tbird by starting from Ireland and landing (though that formed no part of their plans) off the coast ol Labrador, Iheir route was reduced to 2,100 miles. They were in the air for thirty-eight, hours, whereas Lindbergh completed his longer journey in thirty-three and a-hnlf hours. Commander Byrd’s flight from west to east, covering practically the same distance as Lindbergh's, and with a parly ol four, was made in forty-one and a-hnll hours. The special difficulties of the westward flight are well illustrated by those figures: though those of the eastward journey remain sufficient to he a deterrent to all hut, the boldest spirits. The shortest useful route would be that between Newfoundland and Ireland, which Alcock and Brown traversed, flying eastward in sixteen hours. But it would not bo much shorter than the latest passage. The difficulties of flying it from oast to west have therefore been demonstrated. But the whole problem might be altered, and the prospect of regular services across the Atlantic brought numb nearer, by the scheme which was described in our cable news yesterday of building floating islands to servo as ports on the journey. In the same way the Tasman Sea, which is 1,400 miles across, and tho Pacific might he robbed of almost all their dangers tor aircraft. The idea is not new. Colonel Lindbergh was an enthusiastic advocate of it. His notion that one floating island placed halfway would be sufficient for the Atlantic suggested the smallest provision for safety, but, with tho improvements that are now being made in aircraft, two might soon bo ample. Tho first objection, obviously, is the cost. The latest proposal envisages stations 400 miles apart, each of which would cost half a million to erect. Even with a diminution ot their number a heavy burden would bo added to the cost of aerial services which are nowhere yet, under present conditions, a commercial proposition. The reply was made to this by supporters of Lindbergh’s plan; “ But what do docks for ocean-going steamers cost? What do harbor dredging and maintenance cost? The same thing—a lot of money. The cost of mid-ocean floating airports would .he small to the cost of seaport terminal facilities and their accessories for ocean vessels, for no vast sums would need to be paid for shore privileges, dredging, and other channel maintenance.” The artificial islands, whose construction from an engineering viewpoint is declared to be perfectly practicable, would serve for shelter, refuelling, revictualling, rewatering, and repairing if necessary. The other objection to the idea which has been foreseen is tho hostility likely to bo felt against their construction by countries secure now from attack, against which they might be used as air bases in the event of war. The United States and Japan might be expected to feel the same misgivings in regard to them ns some military authorities in Great Britain have been accustomed to feel of the project of a Channel tunnel. But those are tho only countries of first rate importance which would bo immune now from attack by fleets of aircraft in the event of war, and the United States has such hopes of abolishing war ns should make the objection smallest in ite eves.