What follows is the raw text from a RareAviation.com document available for download. This text can be helpful if you would like to confirm the document contains specific information you are interested in. Title: Flight - a Pictorial History of Aviation Link: https://rareaviation.com/product/flight-a-pictorial-history-of-aviation --- RAW UNFORMATTED TEXT BELOW --- A Pictorial History of Aviation, by the Editors of YEAR -The complete story - of mans conquest of the air from his earliest dreams to the present jet age, dramatically portrayed in over 1,000 pictures. Foreword by DONALD W. DOUGLAS TMTflR AND EuMhThER Baldwin H, Ward ASSOCIATE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR Tugrul Uke SENIOR EDITORS John Gudmundsen, Erwin M. Rosen Jewell Brown, Beatrice Hudson CONTRIBUTING EDITORS William Ames Jack Canary Bernard Goldman George Lawlor Peter Rankin Joseph Barry Warren Cheney Michael Hansen Remi Nadeau Lee Saffo Daisy Baum Katherine Daubenspeck Robert Hare William Orr Jules Schwerin Victor Black Richard Daubenspeck Hugh Harlow William G. Oxx III John Sloan Warren Bodie Harry Gann Barbara Kreibich Clyde Parker Richard L. Sweeney Robert Will EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS M. A. Cameron Ann Funk Ruth Long Betty Peyer Zelda Cini Joan Glad Jean Lopin Joan Robidoux Helen Dillon Dolly Henkel Use Ostwald Rita Schmid Marjorie Donovan May Kanfer Ethel Parrish Leonore Seckier RESEARCH STAFF Marie Grummett Rene La Belle Euena Matthews Helen Pickier Betty Hopper Jacqueline Major Anne McCrone Kathryn C. Ward ART DEPARTMENT Art and Production: Michael Rostock (Manager), Linda Beckley, Frank Canfield, Jacqueline Cleveland, Donald Ritter, Joseph Sztukowski Camera: Lester Shenker (Manager), John Conidaris, Carl Goodman PUBLISHING DEPARTMENT N. Donald Edwards Assistant to the Publisher Lois Corbin Lucille Felix Doris Goodwin Marie Joly Pearl Krempel Miriam Saunders Frances F. Dunning Josephine Fox Ebba M. Gustafson Allen W. Kiel Lillian Mejean Mary Weikel Published by the Editors of YEAR PICTURE NEWS ANNUALS PICTURE HISTORY ROOKS PICTURE NEWS MAGAZINE News Front lat Piciui ws u*/i*i to* wwwt YEAR. Incorporated 21 W. 45th St., New York 36, N.Y. Copyright MCMLIII, MCMLV.MCMLVIII>MCMLX 1 Library of Congress Card Number 58-7238 Printed and Hound in the United Stales of America Printing by Murray Printing Company, Forge Village, Mass. Bound by Publishers Book Bindery, New York, N.Y. Typography by Sullivan Typesetting, Los Angeles 25, California Printed on Wescar Offset paper by Oxford Paper Co., New York, N. Y. PUBLISHERS NOTE FLIGHTA Pictorial History of Aviation, is one of sev- eral volumes in the series of pictorial history books by the Editors of YEAR, The Annual Picture History, and NEWS FRONT, The Picture News Magazine for Manage- ment. The first volume of the series was YEAKs Pic- torial History of the Bible ami Christianity. This was fol- lowed by The Turbulent 20th Century. Pictorial History of America, Pictorial History oj the World and Pictorial History of Science and Engineering. Published originally in 1953 to commemorate the 50lh Anniversary of Powered Plight, the book has been com- pletely brought up to date to include recent developments in jets, missiles and space travel. This outstanding volume will enthrall you and your family with its 1,000 pictures and 75,000 words . . . portraying the complete story of aviation from man's earliest dreams to lly . . . to jet planes, rockets and earth satellites. Many rare, unpub- lished photographs have been included from the worlds greatest private collections. More than two score aeronautical experts have re- searched scientific and historical documents from all over the world to compile the most accurate and up-to-date pictorial history of aviation ever published. Each section, covering an important period of air development, is pref- aced by statements from key aviation pioneers ami leaders. Edited with the helpful cooperation of the entire avia- tion industry, YEAR's Pictorial History of Aviation re- cords the courage, faith and vision of men who dared to cut their earthly bonds. It will bring many hours of enjoyable reading and help to define clearly the part aviation has played in modern history. The Editors faced severe difficulties in editing FLIGHT. Much of aviation's early history had passed unrecorded. Source books, references and authorities were regularly in conflict as to date, sequence of happenings and details of events and personalities. Through correspondence total- ling more than 3,000 letters to all parts of the world the search for early aviation information and pictures was carried on. Intensive efforts brought over 50,000 pictures and pyramids of literature and source references to be culled and considered. From these. 1,000 pictures were finally selected and some 75,000 words of captions and text written to bring together in one volume the most complete, authoritative picture-history of aviation ever published. The Editors are deeply indebted to large and small commercial picture agencies throughout the country and to such public institutions and organizations as the Li- brary of Congress I including the Hermann Goering and Gen. Billy Mitchell Collections), National Archives, Smithsonian Institution's National Air Museum, Insti- tute of Aeronautical Sciences (Sherman Fairchild, Harry F Guggenheim, Hart 0 Berg and W.A.M. Burden Col- lections I, Huntington Library, National Advisory Com- mittee for Aeronautics INACA), and the U.S, Air Force, Navy, Signal Corps and Coast Guard. The Editors also want to express their appreciation to those who opened their important private picture collec- tions to FLIGHT, such as Adm. Richard E. Byrd. Dr. Wernher von Braun. Cecil B. De Mills, Joseph Nieto, Warren Bodie. Robert C. Hare. George A. Page, Jr., Erik Hildes-Heim, the late A. V. Schmidt. A. M. Boehlen, Jack Frye, J. C. Hunsaker. Alfred V. Vervillc. George H. Prudden, William P. McCracken, Vaughn Bell, Frank Coffyn, Mrs. Robert H. Goddard. JamesW. Monlee.George Lawlor, John Sloan, Jack Canary. Joseph Barry, Charles Brown, Thomas C. G. Simonton and Icarus Pappas, Additional significant photographs were made avail- able through the courtesy of the Ford Museum anti Greenfield Village from the Ernest Jones Collection. The Union Title and Trust Company of San Diego. National Cash Register Company. Aero Digest Magazine and Air- craft Industries Association. From foreign countries, including aircraft manufac- turing companies and airlines, came the generous coop- eration of Hihlorisrhrs Bildurchiv, Bad Berneck. West Germany; Keystone of Munich: L Aero Club of Paris: Imperial War Museum, London: V. G. Erne Adams, Auck- land. New Zealand; Independent Newspapers, Ltd.. Dub- lin. Ireland: Guido Botta. Naples, Italy: Norsk Tele- grambyra. Oslo, Norway and a host of others. For their editorial suggestions and advice, the Editors of FLIGHT express their special gratitude to Paul Garber, head curator of the National Air Museum, Smithsonian Institution: John F. B, Carruthers, M.A.. D.D., of Pasa- dena; Maj. Lester Gardner, founder of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences; Fred Kelly, biographer of the Wright Brothers; John Glennon, librarian of the LAS.. New York; Basil Lilt in. Executive Secretary of the Fiftieth Anniversary Committee for Powered Flight: and particularly In the members of the Historical Section of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Institute of the Aero- nautical Sciences for their unfailing research assistance. Finally, the Editors wish to express their appreciation to Donald W. Douglas for his keynote foreword and to the aviation pioneers and leaders who so generously wrote out of their experience* and convictions to preface fittingly each era of aviations history. BALDWIN H. WARD, Publisher PILOT (CERTIFICATE No. 93358) DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States, and Supreme Com- mander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War II, is the first Amer- ican President in history to hold a pilots licenseCertificate No. 93258. He learned to fly in 1939 when he was stationed in the Philippines as a lieuten- ant colonel on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur. fifty yea that have changed the world THIS is a worthwhile project and one which can accomplish good for our country. People on the farm and in the cities all over the land can celebrate with pride the fact that Americas free soil gave to the world the miracle of powered flight. Our inventive citizens will continue to develop the airplane into a powerful tool for human pro- gress. Today the security of the free world demands that the United States lead the world in aviation research development and general strength. We shall all have to work together for success. I HE flight at Kitty Hawk ushered in what has proved to be the most momentous 50-year period in modern history. During no other half-century have such vast changes taken place in the world. In terms of travel time, the globe has shrunk to a fraction of the size the Wright Brothers knew or could have imagined. The airplane has served to open up great backward areas. Many countries once isolated by terrain or travel time have been brought within easy visiting range of the rest of the world. From its frail beginning the airplane has become the predominant instrument of national policy. Today relative air power is the yard- stick by which national security is gauged and air supremacy has be- come the principal deterrent to aggression. The airplane has been a great boon to mankind in drawing all the people of the world closer together and leading to better understand- ing. Unfortunately, it has also become an unparalleled medium of de- struction but we must never allow the spectre of modern warfare to cloud our vision of the future. The airplane has brought knowledge where it did not exist before. It performs stirring missions of mercy. We must exploit to the utmost the advantage which this great social TOKYO RAIDER AND TROPHY HOLDER JAMES H. DOOLITTLE Lieutenant General James Harold Doolittle, leader of the famous Tokyo raid in 1942, was an Army Air Service flying and gunnery instructor during World War I. His cross-country speed flights in the 1920's made him famous. He was the first man to take off, fly and land a plane on instruments alone. He holds the Schneider (1925), McKay (1926), Harmon (1930), Bendix (1930), and Thompson (1930) trophies, an unsurpassed record. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com DONALD W. DOUGLAS Foreword In the last five decades commercial aviation has played a leading role in shaping the world of today and tomorrow. When historians of the future record in bronze, marble or printed page the saga of the 20th century, they will have to assign to aviation a role of major importance in the story of our times. The drama of mans struggle for existence and understanding of the universe around him is constantly highlighted by the amazing progress of his conquest of the air. The first half of this century has witnessed the mastery of many forces known to the ancients only in contemplation and dreams. To those of our own generations whose privilege it has been to share in the first explora- tions and modest achievements of man-made wings, the distant future is still obscured but the present throbs with accomplishment and pro- mise. Transportation has taken on new dimensions and wings for the world have widened its horizons. New skylanes, new trade routes, new bonds of friendship and com- merce, and revised concepts of time and distance are supplanting the old. Their impact on habits of thought and international customs in world trade and politics is strong and unmistakeable. Today there are no distant ports or mysterious places. An airline ticket is the new magic carpet and seven league boots combined. The airplane is rapidly becoming the new common denominator between racial barriers and far-flung frontiers. It has been the lot of some of the aviation pioneers, and of those who follow in their footsteps, to witness and help create in their own life- time global aviation beyond all previous hopes and dreams. Long, long ago it was written "What is Past is Prologue. Electronics, nuclear and cosmic ray energy, and other modern-day wonders clearly indicate unlimited horizons for the newer wings to come. Only mans blindness, greed and inability to cope with himself and with his present can halt or destroy aviations upward progress. CONTENTS Introductory Statements: President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gen. James H. Doolittle............Page 5 Foreword: Donald Douglas.....................Page 6 BALLOONS AND GLIDERS...................Page 8 Mans Dream of Flight Leonardo da Vinci The Balloon Era Statements by Roy Knabenshue and Ralph Upson The Montgolfier Brothers Heavier- than-air Craft Aders Eole First Russian Plane Balloons in U.S. Civil War and Franco-Prussian War Santos-Dumont and Zeppelin Build Dirigibles* Gliders Samuel Langley. WRIGHT BROTHERS' ERA................Page 32 Editorial Statements by Herbert Hoover and Brig. Gen. Frank P. Lahm Wright Brothers Fly at Kitty Hawk First Army Plane France Blazes Air Trails Wrights Get Competition Glenn Curtiss Builds His First Planes Bleriot Flies the English Channel First International Meet Sky Cruisers Germany Launches Giant Airships Air Shows Become Popu- lar Famous Fliers: Houdini, Fokker, Moisant Statement by Lord Brabazon of Tara Belmont Park Tournament Weird Flying Machines Beginnings of Air Mail Early Aircraft Manufacturers Beachey and other Great Stunt Fliers Early Military Avia- tion Daring Bijd Girls Glenn L. Martin Si- korsky Builds Worlds Largest Airplane Wright Brothers Take I.egal Action First Scheduled Airline FIRST WORLD WAR.....................Page 86 Editorial Statements by Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker and Col. Jesse G. Vincent Zeppelin Raids Fokker Builds Planes for Germans U.S. Enters War Naval Aviation First Heavy Bombers Aces of World War I First Scheduled Air Mail in U.S. COURAGEOUS TWENTIES . . . Page 108 Editorial Statements by Adm. Richard E. Byrd and Harry F. Guggenheim Navy Seaplane Spans Atlantic First Round the World Flight Pulitzer Trophy Races Schneider Races Billy Mitchell Warplanes Neglected Charles Lindbergh Aircraft Builders First Airlines Polar Flights Airships Science Adds Safety Record Flights Headline Makers AGE OF COMMERCIAL AVIATION. Page 144 Editorial Statements by C. S. Casey Jones and Igor Sikorsky Commercial Aviation Airlines Become Big Business French, Italian and Dutch Planes Air Science Comes of Age Women in Aviation Statement by Jacqueline Cochran Famous Flights of the Thirties Hindenburg Disaster Air War in China, Ethiopia and Spain Fascisms Rise Spurs Military Designs WORLD WAR TWO..................Page 174 Editorial Statements by Gen. Carl Spaatz and Prof. Willy Messerschmitt Dawn of Jet Propulsion Nazis Perfect Air Blitz Battle of Britain Ameri- can Air Expansion Pearl Harbor Attacked War Skyrockets Production U.S. Operations in Europe Air War in the Pacific Tokyo Bombed German V-l and V-2 Missiles The A-Bomb POST WAR ERA...................Page 200 Editorial Statements by Sir Geoffrey De Havilland and Bill Bridgeman Aircraft Firms Demobilize Post- war Airlines Jet Airliners and Transports War in Korea Russian Planes in Korea U.S. Jets British Aviation Growth of Air Power in Canada and Europe Recent Soviet Aircraft Aviation Serves Humanity Technological Advances Re- search Aircraft Modern Military Giants Private Planes Helicopters THE FUTURE........................Page 242 Editorial Statement by Dr. Wernher von Braun Rockets and Missiles The Intercontinental Ballistics Missile Conquest of Space The First Artificial Satellites Interplanetary Travel From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com SOARING FLIGHT of birds symbolizes the first inspiration of men to fly. In primitive times, the bird was admired and envied by men who sought the key to the secret of flight. First flying vertebrates known were the pterodactyls, winged reptiles of the Mesozoic Age. Existing prior to the feathered bird, they ranged in size from two inches to six feet. MAN'S DREAM OF FLIGHT Aspirations depicted throughout art, myths and religion After the first men domesticated wild animals and rode upon their backs, after they learned how to swim and adapt fire to their needs, they paused in their work to envy the flying bird soaring freely overhead. As man could not then master the art of flight, he expressed this longing through abundant legends of men and gods in flight, often with wings, sym- bolic of supernatural existence. The mythology and the archaeo- logical remains of civilization as early as 3500 B.C. offer evidence of this deep interest in flight. Later, there was Phaethon, son of Apollo, who drove his fathers sun-chariot through the sky; and there was the sailor, Sinbad, who flew on the back of a giant bird. Early attempts at actual flight in- cluded Bladud, King of Britain (863 B.C.). Influenced by the Greek leg- end of Daedalus and Icarus, he built himself wings of feathers, leapt from a tower in the Temple of Apollo in London, and broke his neck. The philosopher-general, Archytas of Tarentum in Greece (428-347 B.C.), carved a wooden pigeon that flew by its own power. For two thou- sand years his exploit, for which no precise scientific explanation surviv- es, was a lively topic of discussion. In the rule of Emperor Nero, Simon the magician, attempted flight in the Roman Forum and was killed. The Saracen of Constantinople (1100 A.D.) flew from a tower in the pres- ence of the Byzantine Emperor Com- nenus and he, too, crashed. Although in myth and history bold men perished, others continued to prophesy the future realization of human flight. WAR-GOD MARIS of Japanese myth- ology, rode a sacred boar to earth. An- cient peoples endowed gods and devils with extra-human power of flight. FLYING CHARIOT of Ki-Kung-Shi, a legendary prince of China, was driven by favorable winds. Chinese folklore relates flight of men, dragons and gods. PERSIAN KING Kai Kaus, builder of the Tower of Babylon in 1500 B.C., is claimed to have driven through the sky on a Flying Throne with four eagles. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com OLDEST of the flight myths is the story of Daedalus and Icarus. Icarus disobey- ed his father, plunged into the sea after flying too close to the sun, which melted his wings of feathers and wax. KHENSU, a winged, hawk-headed deity of the Egyptians, was prominent 1,000 B.C. Royalty displayed the winged mo- tif on their tombs, thrones and in- signia. Hawk symbolized kingly power. CHERUBIM, the Assyrian winged bull with the human head, was mentioned by the prophets in the Bible. It was situ- ated to protect the palace entrance of King Sargon at Khorsabad, 708 B.C. MERCURY, Roman god of commerce and merchandise, was believed to be the winged messenger of the gods (the Greek Hermes); bronze by di Bologna. NIKE, or Victory of Samothrace, classic female figure of flight, was erected 306 B.C. by Poliorcetes on Samothrace Is- land in the Agean Sea (Louvre, Paris). FOUR HORSEMEN of Apocalypse, al- legorical figures representing war, fam- ine, pestilence and death, ride the air. Engraving by Albrecht Dur er, in 1528. QUEEN BRUNHILDE, heroine of Vik-| ing and Teuton legends, was a Valkyrie (warrior) who determined the course of battles and conducted the dead heroes from their battlefield into Valhalla. 4 PERSEUS ASTRIDE the Flying Horse, Pegasus, was immortalized in Greek myth. Perseus soars through the air carrying curved sword of the god Her- mes, wearing the helmet of Hades. THE MAGIC CARPET originated in the book of Arabic folklore, A Thousand and One Nights. Tales by Scheherazade, recorded 1022 All., depict this ancient concept of flight. GOODNATURED SATIRES of flying men were common in 19th century Europe. Der Schneider von Ulm (above), comic opera composed by Gustav Pressel, concerns one such feat. PARADISE LOST, John Miltons poetic realization of a winged Heaven and Hell (1665), was rendered supremely pictorial by Gustave Dore, two centuries later. The poets in- spired vision of flight, and the artists striking interpretation of it are among the first such collaborations in literature. THE PROPHECY of human flight by the 11th century gave way to the building of mechanical inventions which dem- onstrated the principles of flight. It is recorded that the Caliph of Cordova, during period of the Moorish occupation of Spain, encouraged the building of flying machines. "FLYING MAN" descends safely to earth by means of a parachute devised from original plans of da Vinci and de- veloped by Fausto Veranzio. This pic- ture appeared in Machinae Novae, 1595. SUPERSTITION and sorcery flourished in the Middle Ages, as men cowered be- fore an imaginary winged Satan in hu- man form, who flew through the air on s dragon in a ghost-inhabited sky. VACUUM BALLOON AIRSHIP was aim of Jesuit Francesco de Lana in 1670. Vessel was to be kept aloft by thin copper vacuum globes, but de Lana mis- judged atmospheric pressure on globes. FLYING MACHINE MODEL BASED ON DA VINCI'S SKETCHES LEONARDO'S SKETCHES SHOW DETAILS OF FLYING MACHINE Leonardo applies science to enigma of flight in devising first flying machine LEONARDO DA VINCI, PROPHET OF FLIGHT Artist, scientist and mathematician, Leonardo was one of the great intellectual and artistic geniuses of the Renaissance and of history. He led scientific inquiry into the principles of flight, and, had he lived in another age, might have fulfilled his own prophecy of aviation. First detailed treatise on the mech- anism of flight was written in 1505 by Leonardo da Vinci. The great genius of the Renaissance was fas- cinated by the idea of human flight. He made endless observa- tions of the anatomy of birds and their movement. A bird, he wrote, is an instrument working according to mathematical law, which instrument is within the ca- pacity of man to reproduce in all its movements. Leonardo finally worked out the first technical design for a flying machine, based on the wing struc- ture of the bat, which he felt would be most efficient. This machine consisted of a wooden board, two huge wings, a series of ropes and pulleys, and a windlass. Lying prone on the board, his feet in leather stirrups connected by pul- leys to the wings, the flyer was to move his feet up and down to flap the wings, while at the same time operating the windlass with his arms, in order to furnish motive power to raise the machine and propel himself through the air. There is a record of a flight in this or a similar machine by one of Leonardos pupils or servants. After a sustained flight of short duration, the early airplane crash- ed and the aviator is said to have suffered broken legs. Leonardo thus failed to achieve his dream of flight, despite his scientific ap- proach, because he had overesti- mated the strength of human mus- cles. He did, however, make a major contribution to aviation by demonstrating the principle of the parachute. The theory of balloon flight was advanced as early as 1250 by Roger Bacon who proposed a hol- low globe filled with ethereal air or liquid fire. In 1670, Francesco de Lana devised an interesting but impracticable design for an air- ship suspended from vacuum bal- loons. It was not until 1766 with the discovery of hydrogen that Bacons ethereal air became a reality. Flight by balloon soon fol- lowed, ushering in the Air Age. 12 The Balloon Era Earliest kites fly as religious symbols; balloons are used in wars and later set records; glider tests open the way to winged flight One of the most prominent balloonists during the early days of the Twen- tieth Century, Roy Knabenshue was applauded from coast to coast for his daring feats. Nearing his eighties, Mr. Knabenshue retired to his home in Arcadia, Calif., where he contin- ued his interest in aviation, and the writing of his memoirs. The business of preparing for a free flight in a spherical balloon was more or less a routine matter. My first ascent was made with a captive balloon. The ascent was 500 feet and the only sensation was that of keen pleasure, no dread or fear. The first free flight was about the same, except that one would speculate as to the manner of landing . . . The St. Touts Exposition electrified the world when it offered 200,000 for aeronautic events ... On October 25, 1904, Captain T. S. Baldwins ROY KNABENSHUE FLYING EARLY AIRSHIP airship, the California Arrow, made a flight over the Exposition grounds, making a circle around the big Ferris Wheel, and then to the Transporta, tion building, turning again and heading for the Aeronautic Con- course. When almost over the spot from which the flight was started, the motor failed and a final landing was made near East St. Louis. This was the first time in America that a controlled motor driven circular flight had been successfully per- formed. On December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers had made four flights at Kitty Hawk, No. Carolina. At that time they were concerned only with lateral control and fore and aft sta- bility. They did not attempt to make a turn. I gave public exhibitions at state fairs, amusement parks and for busi- ness houses from 1905-1909 . During 1910-11, I managed the ex- hibition business of the Wright Com- pany and witnessed new improve- ments appear almost daily. As far as the public was concerned, the useful day of the airship had passed its zenith. Ralph Hazlett Upson became engaged in airship engineering in 1908. He won the International Balloon Race in 1913,1919 and 1921. He was chief engineer from 1914 to 1918 for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Com- panys aeronautical department which produced most of the American bal- loons and airships used in World War /. He is currently a professor at University of Minnesota Institute of Technology. At the turn of the century, the free balloon had been a well-known and usable type of aircraft for over 100 years. Steerable, power-driven bal- loons, often called dirigibles but more correctly airships, also showed con- siderable promise in experiments by Santos-Dumont and others . At about the same time, Germanys Count Zeppelin was developing his famous rigid airship, composed of a metal frame containing fabric bal- loons and with a fabric outer cover . The next logical step in develop- ment of the power-driven type, close- RALPH UPSON. AT LEFT, AND FRIEND ly paralleling structural development of airplanes, was the all-metal or metal-clad type undertaken in the 20's by the Aircraft Development Corp, of Detroit , . , However, dis- astrous accidents to several large airships of the older type, together with the rapid development of air- plane and helicopter designs, turned away public interest . In the meantime, the oldest and most elementary type of aircraftthe free balloonhas staged an inauspic- ious although meaningful comeback. It has long been recognized that the free balloon is one of the very best means for reaching high altitude in the existing atmosphere . More recent development has main- ly been made possible by improved plastic materials and by progress in radio and other instrumentation, per- mitting full returns from high alti- tude flights by unmanned balloons. Balloons of similar material have been used to carry messages behind the Iron Curtain . It is an inspiring situation today that in spite of spectacular heavier- than-air advances, the older lighter- than-air type, so far from being counted out, still shows promise of greatly expanded usefulness to come. 13 From-P4otWantials.com / RareAviation.com FIRST "BALLON" in the Western World rose 6,000 feet over Annonay, France on June 5, 1783. Built by the Montgolfier brothers, the balloon was made of paper and inflated with hot air. HYDROGEN BALLOON of physicist J.A.C. Charles was first launched August 27, 1783, from Champ de Mars in Paris. The balloon, 13 feet in diameter and con- taining 2,100 cubic feet of gas. rose to more than a half mile, finally settling in Gonesse, 15 miles from Paris. The awe-struck villagers, believing it to be a devilish visitor from the skies, viciously attacked and completely destroyed the balloon. BALLOONS LAUNCH MANS CONQUEST OF AIR Invention of the balloon by French paper makers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier marked beginning of mans ad- ventures in the sky. A huge linen-lined paper bag 35 feet in diameter and filled with hot air, the first Montgolfier rose 6,000 feet. All Europe acclaimed the event. Among the thousands who witnessed it was Benjamin Franklin, in Paris as U.S. delegate and commissioner, who called it a Discovery of great importance ... which may possibly give a new turn to human affairs. The first air-borne passengers were a sheep, a rooster and a duck, sent aloft by the Montgolfier brothers Sept. 19,1783. Today the insignia of the U.S. Lighter-Than-Air Craft Division bears a sheep, rooster and duck. In Oct. 1783 the Montgolfiers sent two men 80 feet high in a captive balloon, and in November the noted French scien- tist, de Rozier, and the Marquis dArlandes, standing in a three-foot-wide wicker basket, sailed over Paris in a Montgolfier balloon. That same year Prof. Jacques A. C. Charles, using a Robert brothers discovery of the solu- bility of rubber, constructed a globe of taffeta impreg- nated with rubber and launched a hydrogen balloon. During the next 70 years men experimented continually in the search for a means to direct the course of balloons regardless of weather conditions. In 1851 Henri Giffard of France proved that it was possible to navigate and control a balloon. He built and flew the first dirigible airship. Motor power for his lighter-than-air craft was furnished by a hundred-pound, one-cylinder steam engine driving a three-bladed propeller designed to run at 110 rpm. The ship attained a speed of six mph. 4 FIRST HUMANS to make free bal- loon flight (I.), Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis dArlandes on Nov. 2, 1783 rose over 3,000 feet and traveled five miles in 20 minutes. Previously only domesticated animals had been used. FIRST FORWARD STEPS in aeronau-^ tical science are credited to two-hour balloon flight of Prof. Charles and the elder Robert, Dec. 1, 1783. Team intro- duced use of hydrogen gas, barometer, valve, suspension carall still used. FIRST SUCCESSFUL CROSSING of the English Channel (Dover to Calais) in a gas-filled balloon was made Dec. 7, 1785 by Blanchard and Jeffries. To stay on course they discarded clothes. TO WIN FAVOR for balloons as safe means of transportation, Mrs, L, A. Sage was first Englishwoman to fly, go- ing up with Vincent Lundari June 1785. Attempts to navigate with oars failed. AMERICA'S FIRST balloon flight was made by Jean Blanchard Jan. 9, 1793, from Philadelphia to New Jersey in 45 minutes. He had passport from Pres. Washington asking U.S. citizens aid. PERFECTED BALLOONS soon carried men aloft regularly. Scientists, inventors and adventurers tried for a century to find ways to direct a balloons flight regardless of weather. Experiments brought disappointment and misunderstanding. Relieved of one disability, balloons immediately fell into an- other. Ardent balloonists became social outcasts, ridiculed by the press (below), molested by the public and considered impious by some members of the clergy for wishing to fly. pi 2.OOO, USE OF MILITARY BALLOONS dates back to the French Revolution. On June 26, 1794, a gas-filled ballon carrying two French soldiers (below) floated over hostile territory at the Battle of Fleur us in Belgium. Its presence over the battlefield confused, demoralized and dispersed the enemy. The balloon spotters directed the artillery firing by the simple use of signal flags. It was the beginning of military aerial activity. CROWDS thrilled at first para- chute jump by Andre J. Gar- nerin from 3,000 ft. over Paris, Oct. 22, 1797. Silk chute used then could not be pack-folded. INVASION BY AIR, land and sea, depicted in this drawing, shows how Napoleon Bonaparte envisioned attack on England (1804), He propounded the idea that an army could be transported across the Channel in large balloons. J. Coutelle, Napoleons Captain of the Aerostiers, was worlds first military balloon observer. His command was disbanded in 1799. While Napoleon III used balloons in Italy, French war craft idled 50 years. MOST PRETENTIOUS conception of a French military balloon came from M. Marey Monge in 1800. Complete in military detail, it could supposedly support an army of 4,000 for months and travel to any hemisphere. In 1805 Thilor- ier proposed transport balloons to carry 3,000. 