AMERICA BUILDS AIR GIANTS FOR PASSENGER LINES

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6803, 5 January 1929, Page 7

AMERICA BUILDS AIR GIANTS FOR PASSENGER LINES

COAST TO COAST SERVICE. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10. After the gigantic lead taken by Britain in commercial flying the United States has awakened from.her lethargy, and, backed by the muchquoted example of Colonel Charles Lindbergh, is now endeavouring to come to the front in the world of aviation. Transcontinental airways arc being established all over the country, both for the carrying of passengers and the rapid transfer of mail and parcels. New air ports arc springing up for almost every leading city of the country, and many of tlio concerns handling this new means of travelling aro announcing most pretentious programmes, and large luxiiriousiy-liltod up aeroplanes arc being manufactured by crews working all night, so frantic arc American combinations of industrialists anxious to capitalise on the feat of Lindbergh and the mail carriers over the Continent daily. Anthony Fokker, who has built 11,000 aeroplanes since 1911, has just do 1 signed a giant 32-passengcr monoplane which will be put into operation on a 36-hour transcontinental flying schedule between New York and the Pacific Coast early in 1929. The luxurious air liners, the first of which is now under construction at the Fokker plant in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, are to be similar in general appearance and construction to the Fokker planes used by Commander Byrd across the Atlantic, Lieutenants Maitland and Hcgenberger to Hawaii, and the Southern Cross flight from California to Australia. They will be much larger, however, and will be powered with four engines arranged iu tandem pairs under the wings. No engine will bo placed in front of the fuselage, giving the pilot a clear view at all times. Fokker said full flight could be maintained on any two of the motors. Thu cabin space available will bo 34 feet long with a width of nine feet and an average height exceoding eight feet. Two lavatory compartments, fitted with toilet, wash basin, running water and other conveniences will be provided. A kitchen with complete electric cooking installation and steward’s pantry is included. The cabin,

will Le arranged in four compartments, each six feet three inches long and equipped with eight comfortable lounge chairs and two tables. Four Pullman type berths each 42 inches wide, ran bo substituted for the seating arrangement. The “flying Pullmans”,will be used for night flying over two sections of tlio transcontinental route.

The planes will have a high speed of 145 miles an hour, will climb .1400 feet from the ground iu tlio first minute, and maintain a maximum altitude of 18,000 feet. The span of the wing will bo 3.00 feet and the overall length of the ship 65 feet. Fokker said he hoped to be able to turn out the giant ships at the rate of two each month in the New Jersey factory, which will be devoted to this construction work. Ho said that line production of the planes has been planned as soon as possible. Engineering work bas already been completed, and construction of the first leviathan of the air started behind closed doors. The transcontinental air route is to bo operated by Western Air Express land the Universal Air Lines, without any co-operative arrangement with I raihvavs.

[ The International Aeronautical Exposition, at which the announcement was made, saw thousands of persons, many of them-veteran pilots, but mostly “air-minded” citizens, mill through the exhibition halls inspecting 80 American aeroplanes, varying in size from tiny sport planes to the huge twelvepassenger transport to be used ou the Transcontinental Air Transport, Incorporated, air-mail Toute from New York to Los Angeles early next spring.