Flying Fortress Makes Transcontinental Hop

Northern Advocate, 18 September 1939, Page 8

Flying Fortress Makes Transcontinental Hop

The magnificent sub-stratosphere flight across the American continent by the new Boeing Flying Fortress bomber demonstrates in the clearest fashion the mobility of the United States Air Force and the ease with which in time of War could be speedily transferred from one coast to the other, reported the New York correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph” recently. Moreover,' as one observer phrased it, the flight proves that the eastern coast of the United States is within little more than ten hours’ range of any European Power. The ’plane landed at New York after flying the 2500 miles from Burbank, California, in 9 hours 14 minutes.

The time is all the more striking in that it is only 1 hour 46 minutes more than the record made by Mr Howard Hughes, who crossed from coast to coast in 7 hours 28 minutes in 1937. On that occasion Mr Hughes was flying a specially-designed machine that was really little more than a flying petrol tank. Major Umstead, who was in charge of the Flying Fortress, said that during the flight they never went below 20,000 ft, and reached a maximum of 33.000 ft. which is 6000 ft above the limit of any previous army bombers. The crew were wearing lightweight summer khaki, and had a comfortable trip all the way inside the heated cabin, although the temperature outside was sometimes 12deg. below zero. All wore oxygen masks throughout the trip, during the greater part of which the ground was invisible. The average’ speed was about 260 miles an hour, and a maximum of 376 m.p.h. was reached over Ohio. At the maximum altitude the machine struck a snowstorm. The temperature on tlie ground, some sik miles below, at the same time was about lOOdeg. Fahrenheit. On its arrival in New York the 'plane had to circle round the field several times, owing to trouble with the hydraulic pressure operating the brakes on the landing wheels. But the landing was made without mishap. The Flying Fortress left again early next morning for the military airfield at Dayton, Ohio, where it was to participate in the thirtieth anniversary celebrations of the army’s purchase for .£SOOO of its first ’plane from Mr Wilbur Wright.

The ’plane has a wing spread of 105 ft. weighs 22 tons, and can carry four 20001 b bombs, as well as smaller ones, and a nest of machine-guns. The greatest advance in the new Fortress is that the four 850 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines are far more highly supercharged, being equipped with a kind of turbine blower which reaches maximum efficiency at 30,000 feet or higher.