4 UNHEARD-OF ALTITUDE of 22,892 feet was reached by physicist J. L. Gay- Lussac on September 16,1804. Gay-Lus- sac and Biot (I.) became pioneers in the new scientific studies of aerostation and the nature of the atmosphere, its magnetism, temperature and humidity. ENGLISH INTEREST in balloon sci- tz ence and engineering began to develop when James Sadler of Oxford, first Englishman to ascend, made repeated efforts to cross the Irish Sea. His final attempt in October, 1812 from Dublin to Holyhead also proved unsuccessful. WORLD'S FIRST MARTYRS to ballooning were Frenchmen de Rozier and Romain, killed trying to cross the English Channel in June, 1785. In 1824 Englishman William Sadler (son of James), first to cross the Irish Sea, perished on his 31st ascent. That same year his countryman Thomas Harris supposedly jumped to his death to lighten falling balloon and save his fiancee (I.). Frances Mme. Marie Blanchard, as daring as her husband, was killed in 1819 when hydrogen gas was ignited by fireworks attached to balloon. In 1837 Englishman Robt. Cocking died when chute failed (r.). POTENTIAL of science of ballooning stirred creative ambition during early 19th century. There were schemes for emergency air transport of a whole country from one locale to another. Trips to the North and South Poles and even the moon were advocated. Above is interior of a gondola, designed and equipped for long flights. CUSTOM of flying significant balloons during public celebrations was long | practised. France and England launched them for coronations and in declaration of war, China and Italy (r.) for religious festivities. U.S. fairs used them til 1920s. On THUBSDAT. MAT Mth. 1838 The FIRST ASCENT MONTGOLFIER 3iEaILOOK FLOATINC PLATFORM tnm l/te ft*rwiar iwtf (Wfewfc Thr First Aerial VayaUV In l niclna I ! HEA TED AIR BALLOON I L.L RIA L GI AN V, 110.000 <1 BIC FEET OF AIR, in nio aiu a* < *r uurkH u m*> mr s. Manufacturers advertised their items (above) with ballooning, which had gained prestige, captured public fancy. MAN-POWERED DIRIGIBLE with no engines was built by French architect, Dupuy de Lome. Steered by a rudder, the ship was driven by a propeller powered by eight men. Later ships used de Lomes stability control method. 1877 POLAR EXPEDITION, using three balloons to be transported by water to within 20 miles of the North Pole, was proposed by Commodore Cheyne of the British Navy. Messages to transports were to be telegraphed. "GRAND BALLOON" (above and left), which is shown here in the Tuileries Gardens in front of the Louvre Museum, was built by the brilliant French engineer, Henri Giffard, for the London and Paris world expositions in 1876. In 1851, Giffard, the inventor of the steam injector, had developed a 350 lb. steam engine of 3 hp which could revolve a propel- ler 11 ft. in diameter at 110 rpm. Having thus resolved the elusive problem of achieving a durable and efficient motor power supply, Giffard proceeded to construct, in the follow- ing year, the first practical, steerable balloon in history. It was a 144-foot dirigible, 40 feet in diameter, in the now-ac- cepted elongated form. Ascending in this hydrogen-filled air- ship from the Hippodrome in Paris, on September 24, 1852, Giffard exhibited the first effective control ever exerted on a lighter-than-air craft, as he soared in a light wind at an estimated speed of six mph. He next proposed to build a dirigible with the incredible length of 1,970 feet, but because of tremendous cost involved, construction was never started. POWERED "CIGAR" (above) was one of Americas earliest practical airships. With twin propellers on a single shaft, it carried its builder, Dr. August Greth on a successful trial flight in 1903, and made two other flights the following year. DARING GIRL PARACHUTIST, Katchen Paulus of Germany made 516 balloon t ascents and 197 parachute jumps between 1893 and 1909. This record established her fame as an aerial marvel despite competition of contemporary male balloonists. BALLOON-EQUIPPED CAVALRY took part in maneuvers of the Royal British Engineers on White House Hill (above) in 1897. Later, the British Army adopted kite-balloons of Germany, France. "HARE AND HOUNDS" balloon race (below) was held in Eng- land at turn of century. Hares have departed; hounds start ofl in pursuit, with balloons numbered to insure their identification. From PilotMa POPULAR HERO, Captain Thomas Scott Baldwin (be- low, extreme left) and Hudson Balloon were marvels of the day. Baldwin-made Americas first parachute jump at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, in 1887, built first dirigible balloon in U.S. and Armys first dirigible. SANTOS-DUMONT ACCLAIMED Among the first to build and fly an airship in controlled, sus- tained flight was a brilliant young Brazilian, Alberto Santos- Dumont. In wicker carriage of his Ao. 9 airship, he rudders leisurely past Paris house-tops (top r.). He ascended in his Santos-Dumont No. 1 from the Zoological Gardens, Paris, Sept. 20, 1898, and rose to 1500 feet as he worked controls of a 3%-hp tricycle motor operating a two-bladed propeller. Santos-Dumont again stunned Paris, Oct. 19, 1901, when he piloted his No. 6 airship around the Eiffel Tower (I.), after starting at St, Cloud and covering nine miles in 29% min- utes. In all he constructed and flew 14 airships. To the car- riage of No. 14, he attached a box-kite equipped with an fl- cylinder, 50-hp motor, and flew it on Aug. 22, 1906, thus receiving official credit for making the first European air- plane flight. He next startled Paris when he let an American girl, Aida de Acosta, fly one of his ships (above) in 1910. ZEPPELIN - GIANT AIRSHIP was here, witnessing the use of Prof. Lowe's military bal- loons, that Zeppelin was awakened to aerial navigation. The first rigid dirigible airship to fly was a huge 420-foot- long balloon of cotton-covered aluminum framework. Leaving the special floating hangar (r.) on Lake Con- stance near Menzell, she prepares for her maiden voyage, July 2, 1900. The massive aircraft rose 1300 feet and soared at eight mph over the German-Swiss border. At the controls was her designer-builder. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (portrait I.), retired German Lieutenant General of Cavalry who served as official observer of the Prussian Army in the Union ranks of the American Civil War. It On her second flight, Zeppelins airship lifted and flew in sweeping circles above Lake Constance for an hour and fifteen minutes at speeds up to 20 mph, and landed smooth- ly without mishap. In 15 of 17 hull compartments were balloonets carrying hydrogen gas. Two 16-hp naptha motors, working independently of each other, were housed below, each driving a pair of four-bladed propellers con- nected to the framework. Intercommunication between cars was by speaking tubes and a telegraph system. A sliding weight on her keel furnished vertical control. 28 Winged Man Sweeps Skyward TANDEM GLIDER exhibition (I.) at Santa Clara, Calif., cam- pus on April 29, 1905, featured the monoplane glider, Santa Clara. It was built by Professor John J. Montgomery, Americas forgotten glider pioneer, and demonstrated by Daniel Mal- oney, professional parachute jumper. Given a balloon assist, the glider was cut free at 4,000 feet by the rider. In a controlled flight of eight miles in 20 min- utes, it performed amazing spir- als and dives and landed on a pre-arranged spot. Montgomery, who had conducted many ex- periments between 1883 and 1894, had learned from his first Gull Glider, which he tested in 1884, the importance of curved surfaces for lift and hinged wings or rudders for balance. The poster advertised Mont- gomerys Most Daring Feat. MOST DARING FEIT EYEH ACCOJOLISWD BT MAN ONLY CHANCE TO WITNESS THIS MARVEI.OIS SCIENTIFIC WONDER the monigomeryaeroplane TAKING LESSONS FROM 'HE BIRDS TWIN PROP "AVION," the third and last monoplane built by Clement F. Ader of France, left the ground several times on its test runs, October 12, 1897. However, it crashed two days later when one of it- wings was damaged by wind. GERMAN FLYING MACHINE was built by Karl Jatho ) (insert) of Hanover, Germany, who claimed to have flown it 15 miles on August 18, 1903, almost four months before his- toric flight of Wright Brothers was made at Kitty Hawk, N.C. TRIPLANE glider (I.) was built in 1896 by Octave Chanute (por- trait at right), American civil en- gineer and aeronaut, who started to make gliding flights at the age of 64. Preceded by his 12-plane model, and then a five-plane, the triplane in turn was replaced by his popular biplane known as the Chanute Glider. In the latter famous model, the wings were joined together by vertical posts and diagonal wires forming a Pratt truss, which has since been used very often by biplane de- signers. Over 2,000 flights were made successfully in his gliders. 29 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com READY FOR TAKE-OFF in his first hang-type glider, Otto Lilienthal (above), German scientist and engineer, designed his craft in 1891, using a framework of peeled willow wands covered with waxed cotton cloth. With a wing area of 107 square feet, it weighed forty pounds. He launched himself from a hilltop and soared aloft to crown thirty years of re- search by himself and his brother. Otto became the most skilled glider pilot of his time. His flight downhill, shown below, was in 1895. He lengthened his glides to one-quarter of a mile and rose to 75 feet, guided the craft by shifting his body weight. In less than five years he had standardized his wing spread to 23 feet and made over 2,000 glides. 30 CHARLES MANLY WITH PROF. LANGLEY * GRAND-DADDY OF AERIAL POWER PLANTS 4LAUNCHING OF LANGLEY'S STEAM SHOVEL SAMUEL LANGLEY The 16-foot tandem monoplane shown above (I.), worlds largest powered model, was built in 1896 by Dr. Samuel Pierpont Langley, American scientist and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Catapulted from a houseboat on the Potomac River, the model, designated as Aerodrome No. 5, was powered by a two-hp steam engine and attained a speed of 25 mph in its 3200-foot flight. When the fuel was exhaust- ed, the ship made a smooth three-point landing. At the re- quest of President McKinley, who visualized the use of air- craft in warfare, Langley in 1903 completed his man- carrying Aerodrome, four times larger than the model. An appropriation of $50,000 from the War Department helped to finance the four-year project. The power plant was a 5- cylinder radial gasoline engine which weighed 125 lbs. and developed 52 hp at 950 propeller revolutions per minute. Forerunner of our radial airplane engines,- the great engin- eering achievement was designed and built by Charles M. Manly, chief assistant to Dr. Langley. Poised upon its launch- ing track aboard a houseboat (below, I.) the Aerodrome took off on December 8, 1903, with Manly at the controls. Seconds later, the plane hit the Potomac River tail first. Its rear wings and tail assembly had been damaged before the plane was freed of the catapult. The test flight of the Aero- drome two months earlier (below, r.) also ended in the river after the ship hit a guy post on the launching track. FrorTrf5lilotMaHual3'.'icoiiTi / RareAviation. V , ' . OF ENGLAND-WENT ON TO WIN WORLD RENOWN FR0M thE.R RIGHTS At'kITTY HAWK. ORVILLE (.) and WUBUR .) WRIGHT WITH KIN Wright Brothers Era The Air Age is ushered in by brilliant pioneering work at Kitty Hawk and efforts of Santos-Dumont, Curtiss, Bleriot and others As Secretary of Commerce and President of the United States, Herbert Hoover se- cured legislation for research in aircraft, the first compre- hensive safety regulations, and the building of America's na- tional airways. His vigorous support of aviation continues. EX-PRESIDENT HOOVER Some years ago I visited Kitty Hawk under a Congres- sional delegation to select a site and build there a monu- ment to Orville and Wilbur Wright. While there the local telegraph operator showed me the original telegram of the Wright Brothers, dated December 17, 1903, to their devoted sister, saying as my note shows: We have done it. Succeeded in four flights 31 miles an hour against the wind. Thus began a new era for mankind. Soon, despite public skepticism, there came able men to the support of the Wrights with a vision of fulfillment of mans age-old dream of winged flight. Year by year these far-seeing pioneers steadied the wings, flew faster, higher, longer and longer with increas- ing safety. It has been a long road of brilliant invention and magnificent manufacture from the canvas biplane with 12-horsepower motor of the Wrights to the all-metal monoplane and the gigantic Turbo Jets. In the span of my generation alone, there has come this magnificent revolution in transportation. With it, mens radius, their efficiency and effectiveness have been enormously increased, employment has been expanded, public health improved, and standards of living lifted.... This book records in pictorial form some of the many steps that have led us to a new era of national and inter- national communication and exchange. It is an unfinished story of courage and achievementunfinished because today we are on the threshold of new achievements, with airplanes moving beyond the speed of sound and with promise to double that speed. We now honor the pioneers of controlled flightnot only the Wrights and their determined disciples, but the pioneers who are projecting the airplane into unexplored realms of usefulness. The first U.S. Army pilot, Brig. Gen. Frank P. Lahm, USAF (ret.), has had a distinguished military career, and held the post of Assistant Chief of the Army Air Corps. He brought the first international air trophy to the U.S. by winning the first Gordon Bennett Balloon Cup Race in 1906. One summer day in 1907, in my fathers house in Paris, 1 was intro- duced to Wilbur and Orville Wright, the beginning of a long and treasured friendship. The world at that time had not yet come to recognize fully the significance of the Wright air- plane nor the historic importance of their first flight at Kitty Hawk. The U.S. War Department at that time was cool to the idea of the air- planes military potential, due pri- marily to the earlier unsuccessful efforts of Professor Langley. ... It was only through the farsighted in- tervention of Teddy Rooseveltwho ARMY LT. FRANK LAHM (I.) AND FRIEND unearthed a special $25,000 carte blanche presidential fund which was ten years oldthat the Army was able to contract for its first airplane. The contract provided that the plane attain a speed of 40 miles per hour, carry two persons for one hour, be maneuverable in all directions, be adapted to dismantling and loading on an escort wagonand that two Army officers be instructed to fly the machine. In the summer of 1908, Orville Wright delivered the airplane at Ft. Meyer, Virginia, and after a few pre- liminary trials, gave me the thrill of having my first flight, lasting about six minutes. I had known the excite- ment of leaving the earth four years earlier, when I engaged in my first balloon ascent, but this introduction to powered flight was a most memor- able experience. The following summer the Wrights fulfilled the government contract, and that fall, under the able tutorship of Wilbur, Lt. F. E. Humphreys and myself were given our training and qualified as airplane pilots. Fortunate are those of us who were privileged to participate in the early chapters of aviation history and to have shared in the realization of mans dream to fly. 33 From Pi I otMa n uals.co m/ RareAviation.com All distance gliding records were smashed by Wrights in previous year with their second glider, which was double the size of the first one. Experimenting with wing warping, they glided 389 feet, maintaining equilibrium in a 27 mph wind. WRIGHTS' THIRD GLIDER of 1902 was flown a thousand times over the Kitty Hawk sand dunes, Wilbur lies prone in glider (above) that had a 32-foot wing spread and movable tail, fore-runner of modern controls of aileron and rudder. A MAN CONQUERS THE AIR Wilbur and Orville Wright at last discover the secret of powered flight On icy-cold, wind-swept sand dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, five men and a boy witnessed the first successful flight of an engine-driven, heavier-than-air, man-carrying flying machine. The historic date was to become world famousDecember 17, 1903. The successful trial flights that bleak morning were the happy culmi- nation of four busy years of study and testing for Wilbur and Orville Wright. Sons of a United Brethren preacher, they were reared in a stern late-Victorian atmosphere. From Yankee pioneers who had settled in the Ohio River valley a century be- fore, the Wright Brothers inherited an aptitude for independent judg- ment, personal courage and mechani- cal talents of superior calibre. Two older brothers, Lorin and Reuchlin, and a younger sister, Katherine, went on to college, while Wilbur and Or- ville, who preferred to putter and invent gadgets, finished only a high school education. A toy helicopter, made in Paris, awakened their curiosity about flying machines. The death of German sci- entist, Otto Lilienthal, killed while experimenting with gliders in 1896, was the impetus which impelled the brothers to study the problems of flight. Over a period of four years, rejecting previous findings, they solved the key problems of flight through their development of wing- warping and the horizontal rudder; experiment taught them how to in- ORIGINAL Wright engine was a four- cylinder, water-cooled model without sparkplugs. It developed 16 hp. at 1,200 rpm and used a fuel injection system. crease lift and decrease drag. First official word that the Wrights had flown successfully was contained in the message telegraphed by Orville from Kitty Hawk to Bishop Wright: Success four flights Thursday morn- ing all against twenty-one mile wind started from level with engine power alone average speed through air thirty-one miles longest 59 seconds inform press home Christmas. Wrights hometown papers made brief mention of the event, but the press generally ignored it, in the be- lief that the report was merely a hoax. Further experiments followed in the attempt to build a more airworthy flying craft and master the techniques of flying. The Wrights bold demon- strations removed the last vestige of skepticism regarding mans ability to fly a heavier-than-air machine. For their great contribution to the world, the Wright Brothers enjoyed recognition and financial reward rarely received by inventors during their lifetime. Their solid scientific methods had set free the ancient dream of human flight. FIRST "HANGER" was built by the Wrights in 1901 at Kitty Hawk for as- sembling gliders. Isolated location near Roanoke Island was listed by U.S. Wea- ther Bureau as having suitable winds. FIRST MODEL, assembled in 1903, } weighed 750 pounds, was equipped with gasoline motor and two pusher propel- lers. The wings, 6 feet apart and 6% feet wide, had a span of over 40 feet. DECEMBER 17, 1903 marked first free, controlled and sus- tained airplane flight. Piloted by Orville, plane is lifting off ground as Wilbur runs alongside. Results of four trials (Wilbur piloted 2nd and 4th) were: (I) 120 ft., 12 sec.; (2) 195 ft., 11 sec.; (3) over 200 ft., 15 sec.; (4) 852 ft., 59 sec. Gust of wind damaged plane after fourth trial. Photo was taken by John T. Daniels, coastguardsman; Orville had focused camera on a point beyond the end of the track. CAMP AT KITTY HAWK was rebuilt in Sept. 1903. Weather conditions and mechanical mishaps postponed test scheduled for September. Dec. 14 test failed when plane stalled and fell after being in air 3*/2 seconds. Repairs took two days. BIRTHPLACE of airplane was this bicycle shop on West Third St., Dayton, Ohio, where the brothers entered bicycle manufacturing business in 1895. Here they experimented with a crude wooden wind tunnel and built their first gliders. WILBUR LIES PRONE in normal flying position of early trials. In Dec. 14 trial, men from life saving station helped slide plane up Kill Devil Hill. Taking off into the wind, plane rose too quickly, stalled and settled to the ground. WIND TUNNEL, at left, proved useful in studying air lift. First design was made by knocking ends out of large laundry starch box. An air blast was supplied by a screw fan at one end. Later, sides of tunnel were constructed of wood. WILBUR GOES TO EUROPE World interest in aviation had grown tremendously by 1908. The Wright Brothers clung tenaciously to their hard-won aerial prominence in the face of growing competition. During this eventful year, Wilbur devoted most of his time to making record flights. He also sold patent-rights to a French syndicate for $100,000. Orville remained in the U. S. to conclude the Army plane contract with the U. S. government. On Aug. 8, 1908, Wilbur made his first official flight over Le Mans, France. Other flights followed until, in Sep- tember, he broke the worlds record by flying in excess of 52 miles, remaining aloft 1 hr., 31 mins, and 25 secs. On Sept. 21, 1908 he carried a passenger. Not all flights were without accident. Wilburs trial run on Aug. 13 over Le Mans (the Hunaudieres Race Course) resulted in damage of a wing on landing. In photo at left Wilbur explains to spectators that accident was due to improper leveling- off. American tourists visiting Paris flocked to the Le Mans trial flights. Wilburs damaged plane (r., above) is being examined by three famous American ladies: (I. to r.) Mrs. Hart O. Berg, the wife of Wrights European agent. Miss Anne Morgan, and Miss Elizabeth Marbury. Orville and their sister Katherine joined Wilbur in France during December, 1908. Their flying operations were transferred to Pau in Southern France where weather conditions were more suitable for flying. DISTINGUISHED visitors pull on rope at Le Mans: Comte de Lambert (white) collar and cap); Sir Arthur Balfour (long cape); Sir Alfred Harmsworth, later Lord Northcliffe (fur coat). French Aero Club awarded trophy. WRECKED PLANE is repaired immediately after accident on Aug. 13, 1908 during trial run at Le Mans. The main damage was done to left wing during landing. Wilbur is assisted by Fleury, Hart O. Bergs chauffeur. Berg, as Wrights European agent, was a contact man. FIRST WOMAN passenger to be flown by Wrights, Mrs. Hart 0. Berg, took off with Wilbur on Oct. 7, 1908. The courageous Mrs. Berg tied her skirt secure- ly to ankles with string cord. 4 TEST FLYING and flight instruc- tion occupied Wilbur during 1908. Royalty deserts their carriages here to seek better viewing positions. Fly- ing with Wilbur is student Paul Tissandier, his French protege. VISITING ROYALTY at Pau, ) France included Englands King Ed- ward VII, Dowager Queen Margher- ita of Italy and King Alfonso XIII of Spain (r. in light suit). Govern- ment observers also witnessed trials. ORVILLE AT FORT MYER In December, 1907, the U. S. Signal Corps drew up specifications for an airplane and invited bids. The Wright Brothers submitted a bid for a biplane at $25,000. It was accepted; Orville built the plane and transported it to Ft. Myer in the fall of 1908 (above). On September 9, 1908, after many test runs (r.), he established three world endurance records. His best flight that day was 1 hour, 2 mins, and 15 sec. in which he circled the drill ground 55 times. FIRST FATALITY occurred Sept. 17, 1908 when Orville, in one of Army trial runs (I.), took up Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, designer of planes with Glenn Curtiss. Trouble developed at 125 ft. and plane fell out of control. Selfridge was killed and Orville suffered a fractured thighbone and broken ribs. In wreck of airplane (r.), Orville lies on ground in group at right. Selfridge was under wreckage. Selfridge is shown in center with air enthusiast Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. "PIGS MIGHT FLY", old adage used by debunkers of flight, was refuted in 1909 by J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon (later Lord Brabazon of Tara). Built from Wright design by Short Brothers, plane won him prize for first British circular flight of one mile. He also made 1909s longest flight, 18 miles. HISTORIC GROUP met at the Short factory in 1908 to ne- gotiate manufacture of Wright airplanes in England. Seated (I. to r.) J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon, Wilbur, Orville, C. S. Rolls; standingOswald, Horace, Eustace Short, Frank Mc- Lean, Griffith, Brewer, Hedges, Butler, Lockyear, unknown. WRIGHT BROTHERS' BID of $25,000 for airplane was ac- cepted by U.S. Signal Corps in February, 1908. In December, when Orville was recovering from his Ft. Myer injuries, he and Katherine Wright (above) joined Wilbur (portrait I.) in France where flight demonstrations had brought honors from many countries and had melted remaining European skepticism and American indifference. They sailed home when notified U.S. Army would expect final tests by mid-June. DAYTON HOMECOMING was a tumultuous two-day cele- bration (June 17-18, 1909). Gov. Judson Harmon (I.) pre- sents Wrights with State of Ohio Gold Medal. Behind him sit Wilbur, Orville, Bishop Wright, who delivered the invocation, and elder brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin. Official U.S. recog- nition occurred at White House, June 11, when Pres. Taft (above, c.) awarded them medal of Aero Club of America. In February, 1910, Smithsonian awarded Langley medal. CROWN PRINCE of Germany (second from r.) flew with Orville on Oct. 2, 1909. While Orville was in Germany to train pilots for new Ger- man Wright Co., he set new flight record. WILBUR DRESSED FOR FLYING in conservative business suit character- ized the Wrights, who accounted for every penny spent. Total cost of first Flyer was less than $1000. At Bayside, N. J., Wilbur (r.) kneels with friend and Wright pilot, Frank T. Coffyn, by kite he gave Coffyns son. r I FIRST ARMY PLANE Resuming government tests, Orville made series of preliminary flights (I.) at Ft. Myer, June 28, 1909. Official Washington poured into army base to observe flights, as did Wilbur, Katherine and their Dayton mechanic, Charles Tay- lor. Standing by test plane are (7. ko r.) Lt. Ben D. Foulois, Wilbur, Lt. Frank P, Lahm, Orville. Fulfilling Army require- ments on July 27, Orville, piloting Lahm, broke record for two-man flight with time of 1 hr., 12 mins., 40 sec. On first cross-country flight (July 30), he averaged 42.5 mph. AMONG ARMY men who flew during Ft. Myer tests was Lt. Foulois, later Ma- jor Gen. and Army Air Services Chief. WILBUR'S DRAMATIC flight on Oct. 4, 1909, was over Hudson River from Gov- ernors Island to Grants Tomb, back. IN OPEN HANGER at Ft. Myer, Or- ville is seen with soldier, unknown man, and Charles Taft, son of Pres. Taft. FLIGHT on Sept. 29, 1909, was from Governors Island around Statue of Liberty on Bedloes Island and return. LT. FRANK LAHM (in front of Wil- bur), taught by Wright Brothers, also participated in the tests at Ft. Myer. DRAMATIC race between Wrights Twentieth Century Flyer and passenger train presaged era of commercial flying. PROPHET OF FLIGHT and controversial pioneer, Alberto Santos-Dumont of Brazil made first airplane flight in Europe. Development of the motorized airship and exploits with heavier-than-air machines gave him a leading place in avia- tion history. From 1898 Paris saw his daring flights. In Nov. 1906 he flew his aeromobile, a Hargrave box-kite with an 8-cylinder motor, called the 14 Bis (above). It flew tail first, 685 feet in 21 seconds, 10 feet off the ground. FRANCE BLAZES AIR TRAILS Santos-Dumont, Farman and Voisin brothers discover new secrets of flight Alberto Santos-Dumont from Brazil was a courageous pioneer whose name pressed hard on the heels of the Wrights in terms of his aerial ac- complishments both with lighter-than- air and heavier-than-air flying ma- chines. Throughout Latin America his name shines with rare distinction and for years his supporters have maintained that he, not the Wrights, was the first to fly. They assert that the Wrights catapulted themselves into the air whereas Santos-Dumont rose from ground solely by motor. Undoubtedly there will continue to be a residue of doubt in some as to whom the laurels belong. Surely his sheer flying skill, inventive capacity, continued willingness to assume per- sonally the costs of all his experi- ments and the qualities of his show- manship entitle Santos-Dumont to world wide praise and acclamation. Born of great wealth on a coffee plantation in 1873, he went to Paris at 18 to investigate the inventions of Henri Giffard and the steerable bal- loon. In 1897 he made his first bal- loon flight as passenger. Remaining in Paris, he began designing motor- ized balloons. His early flights often ended in disaster, and he miraculously escaped death many times. On one occasion he was fast falling to certain death in his collapsing balloon when he called to some children playing with kites to catch his guide rope. They did as he directed and ran against the wind with it, easing him to a safe landing. He continued with his ex- periments. He endowed the balloon with dirigibility. Fitting a gaso- line motor and a direct drive airscrew to a gondola swung under a cylin- drical gas bag, he could fly with speed and direction. Subsequently Santos-Dumont de- signed and built highly maneuverable airplanes which maintained constant speed and performed reliably in dis- tance flight. The first European flight was made by him on Oct. 23, 1906. Flying nearly 200 feet at 25 mph he won the Archdeacon prize offered to the first to fly 25 meters (82 feet). Later in the year he held the official record for his flight of 690 feet in 21-1/5 seconds. A man of generous instincts, San- tos-Dumont gave up patent rights on his 1909 Demoiselle, supplying de- signs to anyone interested and ended his flying days. The Demoiselle was later placed in the Aeronautical Mu- seum at Chalais-Meudon near Paris. THE "DEMOISELLE" and Santos-Dumont are seen in his workshop. This miniature plane had a wing surface of only 102 sq. ft. Designed for his own pleasure, it was Santos- , Dumonts favorite. On Sept. 13, 1909 he flew it 5 miles in 12 mins, at 25 mph to win a $200 bet. He got the plane to the field by lashing it onto a special bed on his car (right). The Demoiselle, with 24-hp engine, weighed about 200 lbs. It gained reputation for stability as well as speed. HENRI FARMAN, an Englishman, honored French aviation. Once a champion bicyclist and race car driver, his flying skill and endurance made him world famous. His first great feat was in 1907 when he flew 770 meters at over 50 mph. CROSSING FINISH LINE to win the Deutsch-Archdeacon prize, Farman was first to fly one kilometer (.621 mi.). French Aero Ciuh watched flight on January 13, 1908. He flew Voisin biplane to 500-me ter mark, circled and returned. BROTHERS Gabriel and Henri Voisin began their partnership as glider build- ers before 1903. Influenced by Santos- Dumont, they became first designers and manufacturers of planes in France. FARMAN FLEW CROSS-COUNTRY from Chalons toiRheims,France, in Oct. 1908, a 20-minute flight. Above, his Voisin plane skirts a village church At the Rheims internal'! aviation week (Aug. 22-29, 1909) Farman broke worlds record in Grand Prix de Champagne. He receives congratulations (r.) from Mme. Sommer whose husband was competitor. In Oct., Farman, Sommer and others competed in England. BLERIOT'S FOLLY was this contraption built about 1904 in collaboration with Gabriel Voisin. Combining the struc- ture of the aquaplane and a wind tunnel, it was towed by a fast motor boat. It nearly drowned Voisin during one test. FRENCH PRODUCTION of airplanes under enterprising Voisin brothers (factory, below) paced rest of world. Leon Delagrange was first to show Voisin biplane in 1907. Farman influenced the change from skids to wheels for landing. AERIAL EXPERIMENT ASSOCIATION, organized in 1907 by Bell to explore problems of flight, included four promis- ing men, each to design an airplane; (I. to r.) F. W. Casey Baldwin, Lt. T. Selfridge, G. Curtiss, Bell, J. A. D. McCurdy. WINDWAGON was an early (1904) experiment of motor- cycle enthusiast Glenn H. Curtiss, His ingenuity and daring attracted the eye of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, about to embark on experiments in aeronautics. WRIGHTS GET COMPETITION Motorcycle champion Glenn Curtiss takes to the air-and soars into history The name of Glenn Hammond Cur- tiss is outstanding in the story of the development of the air age in Amer- ica. Born in Hammondsport, N. Y., May 31, 1878, the pattern of his life began to emerge at the age of 19 when he started to win bicycle races around his home town. He soon ex- perimented with many light, air- cooled engines and turned to motor- cycles. By 1904, Glenn Curtiss had gained fame, setting a cycle speed record which stood for years. In 1902 the famous balloonist, Thomas Baldwin, approached Curtiss with the idea of using one of his lightweight motors to power an air- ship Baldwin was planning to con- struct. Their collaboration led to the sale of a Curtiss-powered airship to the U.S. ArmyAmericas first mili- tary airship (1905). Now interested in aeronautics, Curtiss was persuaded by the noted telephone inventor, Alexander Gra- hame Bell to join the Aerial Experi- ment Association which Dr. Bell was then organizing (1907). With $25,000 capital, supplied by Mrs. Bell, the A.E.A. commenced op- erations at the inventors home at Baddeck, Nova Scotia, and later moved to Hammondsport. After successful glider tests, they turned to the construction of powered aircraft. Four airplanes were built, each the project of one of Bells as- sociates. The third, Curtiss June Bug, was the most successful of the lot. In 1908 it won the first aviation prize to be awarded in America, the Scientific American trophy. The fourth, McCurdys Silver Dart, was also satisfactory. After the Association was dissolv- ed, Glenn Curtiss formed a partner- ship with A. M. Herring. Herring had been Octave Chanutes assistant back in the nineties, and claimed to have flown in 1898 a large biplane model powered by a compressed air engine. The Herring-Curtiss Co. was the first airplane manufacturing firm in the U.S. Here the Gold Bug was built, as well as the famous Golden Flyer which won the first international air race at Rheims, France. In 1910 the partnership ended and the Glenn H. Curtiss Manufacturing Co, came into being. "RED WING", first powered airplane of the Association, was Selfridges project. On March 12, 1908, Aerodrome No. 1 was of- ficially tested in his absence by Thomas Baldwin. It proved unman- ageable, and was wrecked after an erratic flight of 319 feet. "AERODROME NO. 2" or White Wing, was Casey Baldwins contribution, and first equipped with ailer- ons. With Baldwin piloting, it flew 93 yds. on May 18, 1908. In this machine, Curtiss made his first flight. TETRAHEDRAL KITE of 1909 was the final culmination of A. G. Bells idea. Though it lifted a man, this machine saw no further development. It was unlikely to reach any note- worthy speed with so much drag. Chief value of Bells kites was encouragement given AEA by success of earlier version. THE "JUNE BUG," with designer Curtiss as pilot, won the Scientific American Cup on July 4, 1908. The flight, first officially observed in the U.S., was slightly less than a mile, completed in 1% min., exceeded the requirements and amazed everyone present, even the official observers. CURTISS' TRIUMPH came with his design of Drome No. 3, the June Bug, It flew so well that the group decided to try for the Scientific American Trophy, to be awarded for the first machine to fly a km. officially observed. Up to that time no American airplane had ever flown before the public. SECRET of the June Bugs success, more than any other single factor was the air-cooled, V-8 lightweight Curtiss engine with 40 hp. "SILVER DART", McCurdys effort for the A.E.A. was flown on Dec. 12, 1908, per- formed perfectly, and con- cluded Associations tests. UNLIKE "LONE WOLF" Wright Brothers, Glenn Hammond Curtiss always worked as a member of a team (below I.), albeit usually the head. When the A.E.A. was dissolved, he entered into a partnership with A. M. Herring. The Herring- Curtiss Co. became the first aircraft factory in the U. S. First product was the biplane Gold Bug (below, r. with Curtiss at the controls). When it was sold for profit, the Wrights claimed Curtiss ailerons infringed on their patents. "GOLD BUG," first Herring-Curtiss product, was built for the Aeronautical Society of New York. It performed so well that before it was delivered to the Society, Curtiss used it to win the second Scientific American contest, in which he passed the 25-km. requirement on July 17, 1909. INFLUENCE of the Gold Bugs design can be seen in this later Curtiss biplane, flying over the frozen surface of Lake Keuka in 1910. Soundness of basic configuration is also demonstrated by the Pfitzner monoplane (on the ice) which was constructed by Curtiss, followed the same ideas. SEAPLANE IDEA had begun to intrigue Curtiss about the time the A.E.A. was breaking up. For his first attempt, he added crude pontoons to the old June Bug, renaming it the Loon. During November, 1908, he made many efforts to fly the Loon off the surface of Lake Keuka, N. Y., but failed. A long-distance flight on May 31, 1910, from Albany to New York City, won for Glenn Curtiss the New York World prize of >10,000. G.H. is seen (r. above) leaving Poughkeepsie, his first stop on the 142^ mile flight, completed in 2 hr. 50 min., thereby winning again the Scientific American trophy. CURTISS FLIERS gave Wright team considerable competition. Outstanding among them was Charles K. Hamilton (I. be- low), who made the first long cross-country flight in America, June 13, 1910. The 149^ mile trip, New York to Philadel- phia and return, took Hamilton 3 hours, 27 minutes and won him the >10,000 prize of the New York Times and Philadel- phia Ledger. Other famous Curtiss pilots included Bud Mars, who is shown at the old Mineola flying field in New York, first airport in the United States. With him (I. to r. below) are Mrs. Mars, Mrs. Glenn Curtiss and Mrs. Eugene Ely. SEAPLANE SUCCESS was finally achieved by Glenn Curtiss on Jan. 26, 1911, at San Diego, Calif. This was the first hydroplane flight in the U.S. The first in the world was by H. Fabre in France, March 28, 1910. G. H. continued to develop the hydroplane (improved model above) which was a big factor in convincing the U.S. Navy of the prac- ticability of aircraft. Above, at Curtiss school in 1910, are (I. to r.) Godet, Russel, Doherty, Curtiss, Havens, Lt. Mc- Clasky, U.S.M.C., Lt. Beck U.S.A, (being trained to fly for army), Lt. Towers, U.S.N.; Lt. Ellyson, U.S.N. and Dixon. NAVY'S FIRST AIRPLANE was the Curtiss Triad amphibian. At Lake Ke- uka, N.Y. are seen Glenn Curtiss, at the controls, and Navy Lt. Ellyson riding as passenger. Many high-ranking Naval officers stubbornly resisted the creation of an aviation service, others were more farsighted. Support given by Admiral George Dewey, hero of Man- ila, was of immeasureable assistance. CURTISS-FATHER OF NAVAL AVIATION Determined to solve the problem of operating aircraft off the surface of water, Glenn Curtiss made the first successful seaplane take-off on Jan- uary 26, 1911. The formerly apath- etic U.S. Navy was forced to take notice, and the first Navy airplane was finally ordered. The seaplane was delivered by the Curtiss Aeroplane Co. in July, 1911. A Navy aviation service gradual- ly came into being, in spite of con- tinued high-level opposition. This was mainly due to the demonstrations of Glenn Curtiss and the untiring efforts of Captain Washington Irving Cham- bers, U.S.N. NAVY PILOTS Nos. 1 and 3 were Lts. Theodore Ellyson (I.) and John Tow- ers, eventually Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, shown here in a Curtiss bi- plane at Hammondsport Flying School. Pilot No. 2 was Ens. Chas. Pousland. MODERN AIRCRAFT CARRIERS were born on Nov. 14, 1910, when Curtiss pilot Eugene Ely became first man to fly an airplane off the deck of a ship. The cruiser Birmingham, anchored at Hampton Roads, was equipped with a sloping 28 by 83 foot platform for this trial. Two months later (Jan. 18, 1911) Ely bested his own performance by taking off from the shore at San Francisco and landing on cruiser Pennsylvania. After a short visit aboard ship (below r.), he flew back to shore. FLYING VISIT to the Pennsylvania by Glenn Curtiss demonstrated to the still doubtful Navy that aircraft and fleet could combine operations. He is seen being hoisted aboard after shore-to-ship flight in San Diego Bay, Feb. 17, 1911. BRUISED BUT HAPPY, Louis Bleriot landed on British soil at 5:20 a.m., Sunday morning, July 25, 1909, the first man to conquer the English Channel by air. He had flown 25 miles over water without guide or com- pass. Sighting the white cliffs of England and adrift on a southwest wind, Bleriot followed some boats and landed behind Dover castle. HAIL THE CONQUEROR! Mme. Bleriot (above) was among the first to congratulate her husband after his heroic flight across the English Channel (below). Although beset by difficulties, mechani- cal and physical (his foot was in bandages), Bler- iot landed safely in Dover. The plane was shipped to London by train and Bleriot followed. In the four days which followed his landing in England, his Type XI monoplane was viewed with awe by some 120,000 people in London. BLERIOT FLIES CHANNEL On July 25, 1909, the world was suddenly awakened to the airplanes promise of becoming more than a mechanical toy. Louis Bleriot of France had flown the English Channel from Calais to Dover, 25 miles in 37 minutes. Bleriot had begun to experiment with aviation in 1901, and succeeded in developing the monoplane further than any other experimenter. Real success came when he won the Prix de Voyage for a flight from Etamps to Orleans. He then set out to win the London Daily Mail prize of $5,000 for the first flight across the English Channel. Early in the morning of July 25, a sleepless Bleriot saw his chance, warmed up his monoplane and was well on his way to the shores of England, while his rivals slept. EARLIER SUCCESS of Louis Bleriot included one of his first monoplanes (above), a canard, or tail-first, type of craft amazingly streamlined for the period. Below, Bleriot is airborne on a cross-country flight total- ing 41.2 km over France, with three landings (October 21, 1908.). MAGNIFICENT FAILURES were Hubert Latham's attempts at Channel fame. On July 19, 1909 he took off from Sangatte, France, in his graceful Antoinette monoplane, and made for England. He was forced down two miles out. Undaunted, he flew again on July 27, arrived within one mile of Dover. SCULPTOR Leon Delagrange was one of the great French pioneer fliers. A contemporary of the famous Henri Farman, he was also an exhibition flier. In Turin, Italy, Delagrange took Mme. Theresa Peltier for a ride, and she became the first woman airplane passenger (July 8, 1908). ANOTHER FRENCH pioneer was Robert Esnault-Pelterie whose monoplane designs threatened to rival those of Lieriot. His early (1907) type (above) is interesting for its variable incidence wing and central landing gear with small outboard wheels. Modified, these features have been tested on jets. AVROPLANE of A. V. Roe was the first to fly in England (June 8, 1908). The worlds first triplane, it used its three wings in an effort to gain more lifting area. After many crashes and mishaps, Roe mastered the design, and his air- craft later became famous in combat in both World Wars. UGLY DUCKLING of Gastambide-Mengin Co., Paris, even- tually developed into the graceful Antoinette monoplane. The Antoinettte motor, a superb V-8 engine which G-M had man- ufactured for several years, had been employed by Santos- Dumont, Farman, Delagrange and Lieriot in their first flights, produced for their own airplanes. The first plane (below) de- signed by Levavasseur (walking toward camera), was fairly airworthy. Two more were built that year (1908), the last proving quite successful. Called Antoinette III, the first to use that name, it evolved into a famous type of aircraft. HUBERT LATHAM, popular after his gallant Channel at- tempts, was one of the greats who assembled at Rheims, France for the first international air meet, Aug. 22-29, 1909. He is seen with Mlle. Antoinette Gastambide, after whom his airplane and engine were named. He won first prize for altitude (154 meters) and placed second in Grand prix de Champagne for duration. Latham's monoplane Antoinette (top), which he flew exclusively, was streamlined and effi- cient. Below is pilots seat, then called drivers seat, as well as steam radiators, controls and typical triangular fuselage. FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEET World's great airmen assemble at Rheims to compete for $37,000 in prizes Climax of the flying year 1909 was the international aero meet at Rheims, France, the worlds first aviation competition. When it was announced, fliers throughout Europe began to prepare their craft for the event. Louis Bleriot, fresh from his triumphant Channel flight, cast an eye toward the newly-established James Gordon Ben- nett speed trophy. The famed French aviator went to work on a new racer using the E. N. V. engine of 80 hp, an unheard-of force at that time. Others were priming their airplanes for peak performance. Among the thirty contesting entrants were the top names in flying, and the roster at Rheims read like a whos who in aviation. When he learned that there was no American entry, the indomitable Glenn Curtiss petitioned the Aero Club of America to name him its rep- resentative in the speed race. With July nearly over and the meet sched- uled for August 22, Curtiss had the problem of constructing a plane. In a few weeks he designed and built both airframe and engine, sailed for Eu- rope, and arrived j ust in time to qual- ify for the Bennett and other contests. Thirty-eight airplanes were entered in the competitions at Rheims. Events began on Saturday, the 22nd, when, in spite of inclement weather and an abundance of mud on the field, a huge crowd gathered. They were to gasp at twelve machines flying at once. Even President Fallieres of France came to see records broken, and was not disappointed. On Sunday, Curtiss set a new speed record for 10 km; Tuesday, Bleriot broke this mark. The following day Latham established a duration record, only to lose it to Henri Farman, who won the duration prize for his long flight of August 27. Farmans record flight covered 118 miles non-stop and earned for him the Grand Prix. On the same day, Latham flew to a height of 508 feet, winning the altitude award. The meet continued with the first James Gordon Bennett speed classic, won by Curtiss. Bleriot then broke all records for speed over a 10 km course, reaching the tremen- dous velocity of 48 mph. On the last day, Farman won a prize for carrying two passengers, and Curtiss set a speed mark for the 30 km course. The impetus given to flying by the Rheims meet was incalculable, sec- ond only to Bleriots Channel flight. The seemingly insignificant records were incredible at the time, and the reliability demonstrated by most of the machines dispelled many of the publics fears and misconceptions about flight. Fortunately too, there were no fatalities to mar this good impression. Thereafter, aviations for- tunes soared. Those pioneer pilots, Bleriot, Farman and Curtiss, also pio- neered the aviation industry. Bleriots plant produced civil and military air- craft until 1935; Farman, with his brothers, manufactured planes which had considerable influence on design; and Curtiss became a leader in Amer- ican aircraft production. 48 SPEED PRIZEr the Coupe Internationale dAviation, better known as the James Gordon Bennett Trophy, was offered for top speed over a 20 km course. A gift of the publisher of the New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett (in derby), the prize created keen interest in the event. The worlds best fliers were drawn to Rheims to compete for the coveted trophy at this historic first international meet. AT RHEfMS, airplane designer M. Le- vavasseur talked to Latham. Latters doctors had given him one year to live. He took up flying, won fame, and years later was killed while on African safari. HORSEPOWER, provided by French troopers mount, brought Bleriots No. 24 monoplane to starting line at Rheims meet. After hitting new speed mark, plane crashed; Bleriot lived. FRENCH army bugler sig- naled start of each heat. BENNETT RACE was the climax of the great meet. The contest narrowed down to a duel between Frances Louis Bleriot and Glenn Curtiss of U.S. The French pilot had a special airplane for the event with an 80 hp V-8 engine, the most power- ful at Rheims. He blazed around the 20 km course in 15 min., 56 sec., but was six seconds slower than Curtiss, who won. Next day Bleriot flew his monoplane to a new speed mark but lost control and crashed. Bursting ^nto flames, the monoplane was destroyed. The aviator was fortunate in escaping alive. He and Mme. Bleriot are shown (r.) after the accident which almost ended his career. 49 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com AMAZING FEATS astounded the crowds who attended the meet at Rheims. The public had been accustomed to aerial exhibitions where,after considerable flipping of propellers and other preliminaries, an airplane would limp into the air, weather permitting, and fly un- steadily around a small field. Never before had there been performances like these, never before such impressive evidence of the vitality and potential of aviation. There was Glenn Curtiss of America (I.), whose Golden Flyer virtually flew off the drawing board to the Bennett trophy victory. There were thrilling individual contests between the leading air- men, such as the race seen above between Louis Paulhan and the victor, M. Tissandier (leading). Low flying, wing-dipping exhibitions brought the spectators to their feet cheer- ing. Best performance was given by Lefebvre (r.), whose recklessness astonished crowds. NOT ONLY RECORDS were shattered at Rheims. In addi- tion to Bleriots monoplane which crashed in flames, there were many other accidents. The photograph above shows Louis Paulhans plane after it crashed. Henry Fourniers craft was also wrecked. Accidents usually occurr^t because pilots pushed machines beyond their capabilities; however, the aviators involved all escaped serious injury. Most of the wrecked planes were of the Voisin design, an indication of the inherent weakness of that type. These machines were improved soon after the meet. Thus from performance test- ing, pilots, designers and technicians learned and changed aircraft. As the infant industry grew, public acceptance of flying grew. With increased aerial activity, the sight of a plane flying overhead soon became a commonplace one. 50 , CONSIDERED A THRILLING SPECTACLE A SHORT TIME BEFORE, RENARD AIRSHIP, IGNORED BY THE CROWD, SAILS OVER RHEIMS FIELD IN CENTER OF STARTING LINE-UP OF VOISIN PLANES AT RHEIMS MEET IS NO. 33, HENRY FOURNIER'S CRAFT, WHICH LATER CRASHED ON CATWALK FRAME of early Baldwin dirigible, Lincoln Beachey, San Francisco daredevil, began his career at 17 at Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905. Year later he joined Knabenshues troupe of exhibition fliers to become headliner with first flight around Washington Monument, June 13,1906. CURTISS' motorcycle engine powered Americas first dirig- ible, 52-foot California Arrow, built by Capt. Thomas S. Baldwin (in derby) and tested by Roy Knabenshue (in cap), Aug. 3, 1904 at Oakland, Calif. First U. S. Army airship, a 96-foot Baldwin with 20 hp Curtiss engine, cost #10,000,1908. SKY CRUISERS Airships herald controlled flight The airship succeeded the balloon in aeronautical history. Research for power to control balloons brought a variety of methods. First known attempt (1865) by Hanlein of Germany used coal gas com- bustion engine. Another proposed manpower; 8 men on a windlass in a boat-shaped balloon car with a propeller at the bow. Benzine power, pedal power, battery-driven electric powerall were tried with some success. The gasoline engine, major development in air- plane progress, was also the balloonists* answer, and provided control for lighter-than-air craft. Dirigible balloons became familiar in France and Germany. Americas Golden Arrow began an era of aerial ex- ploits; intrepid fliers performed daring feats; boys competed with veterans; ambitious voyages were tried, many of them ending in disaster. All added to the growing knowledge of aerodynamics. YOUNGEST American aeronaut, Cromwell Dixon of Seattle, Wash., and his mother formed a team that brought fame to the skilled youth. Only 14, he demonstrated his airship at the first U.S. air meet at St. Louis, Mo. in 1907. For four years Dixon and his mother, who sewed the 25-foot bal- loon, toured West, exhibited cycle airship Moon. ROOF-TOP LANDING of dirigible balloon, built by Roy Knabenshue, occurred on Spitzer Building in Toledo, Ohio in July, 1905.One of ten ships built by Knabenshue, this airship featured a triangular keel of wooden slats and piano Wire, tapering fore and aft. The one-place ship had aluminum propeller at bow, driven by a two-cylinder six hp engine. 52 ALABAMA BALLOON MEET at Birmingham was climaxed by a race between spherical craft. Large crowds attended these events, many eager to go up in baskets of captive balloons, tied by guy wires to ground. FIRST GORDON BENNETT CUP RACE was won by Lt. Frank P. Lahm of American Army (I.) in his balloon United States. Competing against 16 entrants from seven nations, Lahm and Major Henry B. Hersey (r.) made their ascent on Sept. 30, 1906 at Paris and flew the 410 miles to Yorkshire, England, in 22 hours, 17 minutes, to win the first Bennett Cup. RACING TO ALBANY in early 1900's, Capt. Thomas Bald- win maneuvers his dirigible balloon in an attempt to win the 110,000 prize. He is seen sailing above spectators at start of race before Grants Tomb on Riverside Drive in N. Y. City. ASCENT OF "ALUETTE," first balloon of American Aero Club, in January, 1906, was first from grounds of West Point Military Academy, had Charles Levee, of France, as aeronaut, and was witnessed by cadets and military officials. ARCTIC AIRSHIP SHED, shown under construction at Danes Island, Spitzbergen, was huge arched structure covered with an acre of canvas, built to house polar airship America. Worlds second largest, the dirigible balloon designed by Melvin Vaniman and Louis Godard for U.S. explorer-aero- naut Walter Wellman, had 80 hp motor driving twin steel propellers. Apex of steel nacelle was fuel reservoir. First try for North Pole, Sept. 1907 ended when storm forced ship down. Two years later, rebuilt America tried again but, losing her leather drag, was towed (right) to base. 53 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com NEBULA, spherical balloon of 1907, has as lone passenger Mrs. Assheton Harbord of Chelsea, Eng- land. Ballast sand bags hang from edge of wicker basket. Sensitive weight balance in a balloon was once vividly shown when a pencil dropped overboard caused craft to rocket 100 feet. The Clouth IV, large balloon of early 1900s, shown (r.) with Mr. and Mrs. Clouth and party, was in long dis- tance race at Hurlingham, England. HEADLINES report first U.S. ch airship disaster, May 23, 1908, when C.A. Morrells 450-foot, six- engine dirigible balloon exploded on her first trip, hurling all 16 pas- sengers, including her inventor, to the ground. Denied permission to ascend from San Francisco be- cause officials considered the over- sized craft unsafe, Morrell ascend- ed over San Francisco Bay from Berkeley. A sudden buckling mid- ship set off an explosion, fire flared and the envelope split open. 4 BALLOONISTS Hawley (I.) and Post in America II set American distance record, 1,172 miles in 46 hours, in 5th Gordon Bennett Race, 1910. Landing in wilds of Quebec, they were rescued after 10 days. ch FOUNDER of Royal Aero Club, Frank H. Butler stands by basket car of Spencer spherical balloon which carried him 115 miles from London to Lincolnshire, England in 1907 at an altitude from which he was not able to see land. In May 1909 he gave a luncheon in London honoring the Wright broth- ers and their sister, to which every guest had been flown by balloon or airplane. Paraphernalia used on balloon ascensions, some of which is seen here included regis- tering barometer for telling height above sea level, statoscope for re- cording up and down movements. ASCENSION of A. H. Forbes ch and N. H. Arnold was made at 3 a.m. (1908) from North Adams, Mass, in the North Adams No. 1. . UMM EIVES - MMIM RIGHT BOHL J MME ARMY BUYS FIRST AIRSHIP Capt, Thomas Scott Baldwin, Americas first airship builder, sold the Army its first airship for 510,000. Named Signal Corps One, it was bought after successful test flight (above) at Ft. Myer, Va., with Curtiss, in the forward section, operat- ing his engine and Baldwin, as pilot, astern. Construction of first U.S. airship, California Arrow, had begun when Baldwin saw a new motorcycle engine which seemed ideal for his ship. He wrote to Curtiss, was invited to the Curtiss plant at Hammondsport, N. Y., and ordered the motor which powered California Arrow to fame at St. Louis Worlds Fair, 1904. Thus began a successful team of aerial pioneers, producers of 13 dirigible balloons. Commission for first Army airship came when War Dept, ordered one for Army Signal Corps, specifying a large man- euverable ship capable of continuous flight for two hours at 20 mph. Baldwin designed a balloon 96 feet long, 19 feet in diameter with sturdy light-weight framework suspended be- low ships power plantthe newly-created, water-cooled 20 hp Curtiss engine. On Aug. 18, 1908 the ship was tested and accepted by the Army. SPORT OF "AEROSTAT AND AERONAT" won worldwide popularity. Above, balloons are inflated before race. In 1907 Capt. Charles Chandler and James McCoy flew 473 miles in Signal Corps Balloon No. 10 to win Aero Club Lahm Trophy. PATRON OF AERONAUTICS, M. Henri Deutsch de la Muerthe aided French government after its military training balloon La Patrie was blown to sea. He donated La Ville de Paris (above), a semi-rigid ship 190-feet long with stabilizing planes above a 16-foot car rigidly attached below envelope. ROYAL ARMY AIRSHIP Nulli Secundus was first English Army ship built in England (1907) by Col. Capper, Royal Engineers, and S. F. Cody, U.S. airman. Semi-rigid, 111 feet long, ship had two-propeller motor, was used for training. SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR BALLOONS were housed in this corrugated iron shed at Fort Myer, Va. when balloon detachment ceased to exist in 1899. Not until 1907 was an Aeronautical Division set up in the office of the Chief Signal Officer, in charge of aviation. This was the start of the AAF. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com i RELOCATING captive balloon to better observation post, German Army Balloon Corps in 1908 wound heavy cables around a drum secured to horsedrawn wagon and hauled in- flated balloon. Compressed gas cylinders were ready for use. 4 GLIDER WINGS were added to improve ballast, landing safety of Englands Nulli Secundus on second trial. Pride of Farnborough factory and prototype of 1907 balloons, first home-built English airship was destroyed in rain storm. HANGAR VIEW OF ZEPPELIN III shows detailed construc- tion of horizontal fins, or rudders, used for changing alti- tude without necessitating release of gas or ballast. Built in 1906 by Count von Zeppelin of Germany, this dirigible balloon in 1908 became Germanys first military airship, after the destruction of Zeppelin IV, intended for army use. TWISTED skeleton of early Zeppelin airship testifies to dam- age by fire aboard highly inflammable, hydrogen-inflated ship. Zeppelin started passenger service in 1910, adding a third, Schwaben, (Swallow) in 1911. He used a single set of rudders supported by stabilizer fins at extreme rear. Streamlined Schwaben (below) could fly 43 mph in calm air. More than 100 flights covering 6,700 air miles were made. 56 RIDE with his emperor, Wilhelm II of Germany, was a highlight of August 29, 1909 for Zeppelin. Flight of Zeppelin III over Berlin brought royal honors and was followed by an order for four large Zeppelins for the German Navy. PASSENGERS boarding airship in Ger- many, 1910, were eager to try new mode of transport. Zeppelin VII, the Deutsch- land I, was Zeppelin's first commercial craft, largest yet built. On maiden voy- age it had women among 20 passengers. ZEPPELIN-GERMANYS "MAN OF THE CENTURY" The success and honors accorded Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838- 1917), who streamlined the airship, were the fruits of faith, enthusiasm and persevering energy. Retiring at 56, after flying in free balloons dur- ing his military career, he turned to designing a rigid airship. Securing capital, he built his first Zeppelin air- ship, tested with fair success July 2, 1900. He aimed for the greatest length in proportion to ships diam- eter and kept lines clean and simple. Despite their great size, ranging from 410 to 680 feet in length, the diameter of an average size airship was about equal to the wing spread of a Wright Brothers biplane. Each succeeding ship added improvements and elimi- nated flaws. Although 13 early Zeppelins were destroyed due to weather conditions or lack of experience in handling big craft, the Count never lost confidence, nor did his countrymen. His ships served Germany in peace and during World War I. They provided passen- ger service throughout Germany and to North and South America. The first airship ever to cruise around the world west-to-east was the Graf Zeppelin with 20 passengers and a crew of 41, It covered the 9,500 miles in 21 days, 7 hours, 26 minutes. AIR HERO of 1909, Count von Zeppelin (in white cap) at 71 turned over com- mand of Zeppelin III to Dr. Hugo Eck- ener, his assistant in charge of passen- ger-carrying subsidiary, on ships first historic flight over Berlin, August 29. INTERIOR cabin view of Deutschland I, Zeppelin's airship, shows seating plan of the aluminum cabin which was lined with rosewood and mahogany. After less than a week in service, ship was de- stroyed, but passengers were rescued. FLYING over crowds, Zeppelin III, on first flight to Berlin, approaches Tem- pelhof Field. Bells tolled and citys two million people waited eagerly in fields and on rooftops for ships arrival. x RUSSIAN airship, ascending at Khar- kov, Russia, was created by Dr. K. Damlewsky near beginning of the 20th century. This early balloon was desig- nated a directable flying machine. PRIMED for test at Lamotte, France in 1910, Clement-Bayard II, French mili- tary ship, was first dirigible balloon to fly from Paris to London, Oct. 1910. The pisciform ship had twin-motors. 57 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FIRST AERO MEET in the U.S., held at Dominguez Field near Los Angeles, drew huge crowds and offered daily flights and contests like the quick-start competition won by Glenn Curtiss (above), who made a take-off run of 98 feet in 6-2/5 sec. He also set new worlds record for speed with a passenger by reaching 55 mph.n IR SHOWS BECOME POPULAR First U S. meet held in January, 1910, at Dominguez Field, Los Angeles After the success of the meet at Rheims, France, the first similar air contest in America was arranged at Los Angeles. While not as spectacular as the French tourney, the American event, under the management of air- minded actor Dick Ferris, aroused great local enthusiasm. Crowds came daily to Dominguez, near present-day Compton, California, where the bird- men performed from January 10-20, 1910. Many noted American aviators, as well as Frances Maisson, Miscarol and Paulhan, amazed spectators with daring exploits, The ubiquitous Glenn Curtiss brought gasps with his quick starts and speed dashes. Curtiss pilot, Charlie Hamilton, former balloonist, complemented his employer by win- ning $500 for the slowest lap (26.83 mph). Charles F. Willard astounded the enthusiastic audience with the ac- curacy of his spot landings and won a $250 prize. Star of the meet was Louis Paul- han, who set a new altitude record of 4,165 ft. On January 17, the French- man thrilled the crowd with his flight from Dominguez to Santa Anita and back. The 75-mile trip took 1 hr., 58 min., 27-2/5 sec., and won Paulhan the $10,000 grand prize for his achievements. Another outstanding event was the race between Roy Knabenshue and Lincoln Beachey in dirigibles, with an exciting finish-line victory by Beachey. A great success, the Dominguez meet attracted substantial crowds and established in Southern California an interest in the infant science of avia- tion which was later to bring about a concentration there of Americas aircraft industry. 4 SENSATION of Los Angeles air meet was Louis Paulhan, whose daring ex- ploits won him almost $20,000 in prizes. He is seen with Mrs. Dick Ferris, who was finally persuaded to fly with him. SPECTACLES drew cheers for French- man Louis Paulhan in his Farman bi- plane, Roy Knabenshue and daring Lincoln Beachey flying their dirigibles. Knabenshue later became Wrights manager; Beachey won fame stunting. 58 LONDON-MANCHESTER RACE In April, 1910 the London Daily Mail offered $50,000 to the first airman to cover the 183 miles in 24 hrs. Frances Louis Paulhan (I.) and Englands Claude Grahame-White (r., in derby) competed. The Briton started April 23, reached Lichfield, 66 mi. from goal. Trouble with Fartnan biplane forced him back to London. Four days later Paulhan took off in a Farman, landed in Lichfield before dark. Trying again, Grahame-White landed 10 mi. behind Paulhan, took off again at dawn but was forced down by engine trouble. Paulhan flew to Manchester and won prize. Time: 5% hrs. PAULHAN LANDS HIS FARMAN BIPLANE AT LICHFIELD FOR NIGHT GREAT ENGLISH aero meet at Bournemouth, July 10-16, 1910, saw victory and death. Frances Leon Morane (below, with passengers) won altitude prize and race around Isle of Wight. Death of Hon. C. 8. Rolls was first British air loss. 5 * GRAHAME-WHITE'S MOTHER TIES ROSE TO HER SON'S AIRPLANE BRITISH AVIATOR'S FIRST TRY FOR THE PRIZE ENDS IN MISHAP 59 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com MAGICIAN Harry Houdini became a flying enthusiast in 1910, regularly flew his own Voisin plane to cities where he was to make appearances. He was first stage celebrity to use flying to meet requirements of tight engagement schedule. GERMAN AVIATION was beginning to develop by May, 1910, when the first international air meet in that country was held in Berlin. The first German airplane had been de- signed, built and flown by Hans Grade on Oct. 30, 1909. FLYING DUTCHMAN Anthony (Tony) Fokker was only 21 when he built and flew his first airplane in 1911. Called the Spider because of its many struts and wires (above), it had no lateral control system, extreme dihedral being employed to ensure stability. Young Fokker, shown in the Spider (r.), began making paper gliders and experimenting with models as a schoolboy. In World War I, when Fokker offered his services as aircraft designer to Britain and France, they turned him down, maintaining that their own designs were superior. He then made his offer to Germany, who accepted. FIRST ALL-METAL AIRPLANES were designed and built by John B. Moisant of Chicago in 1910. His second model is shown above. Learning to fly in Europe, Moisant won fame by making first Chan- nel flight with a passenger in first Paris-to-London flight, 1910. ORIENTAL INTEREST in aviation was indicated when Commander Saito of Imperial Japanese Navy went for a ride with Lincoln Beachey, famous stunt flyer and balloonist, 1910. Japan soon developed own aircraft. 60 BAMBOO made Santos-Du- monts Demoiselle super- light; 18-ft. wingspan required tiny pilot, Audemars (seated). FIRST AIR-SEA RESCUE was in 1911. Rene Simon crashed into Lake Michigan in his mono- plane during Chicago Air Meet. Hugh Robinson landed his Curtiss hydroplane, rescued Simon. AERIAL BOMB was dropped for the first time at San Francisco, Calif., in 1911. Bombardier Lt. Myron S. Crissy, U.S.A. (I.) was piloted by Parmalee. RISKY FLYING over Lake Michigan drew thousands of spec- tators to the 1911 Chicago Meet. Above are two of the flyers at that event, Brindley and Beatty, heading out over the water in Wright biplanes. In this hazardous Meet, Le Croix John- stone lost his life and Rene Simon almost met same fate. FLYING BULL MOOSE, Teddy Roosevelt became the first ex-president to fly, on October 11, 1910. While attending the St. Louis Air Meet, T.R. persuaded the Wright star, Arch Hoxsey, to take him up. While they banked over the crowd, T.R. waved both hands until warned of the danger. AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER, Britains Geoffrey DeHaviL land sits at controls of his first successful plane, 1910. De Havilland built military planes for Britain in World Wars I and II, made jets and transports during postwar periods. STUNT PILOT Lincoln Beachey banks his plane in typical maneuver. A noted balloonist, he took up stunt flying, became one of the daring Birdmen who flew for excitement and ex- perimentation. By 1910, he was worlds greatest stunt flyer. 61 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ALPS WERE CONQUERED when a Peruvian, Jean Bielovucic, on Jan. 25, 1911, flew over the lofty mountains successfully. Four months before, (on Sept. 23) his fellow countryman George Chavez had made the same crossing but was killed in a crash landing. SWEPT'BACK WINGS, feature of modern jets, were used for sta- bility by Britains Frederick H. Page, shown here in his 1909 Blue Bird. Planes importance lay in ideas for improvement of aircraft. "EGGBEATER," (lower left) one of Sikorskys early experimental helicopters, was built in Russia in 1910. After becoming famous for multi engined planes, he returned to helicopters in the late 30s. Planes had increased in speed by mid-1910 to a point where they could vie with automobiles, as when two Curtiss biplanes, piloted by McCurdy (upper plane) and Beachey, competed with a race car. In an exciting contest, Beachey won by a narrow margin. Holder of Britains No. 1 Aviator's Certifi- cate, Lord Brabazon of Tara has been Presi- dent of the Royal Aero Club since 1943. He made his first airplane flight in England in 1909, following pioneer flights in France. The charm of aviation, to anyone who has been close to it for fifty years, has been its restless, often turbulent, spirit. We started off a raila biplane with pusher propellers. We added an undercar- riage, and ran about. We then found trac- tors better than pushers. We put our con- trols aft, instead of in front where the Wrights placed theirs. We next invented the monoplane tractor, such as the Bleriot. Then, for reasons of speed, mark you, we went back to the biplane. The rotary engine became the radial. The air-cooled engine fought it out with the liquid-cooled, and eventually wonfor commercial use, anyway. Back again we went to monoplanes and carried immense power plants at one time thought impossible, by laying them all along the wing. MOORE-BRABAZON FLYING IN 1910 Then came the jet. Everything in the melting pot again. Back we went to push- ers. The slip stream from the tractors over the wing was gone, and new problems arose. Speeds soared up and up until we met problems never dreamed of in the early days of first gropings. Petrol has given way to paraffin. By pressurization we have reached astonishing heights and have increased our speed in the ratified atmosphere. To me, the next fifty years promise advances even undreamed of today. To get where we are has cost much treasure and human life, but such is the restless spirit of man, that gladly he goes forward into the unknown, despising the cost. It is a great story. Let us pray that human wisdom will keep pace with technical advancements, lest we perish by what we have created. 62 W. STARLING BURGESS, BUILDING WRIGHT BIPLANES UNDER LICENSE, DEVELOPED A SPECIAL TRAILER TO HAUL PLANES FROM FACTORY TO FLYING FIELD SPORTSMAN CLIFFORD B. HARMON (STANDING) HARVARD-BOSTON MEET At Boston Harbor, September 3-13, 1910, a huge throng watched English and Americans vie for nearly 8100,000 in prizes, the most yet offered at an aero meet. From England came Claude Grahame-White, A. Roe, and T. Sop- with (who would design some of Brit- ains finest fighter planes during World War I). Americans competing were Glenn Curtiss, Ralph Willard, Earle Ovington, and Clifford Harmon, who had won a prize for a 25-mile flight over Long Island Sound. In the Boston meet, Johnstone got the duration prize (3 hr., 5 min., 40 sec.), Brookins took the altitude award by soaring to 4,732 ft., Grahame-White won the speed race and 810,000 race around Boston Light. GRAHAME-WHITE, SOPWITH, AND OVINGTON FIRST FLIGHT INTO WASHINGTON occurred a month after Harvard-Boston meet when its star, Claude Grahame- White of England, flew his Farman biplane from Benning Race Track to the capital, Oct. 14, 1910. Many dignitaries welcomed him. From left to right below, are Mr. Barr; Maj. G. O. Squier; Brig. Gen. A. Murray; Brig. Gen. J. A. Johns- ton; Maj. Gen. W. H. Carter; J. B. Ryan; Brig. Gen. W. H. Bixby; Maj. Gen. L. Wood; Asst. Secy of War R. S. Oliver; Brig. Gen. James Allen; Grahame-White; Adm. G. Dewey; rival flying champion C. B. Harmon; Mr. McDonald; and Maj. Gen. J. F. Bell. Grahame-White visited War and Navy Departments, then took off (r.) down West Executive Ave, 63 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com LAST GREAT AERO MEET in America before World War I was held at Belmont Park, L.I. (Oct. 22-31, 1910). Most of the noted aviators of both hemispheres were present at this spectacular international air event, scene of the U.S. defense of the Gordon Bennett Cup, won by Curtiss at Rheims in 1909. Above, a French Farm an biplane takes ofi. 1 1 1 GREAT AERIAL TOURNAMENT Belmont Park meet in 1910 becomes top society sporting event of decade The Belmont Park Event, Oct. 22-31, 1910, was Americas response to the splendid Rheims aero meet of 1909. Managed by Mr. Allen A. Ryan of New York, it climaxed the great pre- war series of international air shows. Since the French tourney, airplane speeds had increased almost 75% and their reliability had astonishingly im- proved. Future progress would be made, certainly, but for many years "MISS PARIS," John Moisants mascot was celebrated participant at the meet. In August, she was one of first passen- gers flown across the English Channel. no air meet equalled this one either in its success or social brilliance. The latter feature was the special distinction of Belmont Park. Present were some of the most fashionable people in America, such as Clarence Mackay of New York, Harold Mc- Cormick of Chicago, Miss Eleanora Sears of Boston, Lt. Governor Wood- ruff of New York state, and many other eminent persons. The most distinguished airmen of the time were gathered to entertain this brilliant company. Claude Gra- hame-White upheld Britains prestige by wresting the Gordon Bennett Cup from the United States on Oct. 29, at over 60 mph. French glory was in- creased by the new speed record set by Leblanc, 66.20 mph (he reached 70 during one lap), as well as Count de Lesseps victory in the race around New Yorks Statue of Liberty for the $10,000 prize donated by Mr. Thom- as Ryan. America took her share of the honors by dominating the altitude events. A series of contests between Drexel and Johnstone climaxed the meet when the latter set a worlds record of 9,714 ft. on the last day. Biggest thrill of the tournament was Leblancs spectacular crash after setting his speed mark. Rushing head- long at more than a mile a minute, he hit a telephone pole, which split in two. After a few weeks in the hospital, the gallant Frenchman was as good as new. Biggest disappointment was the disqualifying, on technical grounds, of Americas Moisant after winning the Statue of Liberty race. MASCOT of Englands Grahame-White was a puppet, stepping forward with eyes aloft. It was lashed to a strut of his plane. Many aviators owned charms. 64 INTERNATIONAL ECLAT of contestants was already estab- lished when they met at Belmont Park to determine the world air champions. At left is the British team: (I. to r.) A. Olgivie, J. Bradley, C. Grahame-White, and A. McCardle. The American team (c.) chosen to defend the Gordon Ben- nett Cup are: (I. to r.) J. A. Drexel, W. Brookins, and C, Hamilton. At right are four members of the Wright Flying Team, first pilots taught by 0. Wright: (I. to r.) Coffyn, Brookins, Hoxsey, LaChapelle. The French party included de Lesseps, Leblanc, Auburn, Garros, Latham, Audemars. FOUR GREAT AIRMEN (I.) maneuver their planes during an event at Belmont Park. Aircraft (I. to r.) were flown by Frances Latham, Americas Moisant, Brookins, and John- stone. Moisants Bleriot monoplane turned turtle (r.) just be- fore he was to compete in the Statue of Liberty race. The pilot was unhurt, but the plane required much repair before it could fly again. Most crashes at that time were not fatal, but he and Johnstone were killed thus before the year was over. Moisa nt's death (December 31) ended a year of con- spicuous flying achievement by the architect-turned-flier. CRASH HELMET is worn by J. Armstrong Drexel (r.) as he converses with Courtland Field Bishop, then president of the Aero Club of America. Drexel and Johnstone engaged in a dramatic six-day duel for the altitude prize at the Belmont Park meet. Johnstone was the winner and set a world record. ASTOUNDED, Count de Lesseps (I.), J. B. Ryan and C. Grahame-White watch Moisant return from the Statue of Liberty. Everyone was amazed at Moisant, who replaced his own crashed plane at the last minute, and flew the course in the shortest time. Ryan's father donated prize for contest. 65 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ROUNDING A PYLON is the intrepid Hubert Latham in his beautiful Antoinette monoplane. Two weeks later, on No- vember 7, 1910, Latham won the $5,000 prize offered by the Baltimore Sun for the first flight made directly over the center of a large city, the metropolis being Baltimore. SPECTACULAR POWER seemed to burst forth when the Santos-Dumont Demoiselle's two-cylinder engine was fired up by flier Roland Garros. Actually, the tiny Darracq en- gine developed only 35 horsepower, and the entire airplane, without the pilot, weighed about two hundred pounds. GOVERNOR John Franklin Fort (above I. with Arch Hox- sey) of New Jersey was one distinguished visitor at Belmont Park. Judging by their dress, this was probably a posed pub- licity photo; there is no record of Gov. Forts having flown. 4 AMAZING CAREER of John B. Moisant (with sister Mathilde and Count de Lesseps, in cap) was typified at Bel- mont Park meet. While testing his Bleriot monoplane just before Statue of Liberty race, he wrecked it, then called Le- blanc and arranged to buy a plane from him in time for race. THE SMART SET took to flying at the Belmont Park meet, which proved to be not only an important milestone in aviation history, but also the seasons outstanding social event. A well-known socialite-athlete was Eleanora Sears, shown (I.) about to go up with Grahame-White in his Earman bi- plane. Air-minded Admiral Dewey, victor of Manila, is seen (c.) inspecting powerful Baby Fright racer. Dewey was in- fluential in the high-level controversy over naval aviation. Cornelius Vanderbilt (r., with beard), who later bought his own plane, is seen starting a flight with Orville Wright. AMERICA'S HOPE for the Gordon Bennett cup was the Baby W right racer, shown warming up. Fourth from left, in derby, is Wilbur Wright; Orville, in leather jacket, in- spects craft before making a test hop. The Baby, with only a 21-foot wingspan and special V-8 engine, was probably the fastest plane at the meet. But there was no chance to prove this, since engine failure caused a crash which demolished the racer and seriously injured pilot Walter Brookins. Iron- ically, at the time Brookins was flying to the aid of Alfred Leblanc, who had wrecked his own ship breaking speed mark. 67 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com MULTIPLANE, invented by Prof. J. S. Zerbe of Los Angeles, had five wings for adequate lift but lacked power. PERSEVERING, Prof. Zerbe and aides added extra wing and switched to single propeller, but did not achieve flight. EJECTION seat, dummy-tested in 1910, enabled pilot to trigger a gun which would free him from plane in danger. BIRDLIKE flexing wings were tried by German architect Schulz in 1910. Like many other such experiments, insuffi- cient power prevented flight disaster. VALIANT EFFORTS While the experts like the Wrights, Curtiss, and many others continued to develop their aircraft along proven lines, amateur inventors, crackpots, and some educated scientists were always experimenting with weird ideas. Many of them seemed to ig- nore completely the established prin- ciples of physics. Two favorites of the non-profes- sionals were the multiplane (many wings to get more lift) and the bird- wing types (because birds fly so well). Of course, there were some successes along these lines, notably Roe in England and Etrich in Aus- tria, but their craft were more con- ventional in arrangement. Less frivolous was the helicopter idea, but the inefficient power plants of the time doomed even the promis- ing designs to almost certain failure. Still, these pioneers made a contribu- tion to aviation with their experi- menting, and their efforts helped stim- ulate the publics interest in flight. HELICOPTER of Vuitten-Huber was in- teresting for its 8 cylinder engine (45 hp) and the counter-revolving rotors, but the craft was never airborne. SIMILAR to the Vuitten-Huber helicop- ter was one by G. Newton Williams (in hat) in 1908. Williams utilized the Cur- tiss 40 hp aircooled V-8 engine devel- oped by Aerial Experiment Association. THINGS TO COME! Famous American cartoonist A. B. Walker spoofed the fu- ture aerial age in comic drawing, 1909. SIR HIRAM MAXIM, whose steam-pow- ered multiplane had almost flown in 1893, is seen in improved 1910 version. Using gasoline engine, he failed again, continued experimenting until death. 68 DELTA WING? Captain Wyndham of England designed this triangular-winged craft based on the kite principle in 1910. MIXMASTER mammoth, the Kimball helicopter of 1909 had 20 rotors, all driven by a very elaborate system of pulleys. "AIR YACHT" with 12 M. A. Batson for a flight, was 74 feet long wings, built in 1913 by projected transatlantic and had two airscrews. AIRSHIP of J. F. Cooley (I.), completed in 1910 after two years of building, was expected to be very fast. It had many novel features: (r.) narrow wings, longitudinal radiators and twin, intermeshing propellers. BIRDWINGS for aircraft were often tried by early experi- menters. Many scientists thought birds should be copied. CORNU helicopter, powered by early Antoinette engine, actually ascended with two people, but came down at once. AMATEUR SCIENTISTS went on risking their necks. At the opening of the Hampshire Aero Club {Apr. 9, 1910) mem- bers took turns learning by doing in the Alexander glider. It is a mystery how a craft with no tail had any longitudinal stability. Another pioneer (r.) launches his crude tandem- wing model into the air at an outdoor meet in England. From Pi]otManuals.com / RareAviation.com PSEUDONYM "ANDRE BEAUMONT" was used by Lt. Jean Conneau of the French Army, a frequent practice among French Army officers who flew in compe- tition. Beaumont won the great Circuit of England race in 22 hrs.., 28 min., 18 sec. and a -50,000 prize. Lasting four days, the race covered a 1,000-mile route. PARIS-MADRID race, offering a re- ward of $30,000, was won by Jules Vedrines (above) on May 26, 1911. He set a speed record in 1912 of 105 mph. 1 ' ' "YELLOW PERIL" was the sobriquet of the Handley Page HP-5. Built in 1911 and coated with yellow non-corro- sive paint, the HP-5 was given two names, its title name and Antiseptic. RETURN TO AMERICA of the Gordon Bennett speed trophy was achieved by Charles T. Weyman (July 1, 1911). Pushing his Nieuport monoplane to a speed of 78.77 mph, Weyman crossed white finish line (r.) to win the cup. He was the only American to enter this contest. After this triumph, Weyman toured Europe and dur- ing his travels in Europe he met Curtiss (together, r.) in Belgium. "SMARTEST MONOPLANE" ever built were C. G. Greys words describing the Antoinette. Hubert Latham was first to fly it across the Golden Gate. DISTANCE RECORDS were shattered by Harry N. Atwood on August 25, 1911, when he flew from St. Louis to New York, 1,226 miles in 28 hours., 53 min. Picture (r.) shows Atwood as he circles New Yorks Singer Tower. "SORRY OLD BOY." A British Army tz BE-2 biplane landing at Salisbury struck an unseen Farman biplane rest- ing on the ground (1911). A mechanic, who was starting the Farmans propel- ler, fell to the ground, escaped death. 70 BEGINNING OF AIRMAIL Either rain or snow would prevent the first U.S. aerial post- man from making rounds, but Earle Ovington flew daily- service during the 9 day Sheepshead Bay, L.I. air meet. F. N. Hitchcock (above) hands Ovington mail pouch. This stunt, with temporary mail station (I.) proved air service feasible. ALLAHABAD, India was scene of first air mail flight. French flier Paquet flew mail at the All India Exposition, Feb. 18, 1911. Later the Coronation Aerial Post was flown daily, London to Windsor. FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHT Transcontinental flight was achieved by Calbreath P. Rod- gers in 82 days (1911). William Randolph Hearst offered 850.000 for first such flight completed in 30 days. Rodgers (above) lost, but won fame for fortitude. Route shown below. AIR EXPRESS was first carried by Philip Parmalee (r. above). The experiments made in flying pack- ages from Dayton to Columbus, Ohio demonstrated the value of aerial delivery. WRECKS from New York to Long Beach, California, caused Rodgers a great deal of grief. Anticipating trouble, he had a train equipped with facilities for making repairs follow his course. Totalling 15 crashes during his trip, his Wright bi- plane had to be rebuilt four times. Financed by the makers of Kin Fiz. a soft drink, Rodgers named the plane Kin Fiz. 71 From PilotManualsxom / RareAviation.com INTERIOR OF WRIGHT BROTHERS' FACTORY, DAYTON, OHIO, 1912 FINAL DAB OF BRUSH GIVES ACCURATE BALANCE TO PROPELLER. EARLY AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS Pioneer aircraft builders custom-made their planes by hand. Their methods were in ironic contrast to the precise, intricate assembly-line methods of the future. They invented crude production techniques, and seemed to make only minor head- way toward developing the highly-specialized aeronautical designs soon to be demanded. American manufacturers jealously looked to European ac- tivity where Bleriot and the Voisin Brothers of France, England's Royal Aircraft Factory, and Germanys Etrich Co. were producing planes on a larger scale. In America only a few companies were operating. Among the first were the Cur- tiss Airplane and Motor Corp., Burgess Co., Aeromarine Plane and Motor Corp., and shortly the Thomas-Morse Air- craft Corp., the Dayton-Wright and the Wright-Martin Air- plane Companies. These companies had little incentive before World War I. There was popular prejudice among people who considered the airplane a dangerous toy of the rich which offered noth- ing to progress, and failed to see its potential. Second, al- though some builders tried to work together, patent suits and jealousy impeded their progress. Finally, the military plane, developed in 1908-09, was not tested until 1916, when Gen. Pershing used scouting planes in his Mexican campaign. Early airplane builders were largely those with knowledge of automobile building, experimenters with motorcycles, etc. The designs often showed this prior experience. Ten years passed before airplane construction left the garage and en- tered the factory. Then development quickly advanced. WRIGHT BROTHERS experi- mented in 1912 with gliders. These had arched surfaces, skids for landing and an adjustable front rudder. When the flier lay prone on the upper surface of its lower wing, this craft could glide more than 600 feet. Orville Wright, shown at left checking glider controls, turned over in a glider at Kitty Hawk, North Car- olina (r.), as he was testing it for satisfactory methods of ob- taining automatic stability. W.T. THOMAS PLANE (1911), LOADED ON CAR, READY FOR DELIVERY. FINAL ASSEMBLY IN FRENCH FACTORY OF AN ANTOINETTE PLANE The incomparable Beachey, was the title bestowed upon "GREATEST OF THEM ALL" Lincoln Beachey, considered the world's greatest stunt flier, who could scoop a handkerchief off the field with his wing tip. Before the word aviator was used, the term birdman was coined for men such as Beachey. Until 1908, the only fliers were the cautious builders and inventors who safely demonstrated their machines. Later, birdmen appeared who lived excitingly a few months, testing planes for speed and endurance, then crashed. Always sensational, Beachey flew over Niagara Falls through the Gorge and under the Falls Bridge (above) in 1911. He played a practical joke on a woman air rival by entering a meet as The Mysterious Woman Aviatrix (r.). He was drowned in San Francisco Bay in 1915, when his monoplane folded in air during Worlds Fair Exhibition. The Birdman Era had come to an end. LATE CURTISS PUSHER (I.) was flown by Beachey. The airplane featured doughnut wheels with fat tires,and ring cowling, whose function was to keep the rotary engine from splattering oil. The race between a plane and an automobile in 1912 (r.) resulted in a close victory for Beachey, flying one ot the first Curtiss planes with ailerons (hinged sections in the wings for controlling the horizontal balance of the plane). He defeated the famous auto racer, Barney Oldfield. MAURICE PROVOST, French speed flier, won the Gordon Bennett cup on Sept. 29, 1913 by setting a record of 126.59 mph. He stands beside a Deper- dussin monoplane, similar to one used. ROBERT GRANDSEIGNE flew over Paris and circled the Eiffel Tower on Feb. 11, 1911 in one of first night flights made. He used electric balls to light his plane. AERIAL SENSATION of 1912 was the flight of F. K. McClean under the Tower Bridge in London. Landing in the Lower Pool, he hopped and taxied along the river to West- minster. Stunt was typical of Birdmen. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FIRST AERIAL GUNS War demands produced rapid changes in aviation armament. Early weapons (pistols, rifles) gave way to light-weight machine gun. Captain C. Chandler (I.) fired first machine gun (Lewis) from Wright type B plane in 1912. Pilot Manton flies Grahame-White biplane (c.), 1913 as Belgian Lt. Stellingwerf operates the machine gun below. English mounted Maxim gun (r.) on the seat of a later type British F.E.2. FIRST BOMBSIGHT, invented by Lt. Riley Scott, was tested in U.S. in 1911. Scott won $5,000 Michelin Prize for ac- curacy in bomb dropping, Jan. 11,1912. Bomb is held by canvas under plane. AUTOMATIC PILOT, invented and de- veloped by Lawrence Sperry on the principle of the gyroscope, was the first in the world. It flew this Curtiss hydro- airplane in Hammondsport, N.Y., 1912. CATAPULT LAUNCHING of a flying boat (Curtiss) was made successfully at Washington Navy Yard, Nov. 12, 1912. Based on Navy Capt. Chambers idea, it used a disposable cradle. CHINESE AND JAPANESE aviators were actively engaged in air craft operations. Lt. C. Nakashima (I.) of the Japanese Imperial Navy is shown seated with Hugh Robinson in a Cur- tiss hydroairplane. The hydroairplane was a later type of Curtiss pusher featuring dual control, no forward structure, and an aileron arrangement at the trailing edge of struts. At right, Capt. Madiot (kneeling in white) explains the mechanism, the structural design, and manner in which these planes are handled to a visiting Chinese Military Mission, plus a group of French military officers. 74 FIRST SUCCESSFUL RADIO air-to-ground wireless test by the Army was made at Ft. Riley, Kansas, Nov. 2, 1912. At left Lt. Follett Bradley (I.), observer and operator, and Lt. Henry H. Arnold (r.), pilot, are seated in the test plane, a Wright pusher type equipped with a wireless outfit. (Young flier later became internationally famous as Hap Arnold, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces.) At right, Glenn H. Curtiss (standing, fourth from left) observes the procedure in attaching the wireless to a Curtiss plane. Fur- ther experimentation with the wireless proved its value. AMERICAS EARLY MILITARY AVIATION In 1911 Congress passed the first appropriation for Army aeronautics, $ 125,000, which permitted purchase of new planes. The first Army airplane was presented to the Smithsonian Institution. The Navy, in 1912, moved its Aviation Camp from Annapolis to North Island, San Diego, the location of Curtiss flying school, and the Armys first permanent aviation school was established there early in 1913. At the close of that year the Navy had 9 planes; the Armys 19 were on duty at airfields in the Philippines, Hawaii, Texas and San Diego. Because of accidents, Curtiss and Wright pushers were condemned early in 1914, leaving the Army with only a few planes. Pilot training came to a virtual standstill while plane rebuilding was underway. When World War I began, France had the worlds larg- est air force (1500 planes); Germany had 1,000; United States and Great Britain had about 100 planes each. Military aviation was still considered a sideline in 1909. The U.S. Army had one airplane, but its two qualified pilots, Lts. Lahm and Humphreys, upon completing their training, returned to their original duties. Lt. B. D. Foulois, with only three hours of flight in- struction, was left as the Armys only pilot. Dependent largely on his own financial resources, Foulois flew the Armys one plane in winter operations at Ft. Sam Hous- ton, Texas in 1910-11. Pilot training there came out of the one-man class, but after the fatal crash of Lt. G. E. M. Kelley (for whom Kelley Field, Texas was named), fur- ther training at the Texas field was prohibited. A new flying school was built at College Park, near Washington, D.C., with Charles de Forest Chandler as Commandant. F. A. I. regulations were adopted as tests for Army pilot ratings. With further development of air travel, many countries undertook training of pilots for military and commercial purposes in civil schools. "GRANDDADDY OF NAVAL PHOTOGRAPHY" was title given Lt. Walter L. Richardson (I.), shown holding Graflex camera, who made first Navy aerial photograph at Pensacola, Fla., 1914. Photographic reconnaissance became well devel- oped in World War I, produced excellent aerial photos. NAVY LT. T. G. ELLYSON is shown about to launch a sea- plane from shore, using catapulting method invented in 1911. Balancing the plane by two wires beneath lower wings, sup- ported by another heavily greased wire, he started engine full speed, held it, made take off, rose smoothly into the air. 75 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ARMY WRIGHT "C" airplane, one of seven bought by the Army, was piloted by Lt. Frank P. Lahm (third from left), shown while stationed at Ft. McKinley in the Philippine Islands, Feb., 1912. Lt. Lahm won the first James Gordon Bennett Balloon Cup Race among seven nations, Paris, 1906. NORTH ISLAND, Rockwell Field, San Diego, California was the site of a Navy wooden hangar and headquarters in 1916. Before the Navy took over this site it was a base for Glenn Curtiss experiments with hydroairplanes. The Navys Avia- tion Camp had previously been (until 1912) at Annapolis, Md. EARLY ARMY AIRPLANE (above), was Wright Brothers 1910 type, forerunner of AAF military aircraft. Pilot Lt. B. D. Foulois (second from I.), poses with original crew at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. Initial planes used skids for landing, take-off, and had elevators in front of wings. Below.U.S. Navy pilots report back from reconnaissance over enemys camp. NAVY'S LARGEST training base, located at Pensacola Beach, Fla. is shown early in 1914. Curly-tailed Curtiss flying boats are on the beach waiting to take off from wood ramps in front of the hangers. Below, the Burgess-Wright coast- defense seaplane is seen. The plane was sold to the Army in 1913 and used at Corregidor. Lt. Dargue shown in cockpit. MILITARY AIRCRAFT underwent rapid experimentation and development once its use was appreciated. Early Curtiss Tractor (c.), 1912-13, featured three-bladed propeller, tri- cycle landing gear. Last Wright Brothers training plane (I.) purchased by U.S. Army before World War I was model F, No. 39, known as Tin Cow because of the metal covering on its forward fuselage. Curtiss J (r.) became famous as the Jenny, used to train many World War I aces. It was one of early Curtiss planes to have ailerons in wing instead of hanging from the struts, a lasting change in airplane design. 76 k? - FRENCH BARONESS de la Roche, flying a Voisin became first woman to pilot an airplane. A year later the first Ameri- can woman pilot, Dr. Bessica Raiche, flew a plane construct- ed by her husband. However, Harriet Quimby was the first licensed U.S. woman pilot (1911). Clad in a daring mauve satin flying suit (r.), she vyas called the Dresden China Aviatrice. In April, 1912 she flew a Bleriot from England to France, won acclaim as first woman to fly Channel. DARING BIRDGIRLS ( OUTSTANDING pioneer woman pi- lot was Frances Mlle. Helene Dutrieu. She is shown here with a wingless train- er version of a Santos-Dumont Demoi- selle airplane in 1909. Her feats include record breaking flights and impressive demonstrations in Europe and the U.S. BLANCHE SCOTT gained the honor of being the first woman flier trained by Glenn Curtiss. She began flying in 1910 after completing the first cross-country automobile trip made by a woman. Cur- tiss had objections to her flying; he felt an accident involving a woman could be detrimental to the budding aviation field. Continuing her training, Miss Scott then soloed in the fall of 1910. SECOND WOMAN to receive her pilots license in America was Mathilde Moisant. Miss Moisant was the sister of early flier John Moisant. She won fame as exhibition pilot. Thou- sands were thrilled by the exhibition flights made by the Moisant team stars, Harriet Quimby and Mathilde Moisant. The bannered bandwagon (above, r.) announced exhibitions by Moisant flying team which toured U.S. and Mexico in 1911-12. On July 1,1912, soon after achieving many exhibition triumphs in Europe, Harriet Quimby was killed at air show. Miss Moisant discontinued exhibition flying later that year. 77 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com MONEY-MAKING novelty flights in- cluded Glenn Martins air delivery of newspapers from Fresno to Madera, Calif., dropping of a baseball to a catcher, the taking of motion pictures while in flight, and typified Martins effort to win publicity for aviation. GLENN L MARTIN Iowa-born Glenn L. Martin was an automobile dealer before he ventured into the field of aeronautics. In 1908, he leased a vacant church in Santa Ana, California, and started construc- tion of a Curtiss-type plane of his own design, to be powered by a Ford Model T engine. The plane was first flown in 1909. In 1911, self-taught Martin quali- fied for his F. A. I, aviator certificate. That same year he incorporated the original Glenn L. Martin Co., one of the first U.S. aircraft manufacturing plants. Until 1917, Martin built civilian and military planes and then merged with the Wright Co. In 1918 he with- drew to reorganize the Glenn Martin Co., and moved to Cleveland, Ohio. ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD gathered around Martins plane when, in 1912, he flew a float-equipped biplane over the channel to complete round-trip flight between Newport Beach, California and nearby Santa Catalina Island in another effort to stir public interest in aviation. MARTIN POSES somberly at left with a group of fellow pioneer airmen: Mar- ine Corps Lt. J. McClaskey, early stunt pilot L. Beachey and Navy Cdr. H. Richardson. McClaskey and Richardson were early students of Glenn Curtiss, as was Beachey, who advanced to the airplane after a successful career as an exhibition balloonist and airship pilot. At lower left, popular comedian Joe E. Brown, in backwards cap of that pe- riod, nervously hangs onto perch be- hind helmeted Martin. Mrs. Minta Martin sits with her son (below) in an early Martin plane. Mrs. Martin active- ly helped in the construction of the first plane which Martin built. On May 20, 1912, she soared with him to 1,000 feet over Balboa Beach, California. 78 "GAY NINETIES" adven- turer, C. Rolls, turned to airplanes after triumphs in British motor racing and ballooning. Renowned as "Rolls of Rolls-Royce, he was taught by W. Wright. CONTEMPLATIVE Walter Fairchild brought steel to aircraft in 1911 when he built a monoplane using steel for fuselage structure. It was many years before the steel fuselage found approval. POINTING THE WAY to many was Dr. Wm. (Doc) Christmas, pilot and plane builder. Following his finger is W. E. Russell, whose experiments with radio earned him apt nickname of Wireless Will. Christmas made his first flight in a plane at Fairfax City, Va. in May 1908. Christmas re- ceived a patent on use of ailerons for control despite con- flicting claims involving origin of airplane control systems. CALIFORNIA'S climate appealed to Glenn Curtiss who established aviation base in 1911 on North Island in San Diego Bay. Base became aviation cen- ter with planes, including two French Antoinette mon- oplanes, (I.), using run- ways cleared through un- dergrowth. In 1912, stu- dents were offered free flying-boat instructions. Class (above, I.) had pu- pils from India and Japan, also Mrs. Julia Clark, Am- ericas third woman pilot. First aero engineer, (above, r.), Grover Loening, is shown at North Island with the Vincent Astors. 79 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FRANK COFFYN, Wright protege (above, in cap and jacket, with Wilbur Wright), was one of the first six pupils of the famous brothers. In 1912, he fitted the first aluminum pon- toons on his Wright model B. At right, Coffyn stands be- side the plane. He made several flights around New York harbor. The first, Feb. 6, 1912, started from the Battery where he took off despite the floating ice, flew to Grants tomb and back, and circled the Statue of Liberty before re- turning to his starting point. The next week, he amazed New Yorkers by flying under the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges (above). After a ride with him, R. H. Davis said flying was the thrill that makes all other sensations stale and vapid. FLIGHT OF FIRST FLYING BOAT (above) was achieved on Jan. 10, 1912, by Glenn H. Curtiss. Unlike the seaplane, which has floats suspended beneath the fuselage, the flying boat lands directly on its hull. With his enthusiasm for water- based planes, Curtiss rapidly perfected the flying boat after it showed early promise. Before the end of 1912, he had de- veloped the Curtiss F-Boats, several of which were bought by the Army and Navy. Curtiss is seen (I.) standing by one of these F-Boats with Henry Ford, whose interest in aviation was being aroused by the achievements of men like Curtiss. Ford's enthusiasm continued, and about fifteen years later he ventured into the aircraft business himself, and began the manufacturing of trimotor transport planes. 80 SIKORSKY BUILDS WORLDS LARGEST AIRPLANE On May 13, 1913, Russian engineer Igor Sikorsky first flew the largest air- plane of the time. It had four 100 hp engines, mounted in two tandem pairs, and a wing span of 92 ft. With a weight of 9,000 lbs., the Grand included accommodations for eight, an enclosed control cabin, and was equipped with altimeters, angle of attack, bank, airspeed indicators, etc. The Grand is shown (above) during later testing, the original four rudders reduced to two. In June, 1913, the power plant arrangement of the Grand was modified to four-in-line (top r.). Czar Nicholas inspected this model in July, 1913. It was wrecked when an engine fell out of a plane overhead and smashed a wing. Sikorsky flew a second four-engined giant, the Ilia Mourometz, in Jan., 1914. It was developed into a bomber ,and used by the Imperial Russian Air Service in World War I. A Mourometz bomber is shown (r.) with Sikorsky (2) opposite his former partner, General Shidlovsky. LOOPING an airplane was first accom- plished by Frances Adolphe Pegoud who is shown (r.) being strapped into his Bleriot monoplane in 1913. Before that time, it was assumed that if an airplane lost its normal equilibrium it would almost certainly meet disaster. When Pegoud proved otherwise, the daredevils of the sky added new stunts to their repertoires. Meanwhile, another Frenchman, Legagneaux, set an altitude record of 20,950 ft., December 28, 1913. TAUBE OR "DOVE" type monoplane was originally devel- oped about 1909-10 by Igo Etrich of Austria. Basing his ideas on the Zanonia leaf, actually a gliding seed pod, Etrich made his first machine tailless, but soon turned to more conven- tional models. The Taube was a great success and became the standard German military type before World War I. MORANE-SAULNIER monoplane, developed from the Bler- iot by Leon Morane became very popular by 1913. This fast plane takes off in a cloud of dust (below). In an identical craft, noted French airman, Roland Garros, made the first Mediterranean air crossing, Cannes to Bizerte, on Sept. 23, 1913. It was the longest over water flight yet attempted. CERTAIN THEY WERE RIGHT, the brothers Orville and Wilbur (I.) resented claim of Smithsonian Institution that Dr. Samuel Langley had invented the airplane. Conse- quently, Orville sent original Wright biplane to the Science Museum, London, in 1928, where it remained (above) for 20 years. In 1942, the issue was settled, and the English museum built a replica (r.), then returned machine to the U.S., where it was formally given to Smithsonian Institution in 1948. SIDELIGHT of the Wright controversy is seen above. Ruth Law, famous avia- trix, used Curtiss biplane equipped with a Wright control system, because she learned to fly with Wright equipment. ADMIRAL PEARY, North Pole discov- erer, took his first plane ride Oct. 12, 1915, piloted by Frank Burnside (r.). WRIGHT BROTHERS TAKE LEGAL ACTION So long as there is any money to be made by the use of the products of our brains, we propose to have it ourselves. This statement of Wil- bur and Orville Wright expressed the feeling that prompted them to bring suit August 18, 1909, against Glenn Curtiss for alleged patent infringe- ment, followed by similar action against other aviation pioneers in Europe and the United States. In 1903 the Wrights had applied for a patent on their flying machine. This patent, granted on May 22, 1906, allowed 18 claims which to a considerable degree covered the en- tire field of flying machines. Nearly all who built workable airplanes, therefore, were technically guilty of infringement. In practice, the Wrights never interfered with amateurs or those trying to develop the science. They mercilessly attacked, however, those who built machines for profit. The real fight was with Glenn Cur- tiss, since much personal feeling was involved. The first injunction against Curtiss was revoked, then quickly re- imposed. A series of court battles fol- lowed, with the verdict finally grant- ed in the Wrights favor, Jan. 1914. A study of all the evidence, in the light of present-day knowledge, sub- stantiates the Wrights viewpoint. CONFUSION entered the Wright case when Glenn Curtiss flew the Langley Aerodrome, June 2, 1914, in support of Smithsonian Institutions claims. How- ever, Orville pointed out drastic revis- ions in machines structure since Lang- leys original attempts to fly it. By 1914 enough had been learned to make any airplane of sound configuration fly. In 1942, Smithsonian admitted its error. PARIS AERO SALON drew many Eur- opean manufacturers each pre-war year from 1908. Above, 1913 Nieuport show. 82FIRST SCHEDULED AIRLINE New Years Day in 1914 witnessed the in- auguration of the worlds first regularly scheduled air passenger service. The 22- mile-long route which extended from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Florida, was flown by a Benoist flying boat, a plane that was similar to the contemporary Curtiss F-boats. Like the Curtiss F-boat, the Benoist had room for only a single passenger in addition to the pilot, and the fare charged by the newly- inaugurated airline was necessarily high. Nevertheless, the first days operation was properly heralded as a milestone in the his- tory of aviation, and the opening day cere- monies were attended by some 6,000 people. The scene of the event is shown at right. In the foreground (I. to r.) are Mr. Bannister, a local business man; A. C. Pheil, Mayor of St. Petersburg and the first passenger; Anthony (Tony) Jannus, the pilot; P. E. Fansler, manager; L. A. Whitney, Secre- tary of the Board of Trade; and Thomas (Tom) Benoist, the designer of the airplane. After a few weeks of operation, the line found itself a finan- cial failure, but the venture had afforded a brief glimpse into the future possibilities of commercial air transportation. Tony Jannus had been a famous cross-country flier (1910-11) as well as having been the first to pilot a plane for a para- chute jumper (Captain Albert Berry, during 1912). FLYING BOAT "AMERICA" (above) was built by Curtiss in 1914 for a pro- jected transatlantic flight by Lt. John C. Porte of England. Curtiss designed and built the America in record time, but start of World War I prevented the flight at the last minute. Above right, are (I. to r.) Lt. Porte; his assistant, George Hallet; Glenn Curtiss; and Miss Katherine Mossan, who christen- ed the America. Lt. Porte returned to England, where the America type was purchased by the Royal Navy. From it developed the big H-12 America patrol boats and H-16 Porte flying boats. SWEPT WING tailless airplane, the Burgess-Dunne was early preview of mid- century bombers. This 1916 model was well streamlined. Dunne had built his first tailless airplanes in England in 1910. 83 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FIRST USE OF PLANES IN WARFARE Planes were used in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911-12 (above), and in 1914 the puni- tive expedition into Mexico by the U.S. Army saw the first use of American planes in actual warfare. Most of the aircraft em- ployed were Curtiss JN-4s (top, I.), later famous as the Jenny trainers of World War I. The Mexican campaign was valu- able in preparing the infant U.S. Air Serv- ice for later participation in World War I. Major H. A. Darque (I.) kept photog- rapher posing him until Mexican mob, who had stoned him, was quieted. CATAPULT LAUNCHING from a warship was first perform- ed successfully in November 1915, aboard U.S.S. North Carolina, by a Curtiss F-boat, piloted by Capt. Henry C. Mustin, U.S.N. The launching device, developed from ideas of Capt. Washington Irving Chambers, U.S.N., was operated by compressed air. A complete success, it was soon in service. VERVILLE PUSHER was built in 1916 by Alfred Verville, a former assistant of Glenn Curtiss. Its configuration was typ- ical of pusher fighters of the time, though it was more streamlined, especially in the neat installation of a 100-hp Curtiss OX engine. The pusher type, however, had already be- come outmoded and was used only at start of World War I. 84 FLEDGLING GERMAN pilots learned to fly in a variety of planes including two-seater trainer Albatross (above). Its de- sign stemmed from craft used by German pilots Hirth and von Loessl to set altitude and endurance records just before war. German craft were heavier, higher-powered than Allied. FRENCH AND ENGLISH flying services freely exchanged designs and ideas; as a result both nations had standardized types in August 1914. French Farman pusher trainers ( r.) were called the Longhorn in England. Early French aircraft included Zodiac class blimp airship, shown in flight. 85 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.comGERMANY'S WAR HAWKS CARRIED COMBAT INTO THE SKIES, THEN LOST THEIR AIR DOMINANCE TO ALLIED PLANES AS WAR PROGRESSED First World War Despite opposition, airplane role changes from scouting to combat and reveals for first time its power as a weapon of destruction With an unequalled record of 26 air victories, Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, Commanding Officer of 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron., was Americas first ace. He enlisted and went to France as a staff driver before transferring to Gen. Mitchells Air Command. When World War I broke out there were only a few score men in the U.S., and only a few hundred in the entire world, who had ever flown a plane. The first airplanes to appear at the front were frail little linen-and- bamboo pushers, much like the primitive plane in which the Wright Brothers had achieved mans first powered flight scarcely ten years before. Under the impetus of war, the me- chanical development of airplanes and engines was astounding. Within two years we had fighter planes that could fly more than 100 miles an TOP U.S. WAR ACE EDDIE RICKENBACKER hour and carry not only the pilot, but one or more machine guns as well. The art of mastering these aircraft developed with equally astonishing rapidity. There was so little known of flying, that once we grasped a few fundamentals, we just took off and taught ourselves the rest. We were concerned principally in getting as much as we could out of our planes and getting down alive. We could not see very far into the future, but I had watched the plane grow from a rickety kite to a fairly stable machine which . . . was capable of carrying several men and as much as a ton of bombs. With the tremendous development that has taken place since World War I, the airplane is today the most im- portant single factor in our life. Even so, it has only begun to demonstrate its unlimited ability to serve man- kind. I am confident that men of goodwill can, and will, turn it from the most destructive weapon God ever let man create into the Angel of Peace that, in His wisdom, He originally in- tended it to be. Colonel Jesse G. Vin- cent, former vice-presi- dent of engineering of the Packard Motor Car Company (1912-15), to- gether with J. G. Hall of the Hall-Scott Motor Company, designed and guided into production the Liberty engine, first with standardized parts. LIBERTY ENGINE CO-DESIGNER J. G. VINCENT Mass production of aircraft engines with standardized parts first came to the U.S. with the Liberty engine of World War I. No engine since that time has probably had more influence in aircraft development. From 1914 to 1917, 15,131 were built, 6500 of them by Packard. In February, 1916, we produced a 12-cylinder engine with cylinders set in blocks of three and in banks of six at an inclined angle of 60 degrees, and in April, 1917 a 12-cylinder engine, three times the size of the earlier engine and with 905-cubic-inch piston displacement. These two engines were largely the basis of the design approved by the Army and Navy Aircraft Production Board for sample production June 4, 1917. The new engine was called the Liberty because the first test model was inspected on Independence Day, 1917, only 33 days after we had begun the first drawings of it. Although the government asked for five 12-cylinder engines and five 8-cylinder engines on a test run, the project to supply the Allies with an engine that could be mass-produced quite possibly would have died had not England promptly cabled an order for 1,000 of them as soon as the endurance test on the first 12-cylinder model was completed. Actually, the order to build production Liberty engines for the Army and Navy was not defi- nitely given until September, 1917. The first production- built motor was sent to Washington on Thanksgiving Day that year. By May of 1918, we were producing at a rate of 15 per day and reached a total of 900 during the month of October. . In January, 1918, a two-seater fighter, the LePere, was authorized for development by Packard, equipped with the Liberty 12-cylinder engine. It was flight-tested in May and production of 25 was authorized. The Armistice came before the order was completed. . . . Later this bi-plane with supercharged Liberty engine set an altitude record of 34,509 feet. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ZEPPELIN RAIDS on French cities and English coastal towns began soon after war was declared. More terrifying than damaging, these night raids were the first to bring fear of modern warfare to civilians. The action caused Allies to with- draw men and equipment to satisfy demands for more home protection. Anticipating airplane attacks by a year, the Brit- ish in 1915 published German and English plane silhouettes (c) to help citizens identify planes. Zeppelin service, which mainly cruised with the German fleet (r.), was hit hard when one of its bases was bombed in 1914. 1 WAR TAKES ON NEW DIMENSION Belligerents experiment to discover wider military uses for the airplane Long before the first shot was fired in World War I, a battle had been raging in army headquarters of many na- tions. It was over the part the airplane or air arm, would play in any future international military conflict. Die-hard military conservatives looked at aviation either as a branch of the signal corps or of the cavalry. They acknowledged that aircraft could range farther and see more of the enemys movements than cavalry and that airplanes were useful in messenger work. But here their confidence in the value of an air arm ended. It was claimed that the airplane was limited to flying in fair weather during daylight hours; and where one man could care for five horses, one airplane required the attention of at least five ground crewmen in addition to the flying crew. Supporters of air power painted a much more useful future for the airplane, but all in theory. They said that planes could be used for tactical and strategic duties: they could di- rect artillery fire in support of ground operations, and fly hun- dreds of miles to bomb distant targets, thus multiplying the range of artillery. The truth was that neither group really knew what course military air- craft would take when it was used for the first time in warfare. Both groups thought of the airplane only in its relation- ship with ground action. No one anticipated that it would be developed to participate in WINSTON CHURCHILL, First Lord of the Ad- miralty in 1914 and a qualified pilot, starts from Portsmouth on an inspection of the British fleet. warfare against opposing air forces, and result in an entirely new concept of the airplane as a military weapon. This pattern was recognized first by the proponents of military aviation who scrambled to try out new ideas, but had no means to implement or to prove their value. In general the schemes to make the airplane a domi- nant weapon in 1914-15 were sound. Air-ground rockets developed by the Frenchman, Le Prieur, prophesied the Tiny Tim, rocket of World War II. Water-cooled in- fantry machine guns were modified to air-cooled models for aircraft, to save weight and take advantage of the cold air in which they operated. Aircraft cannon, originally various calibre infantry pieces, was taken up and tested. As a result, aircraft of all types was pressed into serv- ice. Out of this chaos a pattern finally emerged: aircraft for scouting purposes was de- veloped as a fast, light, short- range type; weight-carrying planes with longer range were used as bombers; and similar types substituting fuel for bombs were developed to reconnoitre and photograph enemy installa- tions. Such duties made the air arm a useful aid to ground operations. Although specific duties were recognized, the true fighter plane was still to emergeone which had the pilot facing the enemy through whirling propeller blades with a synchronized gun as his weapon. 88 FIRST BRITISH PLANE to land in France was the B.E. 2B, an unarmed, two-place observation type. The pilot. Major Harvey-Kelly, D.S.O., officer of the Royal Irish Regiment attached to the RFC, is shown at right, reading a map. He landed at Amiens, Aug. 13, 1914 in first mass air movement. GERMAN MONOPLANE, the Rumpier Taube, was taken by the French, Sept., 1914. Its wings and tail were shaped like those of a dove, hence the name. Taubes scouted for German armies advancing in Belgium. During drive, Immelmann, in a Taube, dropped pamphlets over Paris urging surrender. HAND-DROPPED bombs were part of the guesswork of early military aviation. By 1915, the dangers of operating primitive planes were increased by frequent exchanges of machine gun or small arms fire. All means of destruction portable by a plane were tried. The French developed sky- rockets (c.) which were soon replaced by the more effective incendiary bullets. Mutual respect for perils of air fighting led to a sort of chivalric code like that of the Middle Ages. German pilots who downed English plane (r.) delightedly entertained crew at their headquarters, toasted their ability. AERIAL ARTILLERY appeared in many odd forms, clearly pointing out that the turn of events in the air was not fore- seen by airplane designers or military strategists. Guns were added to existing types haphazardly, with little regard for efficiency or the safety and comfort of crew. French gunner (I.) had to stand up to fire. His only protection was a thin metal shield and warm clothing. Infantry weapons, such as the 3-in.cannon shown mounted on a Voisin bomber (c.) gave more trouble to crew than enemy and, late in 1915, were exchanged for smaller rapid-fire cannons and machine guns. Lt. Marchal, French flier (r.), demonstrated possibility of bombing Berlin, by flying from France to drop leaflets there. 89 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ANTHONY H. G. FOKKER, Dutch airplane designer (I.), in 1915 invented the machine gun synchronizer. The 1915 Fokker E-III monoplane (c.) gained many early German victories until its capture revealed to Allies the secret of the German synchronized gun. The first practical synchronized gun in his- tory was a Parahelium machine gun (r.) mounted on the fuselage of a Fokker plane. FOKKER BUILDS SYNCHRONIZED GUN The synchronized machine gun had for years eluded the best efforts of armament engineers to perfect it into a practical air weapon. Inventors knew what they were after: a simple device which would regulate the fire of a machine gun so that its bullets would pass through the revolving blades of a planes propeller without striking them. August Euler, German plane builder, received a patent on such a device in 1910. but did not develop his invention. The English Sopwith-Kauper system was still unperfected late in 1914. Then Frances Roland Garros, together with plane builder, Raymond Saulnier, worked out a substitute device. To the propeller of a Morane-Saulnier scout monoplane they at- tached steel guards to protect the propeller from bullets fired through it from a free-firing Lebel automatic rifle. But on a flight in March, 1915, when Garros fired at a German plane, the vibration from bullets striking the steel guards shattered the propeller and he had to land in German ter- ritory. Garros captured plane, and what was left of the propeller, were turned over to Anthony Fokker who then developed a practical synchronizer which gave German pilots a temporary advantage. Immediately, Allied single-seat scouts retaliated with machine guns mounted above their upper wings, firing freely over the revolving propeller. Al- most overnight, militarists who had ridiculed the value of aircraft in war reversed their opinions. NIEUPORT XVII USED AN OVER-WING GUN PILOT ADJUSTS GARROS-SAULNIER DEVICE GERMAN TOWS BRITON IN WAR CARTOON SAYER. FELDFLIEGER ABTEILUNG N94 CARTRIDGES ARE READIED for machine gun which has a synchronizer built into engine of this French Spad-VII. Allied synchronizers worked on the hydraulic principle rather than on Fokkers mechanical system. The hydraulic system, invented by Rumanian engineer Georges Constantinuescue, worked much like auto- mobile brakes. A pump sent pulses through a tube of oil, interrupting guns fire when propeller was in the way. Propeller did not affect the guns rate of fire. NIGHT FLYING in 1916 resulted in a number of unusual innovations, includ- ing this searchlight mounted on a French Spad. Its purpose was to light up ground targets and to help the flier find his home landing field in the dark. LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE was formed in 1915 when Ameri- cans in French Air Service petitioned to form an all-Ameri- can squadron under French Command. The outstanding per- formance of the Lafayette, or Squadron No. 124, became a symbol of returning Lafayette's aid in American Revolution. U.S. AIR BUILDUP began when America entered war, April 6, 1917. Training schools were enlarged and new flying fields established. Student pilots were taught rudiments of flying, then sent overseas for final instruction. On September 1, 1917, the First Aero Squadron began operations in France. STUDENTS BEACH SEAPLANE at Yales air patrol station, Huntington, L.I. This group was a typical example of many college and university reserve squadrons which helped speed up the war-time growth of U.S. air strength. Members of Yales group were assigned to coastal patrols. The reserve program embraced both Army and Navy units. EARLY NAVAL AVIATION group in- cluded (I. to r.): Sufley, Bellinger, Tow- ers, Mustin, Read, Johnson, Cunning- ham, Evans, Haase. (Back): Faunack, Spencer, Bartlett, Edwards, Bronson, Carry, Norfleet, McDonnell, Scofield. U.S. ENTERS WAR Declaration of war on the Central Powers by the United States threw a tremendous production and man- power potential to the side of the embattled Allies. In the air, America was ridiculously weak, with only 35 pilots, 55 second-rate training planes and 1,087 enlisted men. Equally weak was Americas technical knowledge of combat plane design and construc- tion. As an ally, the U.S. soon was visited by English, French and Italian missions laden with up-to-date engin- eering data. Hasty meetings with Air- craft Production Board resulted in a Congressional appropriation of $675 million in July, 1917. This sum provided for construction of 22,500 airplanes, expansion of aviation personnel to nearly 10,000 officers and 87,000 enlisted men, de- velopment of the Liberty engine, and establishment of new training fields. In a matter of months, almost every branch of American industry was involved in building some part of U. S. aerial power. PROMINENT PERSONALITIES took a lively part in drive to build interest in U.S. air preparedness. Socialite Mrs. Charles A. Van Renssalaer served as the chairman of the National Aero Com- mittee. With her (above,I, is Walter Camp, famous Yale athletic coach, orig- inator of All-American football selec- tions and the Daily Dozen exercises. PIONEER GIRL FLIER, Katherine Stin- son, (below) proved women had a place in aviation. She flew thousands of miles in her own plane, recruiting, selling Liberty Bonds and dropping leaflets (Red Cross appeals) on U.S. cities. 91 dm PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com STRICT CENSORSHIP imposed on neutral U.S. kept Ameri- can plane makers uninformed about late European develop- ments. Early 1917 Wright-Martin R biplane, complete with motorbike, was a serious U.S. idea of a military airplane. AMERICAN PILOTS often learned to fly the hard way at French flying schools. After several hours instruction on pre-war French trainers like the Caudron 0.3 flying bath- tub, (above), it was said a student could fly a barn door. HIGH ALTITUDE flights were customary for No. 139 Squad- ron, R.A.F., in operations against Austria from Italian bases. This squadron often crossed the Alps with its two-place Bristol F2-B fighters. Commanded by Maj. Win. Barker, No. 139 and other Allied squadrons won air mastery from Austria. NO. 85 SQUADRON, Royal Air Force, with American pilots and English and Canadian commanders, including top aces Col. Billy Bishop and Major Mickey Mannock, flew 130 mph SE-5a pursuit planes. U.S. squadrons, which trained in combat with Allies, later provided commanders for A.E.F. DANGEROUS JOB for ground crews was starting an air- plane engine by hand. Working long hours, crews took pride in combat performance of planes in their care. Engine mech- anics, riggers and repair men were specialists, and as well trained as the pilots whose lives depended on their skill.92 I 1 t t FIRST AMERICAN-BUILT combat plane received in France by the A.E.F. (June, 1918) was the DeHavilland-4 (above). Based on a successful English design, it was powered by the 400 horsepower Liberty engine built by U.S. automobile manufacturers and was used as an observation and bombing plane. English Sopwith 1% Strutters, seen below at a sup- ply field, were named for their peculiar wing bracing, and were also used in large numbers by American and French forces. A low-powered, late 1915 design, this plane served out war in artillery spotting, light bombing, photo reconnaissance. 1 J I I 1 J 1 I 9 I I I OBSOLETE PLANES used by some U.S. squadrons added to the normal hazards of air fighting. French Nieuport 28s of the 95th Pursuit Squadron, A.E.F. (above), occasion- ally shed wing coverings in dive, were replaced by Spad Ids. HUGE AIR TRAINING BASE was established by U.S. at Issoudon, France, to teach basic military flying techniques to American pilots who had learned to fly in the U.S. Here these novices got their first taste of air fighting tactics. 93 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com BREATHTAKING TERROR of air com- bat was brought to the public by imag- inative artists. The 1918 Liberty Loan painting by John O. Todah] (c.) depicts a French 8pad XVI battling a German Albatros C-III. Continued interest in air-war developed aviation art special- ists. Magazine covers by William Blakeslee in the Thirties portray Eng- lish Sopwith and Vickers bombers (I.) attacking German artillery positions and (r.) a German Pfalz D-III being downed by a British DeHavilland-4. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY by 1918 had become highly de- veloped. Photographic maps, made from photos taken straight down, were used to determine position and strength of the enemy. Photos taken at a slant gave a perspective view of the ground. By late 1916, areas to be bombed were photographed and specific targets chosen by the new art, photo reconnais- sance. Wrecked plane (I.) carried a movie camera to photo- graph aerial activity for newsreel audiences. Aerial photos taken of battle progress, like French gas attack on the West- ern Front (c.), were dropped to processing units on the ground where an army commander could judge the success of an operation. Aerial cameras (r.) came to be widely used. LOW FLYING, armored, ground attack planes were developed by the belliger- ents, especially Germany. Prof. Hugo Junkers, German airplane specialist, developed the all-metal Junkers CL-1. PLATED SECTION of a downed Ger- man A E G. ground attack plane is guarded by a British soldier. Machine guns, in addition to those for the pilot and gunner, protrude from fuselage. FOKKER D-VIII was a 1918 German pursuit plane with plywood-covered can- tilever wing. Developed by A. Fokker of Holland, the wing did not require ex- ternal wires or struts to give it strength.94 DEFEAT OR VICTORY for slow, cumbersome observation or bombing planes depended on the pilots skill and the gun- ners marksmanship. Material-starved Germany used paper miniature planes on a reel (below) to give student gunners, equipped with wooden machine guns, practice in tracking moving objects. The Allies were better off, trained aerial gunners in real airplanes (above. I.) to shoo' at real flying targets, but with a machine gun that took pictures of hits. Allied gunners used a standardized brace of two machine guns (above) that could be turned to shoot in almost any di- rection. The gunner of a German Halberstadt CL-II fighter (below) was well equipped to carry out his duties. His Para- helium machine gun was fitted with telescopic sight, and he was surrounded by grenades and signal flares. 95 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com MILITARY AIRSHIPS AND BALLOONS Lighter-than-air craft were put to varied uses during World War I. Rigid typeswith wood or metal framework were made famous by Count von Zeppelin. Of 120 Zeppelins built by Germany from 1914 through 1918, only six survived the war, to be sabotaged by German troops at Nordholz Zeppelin station. The L-49 (above), one of the few captured intact, was shot down in France, Oct. 19, 1917. Huge Zeppelins dwarfed tethered observation balloons which car- ried one or two men. When attacked, defenseless observers parachuted to safety (r.) and the balloon was pulled down. EXPLOSION of the highly inflammable hydrogen gas used to inflate captive balloons was an ever-present danger to their handling crews. Here crewmen flee as an American sausage becomes a roaring inferno when static ignites gas. 96 ANTI-SUBMARINE patrols were carried out on the Atlantic Coast by non-rigid blimps, built for the U.S. Navy by the Goodyear and Goodrich rubber companies, who also held training schools for the crews. Airship crews began their training with spherical free balloons and small, pow- ered blimps (above). On these craft, the crew car was at- tached (below) to the blimp by cables and finger patches. ITALIAN OBSERVER prepares to go aloft in captive balloon (I.), which Allies called sausage. Germans, transporting a balloon by its cables (above), named them Drachen (kites). Crews communicated to ground by phone, radio. L-40 CLASS Zeppelins were 643 ft. long, 79 ft. in diameter, carried 30 tons of fuel, equipment and bombs. With a crew of 22, they could cruise for four days, travel 62 mph, climb to 21,000 ft. It was the most widely used Zeppelin class. PARASITE FIGHTER, an airplane attached to a mother airship for its protection, was tried by the English. A Sop- with Camel pursuit plane was attached to the dirigible R-33 in an experimental attempt to find a means of defending British airships from German attack. Although the device was not used in combat, Lt. R. E. Keys, R.A.F., was success- fully released from R-33 and piloted Camel to safe landing. 97 From PilotManuals.com / R_areAviation.com DEADLY COMBINATION for Allied shipping was the Ger- man Raider Wolf and seaplane, Wolfchen. The Wolf launch- ed the seaplane to find targets for its guns and torpedoes. The Wolfchen. was not armed, carried radio to direct ship. SEAPLANE CATAPULT became standard equipment on capi- tal ships of the Atlantic Fleet in 1916. It operated by com- pressed air and was developed by Capt. W. Irving Chambers, U.S.N. First battleship outfitted was the North Carolina. NAVAL AVIATION Flying boats and seaplanes carry air war to the oceans Aircraft which could operate from the surface of the water were developed only a few years before the first world war, yet they became as important to the navies of the world as their land-based cousins had been to the belligerent armies. The evolution of the naval air arm followed the land pattern: first, as the scouting eyes of the fleet; second, as a weapon to intercept and destroy intruding enemy long-range seaplanes and flying boats. At first, water- operated aircraft were frequently adaptations of tried and proven land designs. Ultimately, the science of flight from and over the seas became a specialty. English sea-air developments dominated those of the Allies and Germany. Her best patrol-bomber flying boats, the F boats, were based on American Curtiss designs, stemming from Wanamakers America built in 1914 to cross the Atlantic. English seaplanes did yeoman duty in many sea battles, watching Germanys fleet and attacking the Zeppelins Germany depended upon for scouting help. England developed long-range flying boats which were at a disadvantage against Germanys maneuverable short- range aircraft. Italy used seaplanes to a great extent against Austria. The United States Navy worked effectively with France and England in seaplane operations. All de- veloped seaplanes to carry torpedoes, whose weight, how- ever, reduced flying ranges to an impractical point. SMOKE AND FLAMES pour out of the English Felixstowe F-3 flying boat which was shot down into the foggy waters of the North Sea during an air battle. Flying over the scene is the victorious German Brandenburg W-29 seaplane, which was piloted by German naval ace, Lieutenant Christiansen. RETURNING after making raids, the landplane Camels alighted on the water next to the nearest Allied surface ship. Most of the pilots were saved, but the planes usually sank. Later the Camels were equipped with balloon-like bags which inflated to keep both the plane and the man afloat. 98 ENGLISH SHORT model 320 seaplane (above) was an early successful torpedo plane. All belligerents developed similar types. The tiny Brandenburg flying boat (below) could be dismantled and stowed on submarines. It scouted ships. ENGLISH BLIMPS patrolled British coastlines, guarded con- voys and occasionally bombed submarines. Italians used a mother ship (below) to fuel seaplanes at sea, make repairs and provide quarters for the crews. She was named Europa. ALL METAL construction, low set wing and sleek lines made the Dornier Cs-1 seaplane (above) strikingly modern in ap- pearance. Fast and maneuverable, German seaplanes were superior to clumsy Allied types. Short range English Camel fighters (below) were towed to the North Sea, then took oft from lighters to meet German naval air power. In 1918, one such flight bombed and destroyed Zeppelin base at Tondern. U. S. NAVY experiments included launching a giant Italian Caproni bomber from a speeding sea sled which carried the bomber close to its target. Deck flying experiments (below) were made by the English in 1918 aboard a converted cruiser, H.M.S. Furious, first British aircraft carrier. Rope barriers and haul down straps were tried to halt landing planes. Some planes had skids (below) instead of wheels. 99 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FIRST HEAVY BOMBERS Giant bombing planes, capable of carrying a thousand pounds of bombs to targets as far as 400 miles behind battle lines were in regular use the last year and a half of the war. Outstanding bombers were the English Handley Page; the German Gotha and Friedrichschafen; the French Farman and Letord; and the Italian Caproni. The Handley Page was scheduled for production in the U. S., as well. The first model, built by the Standard Aircraft Corp., was christened Langley, and made its first flight (aboveJ July 6, 1918. These planes carried bombs ranging from the 1,650-lb. British S.N. (named for Essen, where it was first dropped), to the tiny B.I.B. (Baby Incendiary Bomb), six inches long (both shown I.). With a 100-ft. wing spread, the Handley Page was an excellent weight carrier, and took forty persons aloft after the war. THREE WINGS were featured in this huge English Bristol Braemer to provide lifting power for its 1600-lb. bomb load, four machine guns, crew, and fuel for several hours flight. Its 125-mph speed was almost as fast as a fighter, but it was built too late for war. CHURCH SERVICES were sometimes held from the cock- pit by an R.A.F. Padre, who often flew from field to field giving sermons on Sunday mornings. Though wel- coming spiritual guidance, fliers were generally fatalistic. FAMOUS CARTOON character, Jiggs, with a bomb under his arm, was the insignia of the 11th Aero Squadron, Day Bombard- ment, A.E.F. which saw brief but vigorous action in the Lorraine, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne sectors in France. It was one of many American squadrons to reach the front during the closing weeks of war. Its planes were the De HavilIand-4, capable of 125 mph, altitude of 19,500 ft., flight of two or three hours. BOMBER AND ESCORT prepare for a daylight raid on Germany. Armorers attach a demolition bomb to racks on the lower wing of a British De Havilland-4 (I.) which the British-owned French Nieuport Fighter (r.) will es- cort on its mission. Although bombers carried forward and rear guns, fighters usually accompanied them to de- ter attacks by the enemy and to engage him if attacked. 100 APOSTLE OF BIG PLANES was the Italian pioneer airplane builder, Gianni Caproni (top, with Allied officers). A thor- ough scientist, Caproni studied all aspects of aerodynamics before building his first plane in 1912. It served as a flying laboratory where he gathered data necessary to build, in 1914, a large trimotored biplane intended for passengers and freight. It was converted into a bomber in 1915, carried a crew of four (lower I.). Ultimate in Capronis developments were the giant triplane bombers (r.), some of which had wings spanning 130 ft., and were capable of carrying a ton and a half of bombs. They could fly long distances and often went out in force, climbing Alps, to bomb Austrian cities. METHODICAL GERMANY developed bombing airplanes and bombing techniques to a much greater degree than the Allies during the early years of the war. Her designers came up with planes like the Siemens-Schuckert R-l (above) with engines enclosed in the fuselage. These engines drove propel- lers (located between wings) by means of gears and chains. HUGE BOMBERS were being manufactured by the Zeppelin Co. and Siemens-Schuckert. The commander of the German Third Bombing Group, Capt. Ernst Brandenburg, was a dis- tinguished aeronautical engineer and airplane designer. He was interested in development of R-class bombers, but pre- ferred to use smaller Gotha G-class bomber (shown) in raids. WasEntzMni) mill! 'i" r; raitft iitotfttn MWM sMt r: Ina fftr fiia boRbordinm bis air Sur anrtWii M' 4 ANTI-BRITISH poster, in which German labor used a quotation attributed to the Eng- lish syndicalist, Joynson-Hicks, testifies to the effectiveness of the R.A.F. bombing. Headlined What England Wants!, the poster credits him with urging, in effect, repeated daily bombing of German indus- trial zones, using hundreds of airplanes, until destruction was complete. Syndicalists objected to war as a means of achieving change, advocated general strikes instead. LARGER BOMBS, to increase the effec- } tiveness of raids, complicated the problem of stowing missiles aboard planes. Bomb at right is nearly as long as the plane, a Far- man which was used throughout the war for a wide variety of purposes, including train- ing. French developed few large bombers. 101 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com MAJOR RAOUL LUFBERY first served with the Lafayette Escadrille, became commander of U.S. 94th Aero Squad- ron. He won 17 victories, was killed when plane caught fire in May, 1918. 4 PRECISION FLYING helped French- man Paul Rene Fonck (r.) become the highest-scoring Allied Ace to survive the war. In one air battle he shot down six German planes, while using only 56 bullets. Credited with 75 confirmed vic- tories, he claimed 127. Shown with him is Alberto Santos-Dumont of Brazil, who made first airplane flight in Europe. ALL-TIME "ACE OF ACES" Capt. Bar- on Manfred von Richthofen downed 80 Allied planes before he was killed on Apr. 21, 1918 by Canadian Capt. A. Roy Brown. In July, 1917, an Allied bullet creased the Barons skull and kept him hospitalized for more than a month. 4 FIRST FRENCH ACE, Georges Guy- nemer. was a sickly youth who was re- jected by the French draft before he enlisted as an air cadet in 1915. He be- came a proficient pilot, winning 53 air victories. A member of Les Cigognes (the Storks) squadron, he fought fearlessly and twice downed enemy planes with only one bullet each, an unequalled record. Eight times the gal- lant Frenchman was shot down before the fatal ninth claimed him in Septem- ber, 1917. His body was never found. GERMAN ACE, Capt. E. von Schleich, destroyed 35 Allied planes and at one time led famous Bavarian Blue Tail Squadron. U.S. 17th and 148th Squad- rons shot Blue Tails out of action, 1918. TOP AMERICAN ACE was Capt. Ed- ward Vernon Rickenbacker, prewar idol of American auto racing. When U.S. en- tered the war he joined the infantry, became Pershings chauffeur. He trans- ferred to the Air Service for pilot train- ing, was assigned to the 94th Hat-in- the-Ring pursuit squadron March 4, 1918. In May he was made commander of No. 1 flight, and in Sept, became commanding officer of the squadron. A cautious flyer, he neither took chances nor expected his men to. His victory record25 planes and balloonswas made in 8 months flying at the front. 102 FIRST SIMON-PURE American ace was Lt. Douglas Campbell of the U.S. Aero Squadron, who en- listed, trained and fought with Americans. Campbell was shot down, but he survived the war. HIGH SCORING English Major Edward Mickey Mannock is said to have downed 73 planes, succeeded Col. Billy Bishop as C O. of Number 85 Squadron. ACES OF W.W. I France originated the Ace system early in the war to stimulate the efforts of her fighting airmen. The system was copied by other nations who ex- panded it, publicized outstanding airmen and glamorized the successful pilot out of all propor- tion to his counterpart in the trenches. Under the French system, an ace was a pilot who had shot down five German planes. In Ger- many, ten planes were required. Among the Al- lies, all adopted the ace system except England, who did not officially count air victories. England did, however, single out audacious young Albert Ball (43 victories) for public honors and later widely acclaimed Canadas William Bishop (72 victories) as the British Ace of Aces. After Bishop was assigned to non-combat duties in June, 1918, Edward Mannock succeeded him as commander of No. 85 Squadron. Mannock was killed a month later. Mighty MickeyMannock downed 73 planes during his fighting career. While alive, his achievements were kept under wraps, in line with Britains policy of not publi- cizing her aces. Excessive publicity made them prime enemy targets. In addition, these air heroes were led about like circus attractions, to build morale and make speeches, to lend importance to official functions. The aces resented this, most of them preferring to stick to their fighting jobs. All belligerents required confirmation of claimed victories from ground or air witnesses. To show the effect of confirmation on a pilots record, Rene Fonck of France claimed 127 victories, but re- ceived credit for only 75. He shot down 52 planes in Germany that could not be confirmed by French ground forces. Bishop or Mannock may have had 20 more victories than they were granted. Yet von Richthofen claimed 80, all uncontested. THIRD-RANKING French Ace was Lt. Charles Nungesser, with 43 victories. Wounded 17 times, he suffered many broken bones in crashes. He disappeared May, 1927, on Paris-New York flight. COMPARATIVE SCORES AUSTRALIAN PLOTS served England with distinction. Capt. Andrew H. Cobby, with 26 vic- tories, was top ace from Down Under, flew colorful Sopwith. ENGLAND'S first great ace, 19- year-old Capt. Albert Ball won 43 victories before his death. He is seen with his sister, mother and a friend at Buckingham Palace for bestowal of the D.S.O. von Richthofen (Ger.) Fonck (Fr.) Mannock (Eng.) Bishop (Can.) Udet (Ger.) Collishaw (Can.) Barker (Can.) McCudden (Eng.) Maclaren (Can.) Guynemer (Fr.) Loewenhardf (Ger.) Fullard (Eng.) Voss (Ger.) Little (Eng.) McElroy (Can.) Rumey (Ger.) Berthold (Ger.) Loerzer (Ger.) Ball (Eng.) Baumer (Ger.) Nungesser (Fr.) Jacobs (Ger.) Medon (Fr.) larkin (Eng.) Jones (Eng.) Boelcke (Ger.) von Richthofen (bro.) Claxton (Can.) Dallas (Eng.) 80 Menckhoff (Ger.) 75 Gontermann (Ger.) 73 Gilmore (Eng.) 72 McColl (Can,) 62 Bolls (Ger.) 60 von Muller (Ger.) 5? Bayou (Fr.) 5B Wollett (Eng.) 54 Buckler (Ger.) 53 Doerr (Ger.) 53 von Schleich (Ger.) 53 Veltjens (Ger.) 48 Koennecke (Ger.) 47 Coiffard (Fr.) 46 Quigley (Eng.) 45 Baracco (Itai.) 44 Brunowski (Aus.) 44 Coppens (Belg.) 43 Wolff (Ger.) 43 Fromherz (Ger.) 43 Kroll (Ger.) 43 Thuy (Ger.) 41 Carter (Con.) 41 Sachsenberg (Ger.) 41 Osterkamp (Ger.) 40 Billik (Ger.) 40 White (Eng.) 39 Jordan (Eng.) 39 Hazel (Eng.) 39 39 37 37 36 36 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 34 34 34 34 34 33 33 33 32 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 SQUADRON teamwork was de- veloped to perfection by Capt. Os- wald Boelcke, a teacher before joining German Air Service. Cred- ited with 40 victories, he was killed Oct. 28, 1916, in a collision. 103 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com NATIONAL HERO with 15 victories, Lt. Franz Max Immelman was the first highly publicized German ace, invented Immelmann turn. He died in a mys- terious twilight dogfight, June 18, 1916. OFF-DUTY GERMAN pilots are (I. to r.) Lowenhardt, Schaefer, Udet, Mayer, Bodenschatz. With 62 kills, Lt. Udet was highest scoring German pilot to survive war, after became famous stunt pilot. VON RICHTHOFEN KILLED Captain Baron Manfred von Richtofen typified German military might in the air as Tirpitz and von Hindenburg did on sea and land. Above left are the famous ace and his squadron mates (from left to right) Festner, Schaeffer, the Baron and his brothers Lothar and Wolff. The Germans thought Richtofen was invinciblea demi- god. But on April 21, 1918, he took off from the squadron field at Douai in his all- red Fokker Dr-1 triplane (a replica is shown at extreme top) and was shot down at about 11 a.m. just behind the Allied lines by Capt. Roy Brown |'above right) of the 209th Squadron, Royal Air Force. Much respected by his enemies, Richtofen was buried with full military honors. His funeral was attended by nearby Allied squad- rons who covered his casket with floral tributes. The Germans did not want to re- lease an official report of his being shot down lest German morale be severely shat- tered. To preserve the legend of his invincibility in the air, German officials re- leased an official report that the great hero had been killed by ground fire. PRESIDENT'S son, Lt. Quentin Roose- velt, flew with the U.S. 95th Pursuit. He was killed July 14, 1918. Brave to the last, he shot down one German. COMMANDER of Army Air Service | Activities at the front, Col. William Billy Mitchell (with cane) is shown with General John Joseph Pershing. 104 FIRST SCHEDULED AIRMAIL IN U.S. Commercial aviation was slow to develop in the United States. Only after Lindberghs historic flight to Paris did public interest in aviation become aroused. On May 15, 1918, when the war in the air in Europe was at its peak, scheduled airmail service was inaugu- rated in the United States between Washing- ton, D. C. and New York City, with a stop- over at Philadelphia. Army pilots and Army planes (modified Curtiss JN-4H Jennies) were used. Major R. H. Fleet was the officer in charge. The Army flew the mail until August 12th, when the Post Office Depart- ment, with Assistant Postmaster General Otto Praeger in charge of the airmail, took over the Army routes and began new ones. In the photograph at the right are (left to right) Assistant Postmaster General Praeger, M. 0. Chance, Postmaster of Washington, D. C., A. L. Burleson, Postmaster General and President Woodrow Wilson. They are shown awaiting the departure of Lieutenant George Boyle on the first lap of a north- bound mail flight. Lt. H. P. Culver was to meet him in Philadelphia and to carry the mail from there to New York. In similar relays, Lts. Torrey Webb and James C. Ed- garton flew mail from New York to Wash- ington (218 miles) in 3 hrs. and 20 mins. LT. GEORGE L. BOYLE received instructions from Maj. R. Fleet before taking off for Phila. As Boyle started, his engines stopped; someone had forgotten to put gas in the tanks. Finally under way, he became lost, broke his propeller landing on a Maryland farm. Next day, Lt. H. P. Culver picked up Boyles mail, flew it to N.Y. PRESIDENT WILSON (r.) WITNESSES FIRST AIR MAIL FLIGHT NEW YORK terminal depot for airmail was at Belmont Park, Long Island. Lt. and Mrs. Torrey Webb are shown before his take-off for Phila. He carried 150 lbs. of mail. 4 PLANS FOR airmail service in the United States was de- scribed to President Woodrow Wilson (left) by Major Fleet. Lt. Torrey Webb, flying from New York, was to relay mail to Edgarton in Philadelphia. 105 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION in U.S. reached astounding totals by mid-1918. The Dayton-Wright Airplane Company organ- ized in April, 1917, produced 400 training planes and 2,703 DH-4 battle planes by Nov. 11, 1918. On July 31, 1918, their one-thousandth DH-4 fighter had been shipped to France. FIRST LIBERTY ENGINE was delivered July 4, 1917, six weeks after Vincent (Packard) and Hall (Hall-Scott) began designs. Originally an 8-cylinder engine, it was developed into a V-12 of 375-400 hp. Auto makers built thousands. Pack- ard shop shows preparation of Libertys for final tests. SCIENTIFIC AIR DEVELOPMENTS United States makes progress in aeoronautical research; catches up with Europe From August, 1914 to April, 1917, airplane development in the United States lagged behind that of Europe. It was, however, lack of money, not lack of creativeness, that prevented many excellent designs from ever leaving the drawing boards of engineers. When war was declared, appropriations began to be granted which allowed American manufacturers to prove what they could do if given the opportunity. While they built standard European plane types at very close to mass production rates, the industry brought out many proto- types of aircraft which were to rank among the worlds finest for years to come. Some of these U.S. designs included the 175-mph Christmas Bullet; the Curtiss 18-B and 18-T two place fighters in the 160-mph class; L.W.F. G-2, a 138-mph fighter-bomber and single-seating gear; the J. V. Martin K-3 with retractable landing gear; the Thomas-Morse MB-3, a 150-mph type which was produced in quantity during 1921-1922 as the Boeing MB-3A; the Orenco D, built by Curtiss and the enormous Curtiss NC flying boats. America displayed much mechanical ingenuity during World War I and accounted for many inventions and in- novations in aircraft as well as in the gear of those who flew. Some of the developments made by Americans were: a high-altitude engine turbo-supercharger, gyroscopic air navigational aids, air-to-ground radiophone sets, air crew oxygen masks, electrically-heated flying clothing, auto- matic cameras and helium gas. MARTIN BOMBER designed in 1918, was scheduled for pro- duction in 1919. Powered by two Liberty engines, its speed was approximately 120 mph, its range 300 miles. It carried a 1500-pound bomb load. Later Navy version carried torpedoes PIONEER AVIATOR Glenn Curtiss devoted his factories al- most exclusively to training airplanes, produced over 3.000 JN-4 type Jennies for the U.S. government from 1916 to 1918. JN-4 model B (above) was widely used by Allies during war. 106 EXAMINING A MODEL of the 1918 Martin Bomber are Donald W. Douglas (I.) and Glenn L. Martin, both aviation pioneers. Douglas was chief engineer for Martin in 1918, and he later formed his own huge company. Lawrence Bell, who was founder of Bell Aircraft in 1939. was a protege of Martin. COMPLETED AIRPLANES as well as Liberty engines were produced by the Packard Motor Car Company in 1918. Cap- tain G. Lepere, a French Air Service engineer, designed the Packard-Lepere fighter. This plane could travel 136 miles per hour and carried two men. Production ceased in peacetime. UNUSUAL FIGHTER MONOPLANE was designed by Gro- | ver C. Loening in 1918. Loening was an ingenious aero en- gineer who developed many aviation patents. Most designs made at the time were simply improvements upon the stan- dard types of the day, but Loening started from scratch and tried to make his monoplane as efficient as possible. It had a top speed of 146 miles per hour and could climb to a 26,000- foot altitude, carrying two men. This was a better perfor- mance than most single-seat fighters. Its engine was a 300- horsepower American Wright model H, based on Hispano- Suiza. If the war had continued into 1919, the Loening mono- plane would undoubtedly have gone into quantity production. IN GUARDED PLANT of Boeing Airplane Co.. WW I air- craft were built for both Army and Navy in 1917. Company was founded on July IS, 1916. First Boeing, a seaplane, was flown Nov. 15. Similar training types were built during war. ODD LOOKING AIRCRAFT, designed and built by Sperry Gyroscope Co., was ancestor of the guided missile or flying bomb. Developed, 1916-18, for U.S. Navy, these automatic- ally controlled aircraft were intended to carry explosives. 107 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com SPEED KING Al WILLIAMS, "LONE EAGLE" CHARLES LINDBERGH AND ARMY'S JIMMY DOOLITTLE TYPIFIED FLYING VALOR OF THE '20s Courageous Twenties Dramatic flights, technical pioneering focus worlds attention on aviation, lift it from barnstormers domain to industry status Early contributor to air safety by navigational aids, Richard E. Byrd headed first flight to North Pole (26), flew Atlantic (27), conquered South Pole (29). Data gotten on flights made vast world areas known, Tn the early days there were many difficulties to overcome and new things to develop to make flying possible. We did not have in early 1919 in- struments necessary to navigate a sea- plane out of sight of land, so for the Navy NC trans-Atlantic flight an in- strument had to be developed to ob- tain the height of the sun above the horizon and another instrument to measure the drift of a plane over the water from wind. While we (Floyd Bennett and my- self) were exploring between the North Pole and the North Magnetic Pole (the north magnetic pole is ap- proximately 1200 miles south of the north geographical pole), the mag- netic compass simply did not work I had to get our direction from the CMDR. BYRD PREPARES FOR POLAR FLIGHT sun compass which Bennett and I used ... to reach the North Pole. We had a tough time with skis for the first North Pole flight in 1926. . . . Cmdr. George Noville and Capt. Mike Brennan designed and con- structed a set of skis that did the trick. On flights of this kind I acted as navigator and took turns at the wheel. Bennett deserves the major credit for the success of our first two years of Arctic flying. In connection with our trans-At- lantic flight of 1927, I was most in- terested in demonstrating the prac- ticability of regular commercial trans- Atlantic flights and constructed the plane accordinglya specially built Fokker that could and did carry the equivalent of a passenger, a pay load, and U.S. mail. We have had four South Pole ex- peditions and have built four Little Americas, each of which was prompt- ly covered with snow. Our expedi- tions have been mainly scientific and included dozens of flights of explora- tion and survey with a number of surface trail parties organized. Our main difficulties arose from the fact that the bottom of the world averages at least 40 (Fahrenheit) colder than the top of the world. Bottom of the world is an un- touched reservoir of natural resources which the nation will one day des- perately need. We therefore are proud that on our South Pole under- takings we were able to discover thousands of square miles of area never before seen by man and deline- ate hundreds of miles of hitherto unknown coast line. A naval aviator in W W I, Harry F. Guggenheim, of the Guggen- heim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, con- tinues his father s work for prog- ress in aviation. H. F. GUGGENHEIM While the history of aviation ... is a fascinating story, to my mind the most exciting period was that of the 20's. It was then that the foundations for todays commercial and military aviation were laid down. High adven- ture and daring were still the com- mon order. My family and I have been fortu- nate enough to be intimately con- cerned with the development of avia- tion, and other forms of flight, such as rockets, since the First World War. It was my father, the late Daniel Guggenheim, who made funds avail- able in the early 20s for the estab- lishment of the Daniel Guggenheim Schools of Aeronautics, and who, through the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, supported studies in . . . instrument flying, aircraft safety and commercial passenger-carrying aircraft design. It was in those days that . . . Or- ville Wright, William H. Durand, Rear Adm. Richard Byrd, Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, and Col. Charles A. Lindbergh were making their dra- matic early contributions. In 1927 the first regularly sched- uled commercial air line in the U.S. began its service, with the aid of . . . the Daniel Guggenheim Fund. . . . The first weather reporting service for passenger planes was established in 1928 with the Funds aid. Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle (then a lieutenant) on Sept. 24, 1929, made history when be flew an airplane at the Funds Full Flight Laboratory, with covered cockpit, taking off, fly- ing and landing entirely blind. We also had a great deal of interest in airplane safety. ... An Interna- tional Safe Aircraft Competition was held in 1929, which resulted in dra- matic gains in aircraft safety. But possibly our most important activity of those days . . . was the establishment of the Guggenheim Schools of Aeronautics in six leading American universities. These schools ushered in the developing of modern engineering in aeronautics. 109 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com JOURNEY'S END for NC-4 was the mooring at Plymouth England, May 31, 1919. Headed by Lt. Cmdr. A. C. Read, piloted by Lts. Hinton and Stone, the brilliant feat of this 1). S. Navy seaplane crew aroused the worlds admiration. Read was carried on the shoulders of admiring sailors and doughboys when the crew arrived in London, June 1, 1919. Adm. Plunkett wired, Regret loss of NC-1 and damage to NC-3, nevertheless information of utmost value gained. ANAVY SEAPLANE SPANS OCEAN One of three NCs is successful in attempting first Atlantic crossing Authorization for the construction of NC seaplanes was signed by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels in Dec., 1917. Work began at the Curtiss Engineering Corp, in Garden City during January, 1918. The first plane, the NC-1, was successfully flown Oct. 4, 1918. Planned as anti-submarine weapons, they were also designed for possible Atlantic crossing. The Armistice on Nov. 11, 1918, curtailed aircraft pro- curement, and only four of the Curtiss seaplanes were built. The idea of an ocean flight was revived with new intensity in December, 1918, when the London Daily Mail offered 10,000 for the first crossing. Navy sentiment was, in effect, If there is to be no fight, there will at least be a flight! After much training and technical preparation, during which the NC-2 was disman- tled to provide parts for the other craft, the NC-1, NC-3, NC-4 left Rockaway Beach on May 8 for Halifax, Nova Sco- tia, thus beginning the first attempt at a crossing of the Atlantic by heavier-than-air machines. By May 15, all three sea- planes had flown from Far Rockaway to Trepassey, New- foundland, a distance of 1000 nautical miles. On May 16, with the promise of a full moon to help them, the three seaplanes took off into the gathering darkness of the At- lantic. Lost in dense fog, the NC-1 and NC-3 alighted on the open sea, May 17, to get bearings. Hindered by high seas, neither plane could take off again. The badly damaged flagship, NC-3, commanded by Tow- ers, managed to taxi under its own power to Ponta Del- gada in the Azores. The NC-1, after taxiing for five hours, was found by the destroyer Ionia which picked up the crew'. The huge seaplane sank off Corvo on May 20, 1919. The NC-4 reached Horta on May 17, continued to Ponta Delgado, May 20, and on May 27 made a brilliant crossing to Lisbon, Portugal. Only one more leg was left, the flight to Plymouth, and May 31, 1919, Cmdr. Read and his crew landed there. During their flight of 3,936 nautical miles, in a flying time of 52 hrs. and 31 min., they demonstrated the qualities of Naval organization which made possible the first Atlantic crossing by air. DAMAGED NC-3 enters Ponta Delgada, Azores, after 205-mi., 52 hr. trip on oceans surface. It alighted to obtain bearings but high seas kept it from taking off again. 110 ARRIVAL at Hoboken of officers and crew of the three sea- planes aboard the transport Zeppelin shows (r. to I.) Lt. Cmdr. A. C. Read of the NC-4, Cmdr. J. H. Towers of the NC-3 and Lt. Cmdr. P. N. L. Bellinger of the NC-1. Lt. Cmdr. M. A. Mitscher (c.), pilot of the NC-1 and later a dis- tinguished Admiral, stands in left cockpit of an NC-1, in- dicating pilot's exposure to the elements. Navy Dept, wel- come included visit to Sec'y of the Navy Daniels. Shown are Secy Daniels, and at his left. Asst. Secy F. D. Roosevelt. Standing just behind are Bellinger, Read and Towers. FIRST NONSTOP FLIGHT ACROSS ATLANTIC OCEAN At 4:13 p.m. on June 14, 1919, a heavily-loaded Vickers-Vimy biplane took off from St. Johns, Newfoundland, and headed east across the Atlantic. At 8:40 a.m. the next day, 16 hrs. 27 mins, later, the same plane glided to a nose-down landing in a bog near Clifden, Ireland. Out of the crushed nose scrambled pilot Capt. John Alcock and navigator Lt. Whitten- Brown, concluding the first direct non-stop Atlantic crossing in aviation history. With them came a dog, a cat, and a four-pound sack of mail. While congratulations to these two courageous airmen poured in from all over the world, they journeyed to London and were given 10,000 prize for the flight, awarded hy the London Daily Mail, and were knighted by King George V. When the breathless pair were at last able to recount the experiences of the crossing, they disclosed the nightmarish weather they had encountered. They lost control of the plane because of icing during the night, and narrowly es- caped crashing into the sea. In a civic welcome by the Royal Aero Club of England, vice-chairman Sir Capel Holden remarked that he did not think the men as yet appreciated what they had done. Pictures above show Alcock storing food for the flight, and the dramatic moment of the takeoff. At right, Alcock and Brown arrive in London to be greeted by crowds congratu- lating them on their successful trans-Atlantic flight. Ill From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ENGLAND-AUSTRALIA FLIGHT From Hounslow, England Nov. 12, 1919, Capt. Ross Smith and a crew of three headed a Vickers-Vimy bomber southwest toward Australia. On Dec. 10th they landed at Darwin, com- pleting the first recorded direct flight between Great Britain and Australia. The route is shown above. Awarded 10,000 prize by Australian government, Capt. Smith and crew gave striking proof that the airplane was a practical vehicle, not just a plaything or weapon of war. Seen with their craft (I. to r.) are Capt. Keith Smith, co-pilot (brother); Capt. Ross Smith, pilot; Sgts. Bennett and Shiers, mechanics. ALASKAN EXPEDITION of Army Air Service began June 15, 1920, from Mitchell Field, N.Y, Four DeHaviUand DH-4 biplanes with Liberty engines made flight under command of Capt. St. Clair Street (L, with fellow pilots), reached Nome, Alaska Aug. 25th, in 56 hrs. flying time. Group returned October 20th, after covering 4,345 miles in 112 flying hours. SAMPAIO CORREIA left New York Aug. 17, 1922. Piloted by Lt. Walter Hinton, twin-engined F-5L flying boat did 5,880 mi. in 100 hrs., arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Feb. 8, J 923. after exploration of air routes to So. America. Above are T. Baltzell, cameraman; Hinton; Dr. Martins, co-pilot; G, T. Bye, historian; and J. Wilshusen, mechanic. INTERNATIONAL AIRMAIL had its birth at Seattle, Wash- ington on March 3, 1919 when pioneer sky postmen Eddie Hubbard and William Boeing (I.) flew the first load of mail to Victoria, Canada. The aircraft used in this historic flight was the B & W, a two place open cockpit flying boat. It was the first plane built by Boeing at the Seattle factory. Hero of the first day and night coast to-coast airmail flight by U.S. Postoffice Dept, was Jack Knight (r.). Set to fly Omaha-North Platte leg of flight, he also flew unfamiliar North Platte-Chicago run when relief pilot failed to arrive. His feat of Feb. 22, 1921 brought funds for continuation of air mail. Converted war planes (c.) flew early mail runs. 112 SERVICING DOUGLAS WORLD CRUISER "NEW ORLEANS" AT BOSTON ROUND-THE-WORLD FLIERS IN 1924 WITH GEN. MASON PATRICK U.S. ARMY AIRMEN MAKE FIRST COMPLETE ROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHT Taking off from Seattle's Lake Washington April 6, 1924 four biplanes of the U.S. Air Service started their historic world flight. Returning to Seattle Sept. 28, they had girdled the globe in 15 days, 11 hrs. and 7 min. flying time. Two craft were lost enroute, the Seattle on the Alaskan Penin- sula, and the Boston in the Atlantic. The Douglas World Cruisers, specially built for the flight, had cruising speeds from 53 to 103 mph and were equipped with 400 hp Liberty engines. The Seattle was flown by Maj. F. L. Martin, com- mander of the flight. The Chicago was piloted by Lt. Lowell Smith, who later took command. The Boston was flown by Lt. Leigh Wade and the New Orleans by Lt. Erik Nelson. DESIGNER DOUGLAS, MOTHER, AND FLIERS THE"CHICAGO" IN JAPAN, JUNE t. 1924 PRES. COOLIDGE GREETS LT. SMITH COAST-TO-COAST flight of Army Fokker T-2 on May 2-3, 1923 broke all existing non-stop distance and speed records. Piloted by Lt. John A. Macready and Lt. Oakley G, Kelly (c. and r.), the Liberty-engined monoplane flew from Roose- velt Field, N.Y. to Rockwell Field, San Diego in 26 hrs., 50 min. Loaded to a gross weight of 10,850 lbs. and 735 gals, of fuel, the plane had great difficulty becoming air- borne. After 20 miles it had reached a bare 400 ft. altitude and gorges and passes had to be followed to get through to Phoenix. A crowd of 100,000 greeted the fliers at Rock- well Field. Base Commander Major Henry H. Arnold, later chief of USAAF, said, The impossible has happened. 113 From PilotManuals.com / R_areAviation.com PAN AMERICAN FLIGHT ok five Loan- ing OA-1 amphibians of the U.S. Army Air Service set new distance records for this type of aircraft and also pro- moted much good will in the 20 nations of Central and South America which were visited. Starting from Kelly Field, Texas, on Dec. 21, 1926, the group flew as far south as Valdivia, Chile, before returning to Washington on May 2, 1927. Commanded by Major Herbert A. Dargue, three of the planes are shown in formation (I.), approaching Colombia. In photo at right Captain Ira Eaker (r.) and Lieutenant Fairchild stand on San Francisco after Rio de Janeiro landing. TREMENDOUS POWER of the Packard engine in the Armys Eng. Div.-Verville R-l racer provided the margin of victory for Lt. Corliss Mosely, winner of first Pulitzer race. His average speed was 156.5 mph. SPEED RECORDS FELL when American manufactur- ers encouraged by Gen. Billy Mitchell, produced fast planes, such as the Curtiss R-6 of 1922. Lt. R. L. Maughan averaged 205.8 mph to win racing contests. PULITZER TROPHY RACES To promote American aviation and stimulate lag- ging aircraft development, the Pulitzer brothers established a prize fund for speed achievements. A competitive event to succeed the International Gordon Bennett Race, ended by Frances victory in 1920, was needed. The Pulitzer Trophy Race was the primary U.S. aviation event for six years. In the initial speed event at Mitchell Field, Long Island, on Thanksgiving Day, 1920, military and civilian entries took part, but the 638 hp Army- built Verville R-l was the only true racing design. By 1922 development costs and design progress had taken their toll and civilian entries no longer appeared. A seesaw battle between the Armed Services lasted through 1925. OVER 100,000 PEOPLE watched Lt. Al Williams average 243.7 mph in a Curtiss R2C-1 racer at the newly-built airport at St. Louis. He led three Navy teammates to victory over weak competition of Army. FINAL WINNER of the Pulitzer Trophy was Army pilot Cy Bettis, flying a Curtiss R3C-1, October 12, 1925. Lt. James Doolittle triumphed in the Schneider Trophy race a few days later using the same plane. 114 SUPERMARINE S-5 flown by Flight Lt. S. H. Webster (standing on float) and designed by R. J. Mitchell (center, in light trousers) won the 1927 Schneider Contest held at Venice, Italy, recording an average speed of 281.65 mph. "SPITFIRE" prototype was the culmination of labor of the Supermarine team and Mitchell. First flown March 5, 1936, this superb fighter was in mass production at start of WW II, testimony to the genius of Mitchell who died in 1936. NEW SPEED RECORD for seaplanes of 86.78 mph was set by Sopwith Tabloid. Briton Howard Fixton flew 100 hp bi- plane to win 1914 contest at Monaco. U.S. VICTORY came with superb fly- ing of Lt. David Rittenhouse of U.S. Navy. Piloting a Curtiss CR-3 racer at Cowes, England, he won at 177.38 mph. ITALY'S HOPE for 1931 meet was the twin engine Macchi MC-72 (below). Engine problems prevented entry, but in 1934 set seaplane record, 440.68 mph. SCHNEIDER RACES Trophy fosters speedier flight In Paris in Dec. 1912, at a dinner of the Aero Club of France, the Schnei- der Trophy given by Jacques Schnei- der was announced. Intended to en- courage seaplane development, the trophy was to be awarded perma- nently to any nation who won it three times in succession. Starting as a sporting event in Monaco in 1913, the contests assumed international stature. In 1923 the U.S. Navy sent a crack team to Cowes, England and won the trophy. From then on, the prestige of entire air- craft industries hung in the balance at each race and competition greatly influenced aircraft design. It has been said that no single in- ternational contest in aviation history so profoundly affected the develop- ment of high speed aircraft as did the Schneider Contests. Pioneering was done in superchargers and doc- tored fuels to increase engine power. Winner of 1913 contest was powered by 160 hp engine, while the 1931 vic- tor had a 2350 hp engine. Italys Macchi MC-72 racers, with 3100 hp twin Fiat engines in tandem, each driving a propeller in opposite directions on the same axis, were not ready for 1931 meet. But continued work by Regia Aeronautica enabled Italy, in 1934, to set three-km abso- lute speed record for seaplanes that remains unchallenged. Twelve contests were held in the U.S., England, France and Italy dur- ing 1913-1931. England, victor in 1927, 1929 and 1931 won permanent possession of the Schneider Trophy. FIRST WINNER of a Schneider Contest, Marcel Provost piloted his Deperdussin seaplane to victory in 1913 at Monaco, at 45.75 mph, with a 150 hp engine. LT. JAMES DOOLITTLE passed 200 mph mark in 1925 meet at Baltimore, Md., flying Curtiss R3C-2 racer, with 600 hp Curtiss D-12 engine, 232.5 mph. FINAL CONTEST for Schneider Trophy in 1931 saw Flight Lt. John Boothman pilot Supermarine S-6b (below) to vic- tory with average speed of 340.08 mph. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com DEATH OF A BATTLESHIP in aerial tests supervised by Gen. Billy Mitchell in 1921, proved that an under-water burst close to ship's hull was deadlier than a direct hit. Tests showed vulnerability of warships, a main issue of Mitchells prophecy that air power would be decisive in future wars. INVESTIGATING TRAGEDY of dirigible Shenandoah in 1925, a Naval Air Board of Inquiry summoned deposed Brig. Gen. Mitchell (seated, c.). Through his attorney, Rep. F. R. Reid (standing), he refused to testify to protect his rights with a view to his impending court-martial, Oct. 28, 1925. "BILLY" MITCHELL Vigorous partisan of military air power sacrifices career in fight for an inde- pendent air force and revision of American air policy William E. Billy Mitchell, the fa- ther of American military aviation, struggled valiantly for the develop- ment of air power in the United States. But ironically, he was a prophet without honor in his own country. A pioneer in revolutionizing the techniques of warfare, Mitchell reached a bitter climax to a colorful, heroic life when a court-martial de- posed him as Assistant Chief of Air Service. Yet after great loss of lives and money, most of his predictions about future warfare were fulfilled and his recommendations adopted. Mitchells military career was long and distinguished. In 1898, at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, he enlisted as a private. The 18-year-old volunteer served in Cuba, the Philippines and Mexico, winning a commission in the Signal Corps the same year. He was the youngest offi- cer to be appointed to the Army Gen- eral Stafi (1913). In World War I, he was the first American to fly over enemy lines, be- coming chief of U.S. air service at the front. Later, he commanded all Allied aviation services. Emerging from the war a Brigadier General, Mitchell was appointed Assistant Chief of U.S. Army Air Service. In this post from 1919 to 1923, the stormy petrel became the focal point of a controversy as to whether bombs could sink battleships. Mit- chell argued for a separate air arm, with an air-secretary equal to the Army and Navy secretaries. A vocal crusader, he also campaigned vigor- ously for a wider acceptance of the airplane as a defensive, aggressive weapon rather than merely as a scouting service. But more impor- tant, in aerial tests he exposed the vulnerability of warship to air attack. In 1925 he became an outspoken critic of the countrys aviation policy and figured prominently in newspa- per headlines. He attacked respon- sible officials for their failure to recognize the key role of aircraft in military preparedness. Courting dis- aster publicly in the cause of his be- liefs, he accused the Army and Navy of incompetency, criminal negli- gence, and almost treasonable admin- istration of national defense. Of- ficial reprisal was swift and severe. Court-martialed for insubordina- tion, violation of good order and military discipline (96th Article of War), Mitchell was found guilty. Thus a brilliant career ended. He said the trial was the culmination of the efforts of the . . . army and the ... navy to deprecate the value of air power and keep it in an auxiliary position which . . . compromises our . . . national defense. Suspended from rank, command and duty for five years without pay or allowances, Gen. Mitchell resigned before the sen- tence could take effect. Later, Presi- dent Coolidge upheld the suspension, but restored the allowances and grant- ed him one half of his monthly pay. Complete and official vindication came for Billy Mitchell in 1945 when he was posthumously restored to service with the rank of major general. At that time, two decades after the ignominy of court-martial, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor . . . in recognition of service and foresight in aviation. 116 RETURNING TRIUMPHANTLY to Philip- pines in 1924, Mitchell landed at Clark Field (r.) during nine-month survey of Pa- cific aerial defense. There he again met Emilio Aguinaldo (below, r.) and gave an exciting flying lesson to leader of 1899 re- volt, whom Mitchell had helped capture. A STAUNCH FRIEND of Mitchell, humorist Will Rogers (below, I.) made several excursion flights with him the year of his court-martial. Rogers later died in air crash with Wiley Post. Another close associate of Mitchell was pioneer plane builder Glenn Curtiss (below, r., standing at left of Mitchell, by Curtiss Military Eagle of 1920). Convinced early of inevitability of U.S. entry into WWI, Mitchell enrolled in Curtiss Companys flying school at Newport News, Va. in winter of 1915-16. He also encouraged Curtiss to es- tablish additional training center at Miami. Dapper, social- ly-prominent Mitchell (above, I.), resigned from the Army Feb. 1, 1926, engaged in farming at Middleberg, Va. until his death in New York City, Feb. 19, 1936too soon to see his ignored predictions realized in World War II. 117 V Fqpm PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com CATAPULTED INTO AIR, this observation biplane is typi- cal of those used in the 20's by world navies. Naval chiefs considered planes chiefly as spotters for surface fleets and were unwilling or unable to comprehend fully Billy Mitchells demonstration of sinking a ship with a bomber. TORPEDO OR "TIN FISH" is sped on its way by a Douglas torpedo bomber of 20s. Of all Navy theories, that on tor- pedo planes remained the same even after World War II. First patent on such a plane was granted Rear Adm. Bradley Fiske in 1912. Dive-bombing, tried in 20's, developed later. WAR PLANES NEGLECTED IN 1920s Military aviation held back by opposition of old-line generals and admirals In 1918, the warring nations were left with thousands of - planes and fliers with no military future. Facing extreme cutbacks, the air forces retained only career men who had climbed the regular service ladder. This greatly in- fluenced military air policies of the 1920s. There was little or no money to develop new aircraft types. World War I planes were modified to perform new duties. Experimental aircraft seldom got beyond the prototype stage. In all major air forces, there were fewer than five changes in standard combat models. In 1920, the Italian General Guilio Douthet wrote The Command of the Air, in which he said air power must be equal with armies and navies. He even said wars would be fought entirely in the air, and that strategic bombing fleets would be the key to victory in the next war, His theories were not well received by the entrenched army and navy men of the world, who kept aviation under their control for years as an adjunct to their services. The British modified their World War I planes to patrol their new Middle East domains. They advanced their de- signs in the combat field, while clinging to biplanes with liquid-cooled engines as standard aircraft. The French, leaders in aircraft developments during the war, stagnated. The Germans, blocked by the Ver- sailles Treaty from producing military planes in their own nation, built them in others, such as Sweden and Russia. They concentrated on getting high performance from low- powered civil planes. The Bolsheviks inherited a few ob- solete planes from the Czar, invited foreigners to build planes in Russia and bought military planes in Europe. Tired of war, the world paid little attention to military aeronautics in the 1920s. LUMBERING FREAK of the early 1920's was the first sup- erbomber, the six-engined Barling Bomber. Although it flew, the engine horsepower was inadequate for such a huge plane. The Barling ended as a target for strafing practice. THRILL FOR BRITISH crowd at the Handley Page airfield in England was the relatively close-up view people had of samples of their bombers. In 1919, Winston Churchill cut RFC from 30,000 officers, 300,000 men to one-tenth of each. 118 DEADLY FIGHTERS were these Boe- 4 ing P-12s, typifying the small open cockpit biplanes which were standard equipment of air forces in 1920s. Guns were still fired through the propellers. HAPHAZARD upkeep caused many accidents. Torpedo plane (above) crash- ed due to water leaking into gas tank. 4 CAMERAS and camera planes under- went intensive development in 1920s. Shown here is a group of cadets learn- ing to operate a camera mounted in rear cockpit of an observation plane. FIRST COMMANDER of Navy Bureau of Aeronautics was Rear Adm. Moffett. PLANE-CARRYING SUBMARINE was another Naval idea which eventually proved impractical. The plane is a Cox-Klemin XS-I, designed and built for U.S. Navy sub. FIRST U.S. CARRIER was the Langley, converted from the collier Jupiter. First used Oct. 26, 1922, carrier was approved by Navy men who remembered the success of Ely who took off from the deck of the USS Birmingham. Nov. 14, 1910. WAR BIRDS FOLD WINGS for storage aboard a carrier where space was at a premium. Martin torpedo planes (above) were among first U.S. Navy aircraft in regular serv- ice to use land-type gear which became standard in 1920s. L19 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com T n May 1919 Raymond Orteg, a wealthy Frenchman, offered a S25,000 prize for the first nonstop airplane flight from New York to Paris. Several attempts were made by French and American fliers without success and with some tragedies. It remained for an unknown American youth to win the prize and the ad- miration of a world grown smaller by his adventure. Taking off in light rain, the quiet, slender 24-year-old flier attempted what veteran airmen termed impos- sibleto fly the Atlantic alone. His courage and daring caught the pub- lics fancy. Around the globe people sat at their radios, listening for news of his progress. For twelve hours there was only ominous silence and then came the heartening word that his plane had been sighted off the coast of Ireland. Ten hours later he made a perfect landing at Le Bourget airfield near Paris. A huge crowd had gathered to greet Lindy and gave him one of the greatest exhibitions of adulation the world has ever known. Lindbergh, his face drawn and tired from the ordeal, smiled shyly and waved at the shouting multitude. It took the better part of an hour plus several stalwart policemen finally to get him safely from the field. He had covered the 3600 miles between New York and Paris in 33% hours. His average speed was 107% mph in his $13,000 Ryan monoplane. In the days and weeks that fol- lowed, Lindbergh was feted and idol- ized wherever he went, lauded by kings and commoners alike. He re- ceived 35 million pieces of mail, countless citations and medals, and was awarded the rank of Colonel in the Air Reserve. In 1927 he recorded his own story of his lone flight in the Spirit of St. Louis in a book entitled We. It was highly successful and widely reprinted. In 1953, in another book which bore the title of his cele- brated plane, he again wrote autobi- ographically of the famous flight. LONE EAGLE FLIES ATLANTIC Young Lindbergh makes "impossible" New York-to-Paris nonstop flight 120 THE SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS IS WHEELED OUT OF HANGAR AT ROOSEVELT FIELD ON MAY 20, 1927 FOR LINDBERGH'S PERILOUS JOURNEY FRIENDLY RIVALS in the Trans-Atlantic attempt (I. to r.), Lind- bergh, Comdr. Richard E. Byrd and Clarence Chamberlin wish each other success. Although Lindbergh was first to fly solo across At- lantic, Chamberlin, a few days later, with Charles Levine, made first nonstop flight from N. Y. to Germany. Lindberghs Spirit of St. Louis had 220 hp Whirlwind radial engine. Gas gauge on instrument board did not show 60 gallons left in tank at flights end; 390 gals, used, 11.1 per hour. AT HIS PLANE'S SIDE, grim-faced young Lindbergh buttons a tight smile, pointed the nose of his plane into the over- his flying logs. Climbing into cockpit, he looked out with cast sky. and took off alone across the stormy Atlantic. 121 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com CHEERING THRONGS surge forward eagerly as the Spirit of St. Louis circles for landing at Croyden Field, England. So vociferous was their welcome that a police cordon had to be thrown around the plane to protect Lindbergh from injury. MARSHAL FOCH congratulates Lindy after his successful flight from New York to Paris. While in France, the young hero was decorated by the President of the French Republic with Cross of the Legion of Honor. Lindbergh visited the mother of Charles Nungesser, lost in Atlantic attempt in May. PRINCE OF WALES poses with Lindbergh in the Royal Box at the Derby Ball in London. This was but one of the dozens of parties held in the fliers honor in the U.S. and abroad in the weeks following his flight. Lindbergh is wearing the Air Force Cross, presented by King at Buckingham Palace. 122 CALVIN COOLIDGE praised Lind- berghs courage at ceremonies held in fliers honor at Washington Monument. After his speech, the President awarded Lindbergh Distinguished Flying Cross. HERO'S WELCOME greeted Lindbergh on his return to the U.S. In photo at left he is shown during triumphant par- ade down New Yorks Broadway. Tons of confetti, ticker tape and torn news- papers and telephone books showered parade in an unbridled demonstration."THE LONE EAGLE," alone no longer, is shown in one of the first photos with his new bride, the former Anne Morrow, who was also an aviation enthusiast. With them at Mitchell Field, New York, is Harry Guggenheim, president-trustee of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics. PILOT AND CO-PILOT, Lindbergh and his wife are pictured ready for the take-off on one of their many flights together. Following his surveys for early passenger lines, the two made a trans-Pacific good will flight, a tour over Central America and a 30,000 Hie trip, covering 21 nations. 123 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ANTHONY FOKKER (below), born in Java in 1890, was a licensed pilot in Germany at 21. A year later he opened his first plant near Berlin and added one in Schwerin in 1913. Fokker contributed vitally to Germanys air might in WW I. He invented a synchronizer for firing a machine gun past moving propeller blades. After the war he developed many worthy aircraft types in Holland. In 1925 he brought his first tri-motor, the F-7, to the U.S. where it gained immediate acceptance. The Josephine Ford (above) was name given to the Fokker tri-motor that Byrd flew to North Pole (1926). HENRY FORD, auto production genius, joined forces with William B. Stout to manufacture the first Ford tri-motor in 1925, The famous Tin Goose of the airways was based on the 1924 Stout Air Pullman, a Liberty-powered monoplane with a corrugated metal body. First of these to be built by Ford was the Maiden Detroit (above). Ford planes were never mass-produced with the energy given his cars. Only 135 were in use by October 1929, a year after full production. Ford, seen below with Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, gave impetus to aviation by his mere presence in the industry in the 1920s. CLAUDE RYAN built the Spirit of St. Louis, the plane Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic, one year after he built the Bluebird (below), which had caught Lindberghs eye. Operator of an airline between Los Angeles and San Diego, Ryan became a leading plane builder. AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS Surplus war planes deterred produc- tion of new types in the U.S. after WW I. With modifications, the De- Havilland DH-4 could carry 500 pounds of mail at top speed of 120 mph. But in Europe, where airlines were developing as passenger car- riers, more was expected of planes. Junkers all-metal monoplanes were in production in Germany right after the war. In France, Far man and Breuguet began building transports of original design in 1922. Early British transports were mostly modi- fications of Handley Page, Vickers- Vimy and other WW I bomber types. Fokker smuggled machinery and parts from Germany, escaped to Hol-' land in his first passenger plane, F-2, and built planes there until coming to U.S. Pan Americans order of six Fokker F-10 transports in 1928 was largest single order for passenger air- planes up to that time. Lockheed built fast transports, its Vega (1927) and Sirius (1929) setting records. At 1929 Cleveland National Air Races, single-purpose planes (i.e., racers) were first noted in large num- ber. Among passenger craft, the Boe- ing B-80A stood out, showing the emergence of large transports in U.S. BOEING PLAYED key role in both military and passenger transport. The Boeing 40-B4 (below) built in 1927, was earliest transport to use Wasp engine built by Pratt & Whitney. It still had open cockpit for the pilot. 124 1920 AIRLINER, built by Remington-Burnelli, was the BR-1. It was later placed in the Smithsonian Institute. Most notable feature of this early giant was its introduction of the airfoil contour on fuselage, a major innovation in design. "WASP" ENGINES, manufactured by Pratt & Whitney, were successful competitors of Wright Whirlwinds. P&W was form- ed in July, 1925, by Frederick Rentschler, former president of Wright, and George Mead, who had developed Whirlwinds. MAN AND DESTINY were wed when a youth named Donald Douglas was witness to an important event in aviations infancy. He was one of the spectators who watched the Wright Brothers demonstrate their plane to the Army in 1909. Then only 17 years old, Douglas was so enthusiastic that he resigned from the Naval Academy after three years because the Navy was not yet sold on aviation. After complet- ing his education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he be- came Jerome C. Hunsakers assistant in aerodynamics and worked on the first U.S. wind tunnel experiments. But aerodynamic theory was not dynamic enough for Douglas. He became chief engineer of the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1915. Five years later, with $600 capital, he went to work for himself in the rear of a Santa Monica barber shop (above, left). There he designed Cloudster (above right), the first plane to lift its weight in payload. Four years later, he secured an Army order for the DWC, first plane to circumnavigate the earth. As young men have grown up, so has aviation matured. Douglas sons, William E. and Donald Jr., seen at right as toddlers, grew up in the shadow of the aviation industry and rose to executive leader- ship in the field. Both joined the Douglas CompanyWilliam became missiles coordinator and Donald Jr., vice-president in charge of mili- tary sales, a company director. Douglas Aircraft has been a leading producer of commercial planes since 1933. 125 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com RUSSIAN REVOLUTION can be thanked for Count Igor Si- korskys residence in Western World. By 1914 he had pro- duced a four-engine plane which flew 1600 miles. He built first heavy (4-engine) bombers ever used and held almost every aviation record in Russia before he fled in 1917. On Long Island in 1923 he built his first aircraft organization, a year later turned out twin-engine, 14-passenger 8-29 (I.). Sikorsky (I.) poses with engineer G. 0. Noville and co-pilot H. M. Berry of unsuccessful Rene Fonck transatlantic flight in 1926. Sikorskys S-38 amphibian is seen (r.) at 1928 debut. 4"ARGOSY," early British Imper- ial Airways liner, boasted three radial air-cooled Armstrong-Sidde- ley-Jaguar engines. Used on the London-Cairo-Capetown route, it also flew final hop in Australia to Britain mail experiment in 1931. ICY WASTES of Northern Europe | made skis practical landing gear in early days of commercial transport. In use in 1929 by Finnish Air lines was ski-equipped Junkers F-13 Oh- AU. First Junkers, Fokker and Ford tri-motors appeared in 1925, all within a few months of each other. THEA RASCHE, German aviatrix, advanced the feminine role in aviation when she flew this Italian Savoia-Marchetti 14- passenger transport in 1929. In regular New York-Boston service of Airvia, the plane was unique in its twin floats, each serving as a cabin, and in the puller-pusher power. FIRST PLANE of Sherman Fairchild, the FC-1, took up his newly invented cameras in 1926. By 1929 the Kreider-Reisner Co., Inc. had become Fairchild Aircraft Corp. FC-1, which won Scientific American Trophy Award, became model for famed Challenger transport, built at rate of one-a-day in 1929. 126 FOR AIR EXPRESS attempt to fly nonstop to Chicago, Hand- ley Page WW I bomber is loaded at Mitchell Field, N.Y,, Nov. 1919. Engine trouble forced completion of delivery by train. Regular Air Express Service started on Sept. 1, 1927. FIRST NIGHT FLIGHTS of airmail New York to Chicago were possible in Aug. 1923. Revolving searchlights joined emergency landing fields spaced 25 miles apart. Extension of lighted airways brought coast-to-coast night flights in 1924. FIRST AIRLINES Europe builds world routes while U.S. develops air mail Back to normalcy, the cautious covenant that won Hard- ing the presidency in 1920, threatened to eclipse the battle cry of the postal service: The Air Mail Must Go Through! While valuable as pilot-training during the war, airmail service had not proved itself vital or neces- sary since taken over by the Post Office Department in August, 1918. Even though regular service between Chi- cago and New York had been inaugurated within a year, the high death toll exacted by this Graveyard Run over the Allegheny Mountains was not the normalcy the country had been looking for. Civil aviation was having its biggest development abroad. Paris Peace Conferences sparked Europes air travel. But in the U.S. dare-devils gained few adherents to passenger transport, and the countrys airmail future looked dimuntil an audacious exploit saved the day. The first night mail was flown across the country by dar- ing Post Office fliers whose only beacons were bonfires lit by farmers. On that night, a lame duck gave wings to commercial aviation and air mail pilots ranked with war aces as Americas new heroes. Final collapse of every British airline in 1925 through lack of government subsidy, was followed by founding of Imperial Airways with a ten million pound grant to spend over 10 years. In the U.S., 1925 marked the passage of the Kelly Bill, inviting bids from private companies for delivery of mail over feeder lines called Contract Air Mail Routes by the Post Office Department. In 1926, 14 routes (CAM-1CAM-14) were put in operation by fore- runners of todays airline companies. Passenger travel still lagged, however, until Charles Lindberghs solo across the Atlantic in 1927 encouraged the nation to fly. At once airline stocks rose as aviation barnstormed its way into American big business and the boom. CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT over unlighted airways by ten airmail pilots February 22, 1921 brought a $1,250,000 appro- priation by Congress for continuation of airmail, with funds for lighting airways. Jack Knight (above) was the hero of the flight which secured the future of commercial aviation. ONLY "OVERSEAS" AIRLINE in the U.S. after World War I was the Key West-Havana route of Aeromarine, which grew in the prohibition era. Originally a carrier between New York City and resort towns, it used converted Navy flying boats. But small mail subsidy forced its dissolution in 1923. 127 From J>i I otManuals.com / RareAviation.com PEACE conference papers and per- } sonnel sent over the channel on RAF Communication Flights led to sanction of civilian air trips to Paris, and birth of the Air Transport & Travel, Ltd. s COMFORTABLE WICKER had added advantage of light weight in Fokker F-3 built for Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), 1920. Travel comfort, government sub- sidies gained KLM key European routes. MUSHROOMING FRENCH LINES gained confidence of passengers with the Farman Goliaths, derived from World War I bomber. Government subsidies enabled French to un- dersell British airline services until the birth of Englands Im- perial Airways in 1925. Air France airline emerged in 1933. CONTRACT AIRMAIL ROUTES OPEN United States airline patterns can be traced to the feeder lines opened to bids from private companies in 1925 for delivery of mail. On April 6, 1926, Leon D. Cuddeback (I. above) flew the Elko, Nevada-Pasco, Washington run for the first of the five original Contract Air Mail Routes to begin service. Operated by Varney Air Lines, it was known to the Post Office Department as CAM-5. Western Air Express flew Douglas M-2s from a converted movie studio at the edge of Vail Field (I., below) east to Salt Lake City over CAM-4. The hazardous DeHavilland planes were vanishing, as owners of the feeder lines bought planes of early manufacturers like Claude L. Ryan (above, r.), whose early planes flew the Los Angeles-Seattle route won by the Pacific Air Transport. PATs owner, Vern Gorst, is shown with Ryan after the two set a record of 7 hours, 3 minutes, in San Francisco-Seattle survey flight. In 1926 fourteen routes were put into operation (CAM-1CAM-14). Contract air routes fed the govern- ment's main line transcontinental air mail route until bids were opened on this route in 1927. The San Francisco-Chicago run, won by amazingly low bid of airplane manufacturer William Boeing, laid foundation of the United Air Lines. 128 TONY FOKKER'S ESCAPE to Holland from Germany follow- ing World War I gave great impetus to development of Dutch KLM. With the Fokker F-7 in 1925, it became first airline to use air-cooled rather than water-cooled engines. KLM was formed in 1919, and Denmarks DDL, worlds oldest, in 1918. AMERICA'S HORIZONS WIDENED with flights to South America in 1929 by Pan American Airways following a sur- vey flight by Col. Charles Lindbergh (in helmet). Sikorsky flying boats were developed in 1928 for Pan American, formed to fly 110-mile Key West-Havana route, once Aeromarines. 4 BOSTON-NEW YORK route of the Colonial Air Transports CAM-1 was opened on June 18, 1926, by (I. to r.) pilots Leroy Thompson, H. I. Wells and Maj. T. 0. Freeman, shown with gen- eral manager Juan T. Trippe, who later organized Pan American Airways. CHRISTENING of a Ford Trimotor I by Amelia Earhart and Grover Whalen (at left) in New Yorks Pennsylvania Station on July 7, 1929, launched the first coast-to-coast air line. Passengers flew by day, took train at night; trips 48 hrs. halved cross-country travel time. FIRST SCHEDULED FLIGHT of passengers over the contract mail routes was inaugurated by Colonial Air Transport on the night of April 4, 1927, on its Boston-New York run. Holder of Ticket No. 1 was Mrs. Gardiner Fiske (standing). Colonial was the earliest forerunner of todays American airlines. TRANSPORT PLANES had greatest development in Germany due to Versailles restrictions on military aircraft. This 15- passenger Junkers G-31 with three compartments, two berths, was used by Deutsche Lufthansa. Services of this airline cov- ered a wide territory until they were curtailed in 1940. 129 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com SHOWN ARE THE POLAR ROUTES FOLLOWED BY BYRD IN THE "JOSEPHINE FORD" AND BY AMUNDSEN IN THE "NORGE" TWO DAYS LATER FLYING EXPLORERS PIONEER THE POLAR REGIONS Years before man ever reached the North Pole on foot, he assaulted the frozen wastes through the air, only to die in his first effort. The initial attempt to reach the pole by air started July 11, 1897 when Solomon August Andree, Nils Strinberg and Knut Frankel took off in a free balloon from Kings Bay, Spitsbergen. They covered 200 miles in three days, coming down on White Island, where they eventually per- ished. Strinberg, who was buried, ap- parently was the first to die, followed by Andree and Frankel who died to- gether on the icy ground. Their bodies were found 33 years later, Au- gust 6, 1930, almost exactly where they had fallen. Lt. Comdr. Richard E. Byrd, who retired from the Navy in the early 1920s after an injury hurt his chances for advancement as a deck officer, flew to the North Pole May 9, 1926. He was also first to reach the South Pole by air, on November 28, 1929. Byrd was followed to the North Pole two days later (Nov. 30) by the Nobile-Ellsworth-Amundsen group in the dirigible Norge. The airship ho- vered around the pole for two hours of scientific observation, then pro- RAOLD AMUNDSEN used semi rigid airship Norge on North Pole flight with Nobile and Ellsworth. When Nobile and Italia crew were lost over North Pole in 1928, Amundsen flew to help. Nobile was rescued, Amundsen never found. ceeded 2,200 miles farther, to land at Teller, Alaska. Lincoln Ellsworth, wealthy explor- er, put money in the airship expedi- tion which followed Byrd over the North Pole. Later Ellsworth also flew extensively over Little America, as Byrd named the Antarctic regions, where he made his headquarters. Ells- worth, an Army pilot during the first World War, made several Antarctic flights. On one of these he was forced down at the Bay of Whales with his pilot, Herbert Hollick Kenyon, while on a flight from Dundee to Little America. Though the two fliers land- ed safely, their radio would not oper- ate. They were believed dead until they were found upon the providen- tial arrival of the Royal Research Society ship Discovery. Sir Hubert Wilkins and C. B. Eiel- son became the first men to fly from North America to Europe by the polar route on April 15, 1928. They made the 2,200 mile flight from Pt. Barrow, Alaska, to Spitzbergen in 20 hours and 30 minutes. FIRST OVER BOTH POLES was Lt. Comdr, (later Rear Adm.) Richard Evelyn Byrd. He conquered North Pole at 9:02 a.m. May 9, 1926 in trimotor Fokker Josephine Ford, named for daughter of auto-magnate, sponsor of flight. Pilot for 15 hour, 30 minute flight was the intrepid Floyd Bennett, for whom Navy air base (Brooklyn, New York) is named. INTO ICY HANGAR at Kings Bay, Spitzbergen, crewmen tow the Norge just before she carried Amundsen, Ellsworth and her Italian commander, Col. Umberto Nobile, over North Pole. Instead of flying to the Pole and returning directly, Norge hovered more than two hours at the top of the world to take scientific readings, flew on 2200 mi. to Teller, Alaska. SOUTH POLE PLANE, Ford tri-motor, is dug out of snow at Byrds Little America for flight across pole Nov. 28, 1929. Bernt Balchen was pilot, Harold June was radio operator, Capt. Ashley McKinley, U.S. Army, was photogra- pher. Sun compass aided polar trips. HUGE AREA of Antarctic was claimed for U.S. after one of the exploratory flights of Lincoln Ellsworth and Bal- chen in 1930. Shown are (I. to r.) air- plane builder John K. Northrop, Bal- chen, Ellsworth and Jay, designer of Northrop plane (behind) making trip. NOTED BRITISH EXPLORER, Sir Hubert Wilkins fright- pioneered technical developments on his flights over both the North arid South Pole regions. Wilkins efforts earned him knighthood from King George V of England. He had hoped to prove feasibility of commercial air transportation in the Arctic and exploration in the Antarctic erritories. AT ADVANCE OUTPOST during 1933-35 Antarctic expedi- tion Byrd maintains radio communication. In the course of six-month stay alone as weather observer, he almost perished when overcome by gas but was rescued in the nick of time. His South Pole trips resulted in discovery of valuable min- eral deposits, gave U.S. backing in Antarctic land claims. 131 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com USS "LOS ANGELES," built by Germany as war reparations payment, is seen (I.) moored to USS Dakota, mother ship of Navys dirigible fleet. First U.S.-built rigid dirigible, ZR-1 Shenandoah, made many flights, crashed in 1925 (right). IRSHIPS Dirigibles end forecast In the wake of World War I the victorious Allies sought to surpass the capacities of German military Zeppelins. During the hostilities, the appearance of these German giants in the skies over, London and Paris in night raids had brought new and terrifying dimensions to war. In the minds of a war-wracked civilian population, the dread Zeppelins threatened annihilation. Thus the Allies were impressed by this potent weapon of destruction and fol- lowed through their interest practically. In the post-war period of the 1920s, France and Eng- land experimented with airships but both nations learned the unreliability of the rigid dirigible. The loss of the Dixmunde, which disappeared over the Mediterranean without a trace in 1923, caused the French to abandon dirigible flights. The English were also unfortunate with the R-33 and the R-34, each of which suffered damage during rough weather. By 1930, the R-101 had crashed and burned, carrying 47 persons to their death. There- after only the United States remained seriously interested in the military possibilities of the rigid dirigible. BALLOON JUMPING originated as a publicity stunt in a U.S. newsreel. Having to overcome only about four pounds of gravity, a balloon jumper in an average leap might soar 40 feet high, cover as much as a quarter of a mile. English parachutist E. A. Dobs tested the new sport in England (above), was electrocuted when he landed on a 3000-volt line. 4 FIRST TRANSATLANTIC crossing by a dirigible was in 1919 by the R-34 (moored in background), of Englands RAF. Lt. Comdr. Zachary Lansdowne, USN (extreme left), later killed in Shenandoah disaster, was aboard as American ob- server. With gas capacity of 2,000,000 cubic feet, the British ship amazed the world by its achievement. This first crossing of the R-34 took 75 hours. Accidents, however, blighted the subsequent history of the R-34 and its sister ship the R-33. 132 "THE ROMA," designed by Umberto Nobile and built in Italy in 1919 for U.S. Army, is shown completing a test flight at Langley Field, Va. A semi-rigid dirigible like the Norge, built in 1926 and the Italia in 1928, the Roma had a keel structure at the bottom of a boneless hull. Compare its lumpy contours with the sleek lines of the fully rigid Graf Zeppelin.. The Roma hit a high tension wire and fell in flames in 1922. Its loss speeded change to the use of helium. FIGHTER AIRPLANES were first launched from a dirigible by Britains Royal Air Force. The huge R-33, sister ship to the famed R-34, is shown rising from an English aerodrome preparatory to mid-air launching of its attached aircraft. Also experimenting with dirigible launchings, the U.S. Navy in 1930 successfully launched Lt. R. S. Barnaby in a glider from the underside of the dirigible Los Angeles at an altitude of 3,000 feet over the shores of Lakehurst, New Jersey. DR. HUGO ECKENER, famed German dirigible expert, re- ceives congratulations of President Herbert Hoover (below, left) after completing, in 1929, round-the-world flight in the Graf Zeppelin (shown refueling below, after 1933 flight from Germany). Dr. Eckener was the key figure in post-World War I development of rigid dirigibles for long range civilian trans- port. The mighty Graf Zeppelin carried 24-35 passengers. Its outer envelope was completely supported, independent of the lighting gas, by an intricate skeleton of girders. Germany led the world in the development of the rigid dirigible, osten- sibly for passenger transport only. German activity centered about airship pioneer Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, whose company at Friedrichshafen built nearly 130 airships for both military and civilian use in the years between 1900 and 1930. The Goodyear Rubber Company at Akron, Ohio was the prin- cipal U.S. exponent of airships. Americas monopoly on hel- ium, the only adequate non-inflammable lifting gas, severely hampered German efforts. Dr. Eckener tried to obtain helium, but the United States Government refused, being afraid that the Nazis would misappropriate it for military use. 133 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com RECORD ALTITUDE of 34,509 ft, was reached in 1921 by Lt. J. A. Macready (I.). His high-altitude flights in this Packard-LePere LUSAC-11 helped to establish the value of the turbo-super- charger, invented by Dr. Sanford Moss (standing next to Lieut. Macready). MID-AIR REFUELING of an airplane was first accomplished by Army pilots in modified versions of the DeHavilland DH-4BM. Capt. L. H. Smith, Lt. J. P. Richter stayed aloft 24 hrs., 6 min. over San Diego, California, in June, 1923, to establish a world duration record. 4 DANGEROUS METHOD of starting engines by swinging propellers by hand was eliminated by the electric starter. Early type, shown on Liberty 12 engine in a Martin MB-1, was direct-cranking starter. When batteries proved unreli- able, an inertia starter, using energy stored in the flywheel, was developed. DURALUMINUM propellers, perfected by Collier award-winner, Dr. S. Albert Reed, provided improved performance and reduced weight. The first Curtiss- Reed propellers were made by twisting duraluminum. A forged duraluminum propeller helped James Doolittle to win the 1925 Schneider Cup Race. SCIENCE ADDS SAFETY The science of flying had progressed with amazing rapidity during the de- cade ending in 1919. The simple box- kite craft of 1910 had yielded to streamlined monoplanes and biplanes with metal structures. Duraluminum, developed between 1903 and 1914, was first made in Germany, where Dr. Claude Dornier designed the first German plane built of duraluminum. By 1919, smooth, stressed-skin con- struction was progressing from the experimental to the developmental stage. In the United States, pioneers in producing all-metal airplanes were the Thomas-Morse Aircraft Company and the Stout Engineering Labora- tories, builders of the first American plane with stressed-skin metal con- struction, a two-engine Navy mono- plane torpedo-bomber. In spite of the difficulties encount- ered by United States manufacturers in obtaining appropriations for pro- duction, significant design progress was made. Radio communication be- tween planes in flight and ground stations and radio navigation aids became realities. Flight instruments such as the turn-and-bank and rate- of-climb indicators came into wide- spread use. Air-cooled radial engines captured the dominant position for- merly held by the V-type liquid- cooled engines. Wooden propellers were giving way to duraluminum. By 1929, aviation was well established as a major industry. DEMONSTRATION of his vertical-lift machine was made in 1922 by Henry Berliner for the U.S. Navy (above). About the same time, an Army-built DeBothezat helicopter was attaining a height of 15 ft. during a flight of 1 min., 42 sec. duration at McCook Field, Ohio. TOO RADICAL for its time, this tiny Gordon Bennett Trophy Race entry, the Dayton-Wright RB-l of 1920, was aban- doned before it was fully developed. Its advanced features included retractable landing gear, variable-camber wing, full flaps and an enclosed cockpit. 134 | IMPROVED METHODS of aircraft manufacture included Lockheed-devel- oped plywood fuselage construction (I.). The innovation was first used in the manufacture of the 1927 Vega, a high- speed cabin monoplane which was de- signed by A. Lockheed and J. Northrop. FIRST EXPERIMENTS in constructing } metal-covered aircraft in U.S. were held at Stout Engineering Laboratories. High-speed rivet tests (r.), which led to development of pneumatic rivet guns, were made for G. H. Prudden, designer of plane which became Ford tri-motor. RIDICULED in 1922 for its novel fea- tures, Verville-Sperry R-3 racer was an- cestor of low-wing, retractable-landing- gear aircraft, utilized first rubber-spool engine shock mounting and landing- gear position indicator. Modified ver- sion won Pulitzer Trophy in 1924. FIRST BLIND FLIGHT was made in 1929 by James Doolittle, using Sperry Gyro Horizon and Directional Gyro in a Consolidated NY-2. While under a hood, Doolittle flew a 15-mile course from Mitchell Field on Sept. 24 and landed safely. Lt. Ben Kelsey was check pilot. ROCKET PROPULSION for aircraft first appeared in 1929 when Fritz von Opel experimented with powder rockets attached to a glider. Max Valier of the German Rocket Society was pilot of the first flight on Sept. 30. Flight was made as part of a publicity scheme. GUGGENHEIM FUND offered prizes totaling $150,000 for airplanes showing the greatest advance in safety without loss of efficiency. Winner of an award in 1929 was this Curtiss Tanager bi- plane, which used slots and flaps as well as wing-tip floating ailerons. CONTEST COMMITTEE for Daniel Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition included Charles Lindbergh and fin- ancier Harry F. Guggenheimfc.Jwho, as president of Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics established by his father, conducted the Safe-Aircraft contest. SPECTACULAR takeoff of Handley Page Gugnunc was typical of top entries in Safe Aircraft Competition. Sir Fred- erick Handley Page was the inventor of the automatic wing slot, a device to control air flaw over a wing at low speeds, and of slotted landing flaps. 135 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation^com FIRST NONSTOP FLIGHT to Germany from New York was made by Clarence D. Chamberlin (second from r.), June 4, 1927, in a Bellanca monoplane owned by Charles A. Levine (r.), who hopped aboard at the last minute and became first Atlantic air passenger. With them are (I. to r.) Casey Jones, pioneer instructor, pilot and engineer; Lloyd Bertaud. tentatively chosen as pilot; and famous humorist Will Rogers. ROUSING WELCOME greeted Lts. Lester J. Maitland (I.) and Albert F. Hegenberger upon their return to the United States after completing the first nonstop flight to Hawaii. The two fliers, shown with Mayor Rolph of San Francisco, took off from Oakland, California, on June 28, 1927 in an Army plane. Their historic 2,400-mile, over-water flight to Hawaii was successfully completed in 25 hours, 49 minutes. RECORD FLIGHTS IN THE LATE TWENTIES FIRST CIVILIANS to make the over-water flight to the Ha- waiian Islands were lei bedecked Ernest L. Smith (I.) and Emory B. Bronte. The waters of the Pacific were hidden by fog over the entire 2,340-mile route followed by Smith and Bronte. They arrived at Molokai on July 15, 1927, just 25 hours and 30 minutes after take-off, and landed with barely enough fuel remaining to complete the flight safely. AMERICAN PILOT William S. Brock with Edward Schlee (r.), Detroit businessman, left Newfoundland August 28, 1927, in their Stinson monoplane Pride of Detroit to try for a world-girdling speed record. Having covered 12,995 miles in 145% hours flying time, they reached Tokyo after 18 days. Dissuaded from continuing their flight across the Pacific, the two aviators returned to New York City by steamer. AROUND THE WORLD fliers, John Henry Mears and Capt. Charles Collyer (r.) planned schedule coinciding with fast oceanliners on which to cross Atlantic and Pacific. They left New York June 29, 1928, completed the 19,275-mile cir- cuit in 23 days, 15 hrs., 21 mins, in a Fairchild monoplane. MAINE TO SPAIN flight of Roger Williams (I.) and Lewis Yancey (r.) broke worlds record for over-water flying, July 10, 1929. Their Bellanca monoplane covered the 3,400 miles in 21% hours. A month earlier, Rene Lefevre (c.) and Armeno Lotti (second from I.) had made a similar flight. 136 FIRST CROSSING of Atlantic east-to-west was made by (I. to r.) Herman Koehl, James Fitzmaurice and Baron Guen- ther von Huenefeld, who left Ireland on April 12, 1918, in a Junkers all-metal monoplane. Blown north of their course, they crash-landed in Labrador after 36% hrs. Flying to their aid, Floyd Bennett contracted pneumonia and died. Bernt Balchen flew them to New York for traditional welcome (r.). SOUTHERN CROSS (above I.), built from two Fokker planes, made first flight across Pacific from U.S. to Australia in May, 1928 via Hawaii and Fiji Islands. Members of the Australian crew (I.) were J. W. Warner, C. Kingsford-Smith C. T. P. Ulm and H. W. Lyon, Jr. The U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross went to Lt. Benjamin Mendez (above) for his 4,600-mile New York to Bogota flight in November, 1928. AIR-TO-AIR REFUELING kept the U.S. Army Fokker C-2 tri-motor monoplane Question Mark in the skies over Los An- geles for new endurance record set Jan. 1-7, 1929. Headed by Maj. Carl Spaatz, commanding, and Capt. Ira C. Eaker, chief pilot, the crew stayed aloft 150 hrs., 40 mins., before being forced down by engine trouble. They travelled ap- proximately 11,000 miles at an an average 70 mph speed. The flight required 5,205 gallons of gasoline, 202 gallons of oil. Refueling crew, shown with hose, were (I. to r.) Red Woods, Scottie Duthie, Lieutenants Moon, So Iter, Hopkins. 137 From _PiIotManuals.com / RareAviation.com HEADLINE MAKERS Trans-ocean flights, cross-country records make famous heroes of courageous pilots SEARCH FOR FRENCH ACE, Captain Charles Nungesser, and his companion, Major Francois Coli, began after their disappearance on May 8, 1927, while they were attempting a nonstop flight across the Atlantic. The seaplane Jeanne d'Arc (above) was piloted in the search by F. Sidney Cott and Cy Caldwell. Four years earlier, in 1923, Captain Nun- gesser was married to Consuelo Hatmaker (I.) of the United States. Nungesser was third-ranking French Ace in WWL SPECTACULAR AVIATION films were widely advertised (I.), enjoyed great popularity. A popular leading man of the Twenties was Omer Locklear, one of the movies' first stunt fliers. He is shown (above) with Francelia Billington in The Great Air Robbery, an early aviation thriller. Locklear flew in first film made at DeMille Field, Los Angeles, and was later killed there while stunting in a film. Other stunt fliers, like Paul Mantz and Dick Grace, were also in demand. Mantz flew planes in the famous Hells Angels, and filmed Cinerama footage in 1951 from a specially modified B-25. 138 PIONEERING TWO INDUSTRIES, Cecil B. DeMille, while he was directing mo- tion pictures for Famous Players-Lasky, Inc., went into the aviation business in late 1918 with eight Jennies (Curtiss biplane trainers) and one Army DH-4 (above, r. with DeMille). Sites of DeMilles two fields were in present West Hollywood section of Los Angeles. In August, 1920, the first all-metal cabin plane seen on the west coasta Junkers monoplane (above I.)was delivered to DeMille Field Number Two from the John Larsen Junkers agency by Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker. The picture above was made prior to the departure of four businessmen on a lunch- eon trip to San Diego, intended to illustrate the ease of air travel. Pilot Thompson holds the door for Harry Chandler, Los Angeles Times editor, in cabin with John B. Miller. Guy Cochran, J. H. Fisher stand next to DeMille. Cover of catalogue (r.) indicated scheduled flights to San Diego and San Francisco, unscheduled trips east. CARRIER PIGEONS, shown here being taken aboard plane, were used to report location and size of fires by the Aerial Forest Patrol, established in 1919. ' CLOUD SEEDING was demonstrated in 1924 by Capt. A. I. Eagle (above), who sprinkled electrified sand from plane to eliminate fog and control rainfall. GLENN MARTIN (in helmet), shown in scene with Mary Pickford, earned Z700 a day for performing with plane in The Girl From Yesterday in 1915. 139 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com 4 USE OF SKIS built for an airplane occurred in the movie Unseeing Eyes, filmed in Canadian Rockies in 1923 by Ed Griffiths sextreme I.), shown talk- ing with pilot Casey Jones. Skis are said to be those duplicated by Cmdr. Richard Byrd for his flight from Spitz- bergen to the North Pole in 1926. This film-making venture helped chart Can- adian air-paths, typified the parallel growth of motion pictures and aviation. FLAPPER ERA saw fulfillment of pro- phecies made in Gibson days by James W. Montee, oldest licensed U.S. pilot. Wampus star Doris Posson holds arm of the man who learned to fly in his sixties, championed air safety laws. AIR HEROES of 1927 honored at White House by Pres. Calvin Coolidge are (I. to r.) Lt. Lester Maitland, first to fly non-stop to Hawaii with Lt. Albert Hegenberger; Clarence Chamberlin, who flew nonstop to Germany with Charles Levine; Art Gobel, Hawaii flier; Lindbergh; Ruth Elder, forced down in Atlantic attempt with George Haldeman; Hawaii fliers Paul Schluter, Emory Bronte; Hegenberger; George Noville of Byrds crew; Byrd; Haldeman; Levine; Bernt Balchen of Byrds crew; W. S. Brock and E. F. Schlee, around-the-world fliers. WORLD HEADLINES reported the first flight from Bel giutn to the Belgian Congo in 1925. Headed by Edmond Thiefry, the flight of over 8.000 km. began Feb. 12 and was completed April 3 when the British Handley Page, built in Belgium, arrived at Kinasha (r.). Soon after the flight, passenger air service to the colony was begun. 140 4 TROPHY-LADEN biplane, used to hunt coyotes in South Dakota, illustrates a unique use of the airplane in the 20s. Most states had passed laws as early as 1919 forbidding the use of airplanes in actual game hunting. General uses of airplanes such as rice-sowing, insect- dusting, were widely publicized at first. All through the 20s, headlines such as planes seeking fleeing fugitives, were a frequent occurrence. TOP OFFICIALS of Trans-World Air- lines in the 30's, Jack Frye and Paul Richter (r.) set an altitude record in 1928 for multi engined aircraft in a Fokker F-10. Frye later became head of General Aniline; Richter died in 1949. DWARFS AND GIANTS of early aircraft sit side by side on Curtiss Field for "Aviation Day, held Oct. 16, 1921 by Aero Club of America. Remington-Burnelli air- liner (r.), with maximum seating capacity of 25, tower- ed above other machines, especially Mummerts stream- lined 30-hp., two-cylinder-engine biplane next to it. VIGOROUS BUSS from Stalin and a beaming smile t from Molotov (far r.) greeted V. P. Chkalov, G. P. Bai- dukov and A. V. Beliakov, the three Russian fliers who flew nonstop over the North Pole from Moscow to Van- couver, a distance of 5.288 miles, in June, 193?. On July 14 of the same year, Mikhail Gromov and two fellow Russians made a nonstop flight from Moscow to River- side, California via the same North-Pole route. The Rus- sian fliers covered the 6,262 miles in the time of 62 hours and 17 minutes to set a new nonstop distance record. 141 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ROPE LADDER enabled relief pilot to reach airplane in which Clyde Schlei- per and Harley Long attempted, in 1938, to pass an endurance record held by the Key Brothers of New Orleans. BOMAR OVER THE BATTERY was typical of air thrills provided by dare- devils like Billy Bomar (above), in New York and elsewhere. Dick Johnstones loops were air-meet staple of 1920's. Wing walkers (right) had heydey in twenties, were replaced by precision ac- robatic flying in 1930s. Al Williams headed international stunt team at 1930 National Air Races; Tex Ran- kin was a notable precision flyer; Lind- bergh was member of Navy stunt team. SOARING was long neglected in the United States. Then in German-built Pruefling glider (below), Navy Lieut. Ralph S. Barnaby made record U.S. soaring flight of 15 min., 6 sec., Aug. 18, 1929 at Cape Cod, winning the first U.S. C soaring certificate. In soaring pilot climbs, in gliding he loses altitude. LT. JAMES H. DOOLITTLE was greeted by bis baby son at fuel stop in Texas during 22 hr., 35 min. flight from Flor- ida to San Diego, Sept. 5, 1922first time continent was flown under 24 hrs. FLYING BICYCLE was bizarre brain- child of W. G. Gerhart, aeronautical en- gineer. Built in 1923 with six wings and mounted on a bicycle frame, it was propelled by foot pedalling. In its first flight it rose three inches from ground for a run of 20 feet. The inventor gave up. National air races (August 24-September 2, 1929) saw the first use of horse-race starts (left). INTERNATIONAL AIR CONGRESS delegates in Washington, D.C. included (I. to r.) William P. McCracken, Assist- ant Commerce Secretary; W. Glover, Assistant Postmaster General; Edward Warner, Assist. Navy Secretary; Lind- bergh; Wm. Whiting, Commerce Secre- tary; Ford; O. Wright, H. Guggenheim.MAY 6. 1937 DIRIGIBLE ERA ENDS WITH DISASTROUS EXPLOSION OF ZEPPELIN ' HINDENBURG'' AT LAKEHURST, Commercial Aviation Stable commercial air transport era dawns during the thirties amid build-up of warplanes and rehearsals for large-scale war Igor Sikorsky, designer and flyer of the worlds first jour-engined plane in 1913, continued working with multi- engined aircraft during the 1930s, gaining fame with his trans-oceanic flying boats. His 1909 helicopter de- signs failed, but not in the 1940's. My activities in aeronautics started in 1908 in Tzarist Russia. During 1909 and 1910, I constructed two helicopters which were not successful, but later produced several types of airplanes. The most important of these was the first successful airplane with four engines which was con- structed and test flown in 1913. This craft was followed by a series of large airplanes which were the first four- engined bombers ever used by any country. Following the Russian Revolution, I came to America in 1919 and in 1923 organized my own aircraft com- pany which in 1929, after certain re IGOR SIKORSKY, HELICOPTER BUILDER organizations, became a division of United Aircraft. Among the different types of aircraft produced by this or- ganization there were several which enjoyed world-wide acceptance and use. In 1928, we produced the first successful twin-engine amphibian, the S-38, which was extensively used by Pan American and other airlines. In 1934 came the first long dis- tance Flying Clipper, the 8-42, which established 10 world records and the following year pioneered the com- mercial air route across the Pacific and later, across the Atlantic. In 1939 we manufactured the first successful helicopter, which I test piloted, and established the official world record for endurance. Subsequently a num- ber of aircraft were ordered by gov- ernment services. In the concluding years of the Second World War. these aircraft were the first American heli- copters to be used on the battlefront. The following years saw a gradual improvement of the helicopters and during the Korean War they were able to demonstrate their value in full. Helicopters have been responsible for saving thousands of lives. Their future role will link them with busi- ness and industry and other impor- tant phases of peacetime living. President of Academy of Aeronautics, La Guardia Airport, N. Y., Charles Sherman Casey Jones, served in the U.S. Army Air Service in France dur- ing WW I, in 1920s won many na- tional air races; was a vice-president of Curtiss-Wright Corp, in the 1930s. The 1930s in the U.S. may be con- sidered as a period of readjustment and consolidation for both the air- craft manufacturers and the airline operators throughout the country. The airlines which began carrying the mail in the late twenties were virtually forced into passenger-carry- ing service when the Post Office De- partment readjusted payments. In 1938, approximately 3,500 passengers were transported throughout the Unit- ed States and to foreign countries. The result was the development of much more efficient airplanes, notable among them was the DC-3. Shortly after the election of Pres. Roosevelt, all mail contracts were C. S. (CASEYj JONES, LEFT, AND FRIEND cancelled on the accusation by the Postmaster General that there was collusion among the lines. The Army Air Force was ordered to carry the mail, resulting in a sorry perform- ance and death of a number of mili- tary pilots, principally because the Army aircraft were not fitted with adequate instruments or navigating equipment. The ultimate outcome was a complete reorganization of the air- lines, and from that time on progress and expansion characterized airline operations. In 1937 planes flew the mails a total of 40,000,000 miles. Many big planes carried freight and passengers as well as mail. During the thirties, the manufac- turing industry was at a low level of operation with military orders almost non-existent. Around 1935, when it became apparent that trouble was ahead, orders started to come in from foreign governments. Shortly there- after war broke out in Europe and within the short span of three years the President was to ask forand get produceda total of 50,000 air- planes a year. Thus was the beginning of an almost inconceivable increase in the aircraft industry which finally culminated during World War II in the largest business the world has ever witnessed. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com EXPANSIVE ERA in aviation that came with the Lindbergh Boom was typified by the Fokker F-32 transport, garlanded for its christening (above). With this super- liner Western Air Express hoped to woo passengers in large numbers, duplicating the success of its early contract airmail routes. Its twin-engine mounts, each with two motors back-to-back, presaged the four-motor transports of the forties, while its interior (I.) reflected current taste (tapestried panels, indirect lighting). PILOTS DISLIKED prospect of having to look after distaff crew members in new Boeing 80-As. But Boeing officials planned to try the proposal of Ellen Church that trained nurses be employed as flight attendants (above). On May 15, 1930, the world's first airline host- esses (below) appeared on San Fran- cisco-Chicago route. Miss Church (third from left) designed first uniforms. AIRLINES BECOME BIG BUSINESS Mergers add strength until halted by New Deal Following Lindberghs transatlantic hop, aviation stocks outsold all others in a ballooning market. A tangle of disconnected lines far exceeded the demand for air travel. Only cohesive routes would be able to attract steady passenger revenue. Thus, Boeing Air Transport, with its San Francisco-Chicago line, found a logical partner in National Air Transport, operating the Chicago-New York segment of this Main Line" route. By June 30, 1930, Varney Air Lines and Pacific Air Transport, too, were under the Boeing wing, all un- der the name of United Air Lines. The other big merger of 1930 had a more complicated origin. Its earli- est roots were in Colonial (CAM-1) and Robertson (CAM-2); its more immediate parent was an unwieldy holding company called Aviation Corporation. Formed as a subsidiary of Fairchild Aircraft, it, in turn, soon boasted many subsidiaries among widely scattered airlines. The most important of these merged Jan. 25, 1930 into American Airways. Another operator of early contract routes, Western Air Express, merged with Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), which had been formed in 1929 primarily as a passenger car- rier. The result was Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA), which was organized Feb. 13, 1931. Favoring these mergers was Post- master General of the Hoover Admin- istration, Walter Folger Brown. Pass- age of the McNary-Watres Bill in April, 1930, gave him almost unlim- ited control of airline operation. He was empowered to juggle existing routes and add many new ones, often forcing the companies to accept them. Even so, the first act of the admin- istration in 1933, was to investigate these Spoils Conferences, resulting in the cancellation of all airmail con- tracts, Feb. 9, 1934. Within ten days the Army was fly- ing the unfamiliar routes. Resultant death toll among the pilots, plus an increase in government operational costs, forced the Administration to re-open bids on April 20, but only on terms of complete reorganization of the air lines. 146 MAMMOTH "BARNSTORMER" DO-X was built in Switz- erland by Dornier under auspices of Germanys Luft Hansa airline. On 1930-31 demonstration tour, it lumbered over four continents, reaching N,Y. (above) after 9 months. Mount- ing pylons for its 12 engines contributed to drag that kept it within 50 feet of water for eight hours, after N.Y. takeoff. LIVESTOCK, pioneering for the newly- formed TWA was photographed on ar- rival in Newark from St. Louis stock yards, Aug. 6, 1931, the beginning of scheduled airline freight service in U.S. PRIMITIVE AND MODERN Canadian scene, as canoes share bank with Fok- ker and Fairchild seaplanes in 1931, Great Bear Lake. Colonial Airlines first to carry mail U.S. to Canada (1923). PATH OF BEACONS to Seattle was followed by Northwest Airlines, expand- ing into leading airline. In 1933, Amelia Earhart, outstanding aviatrix, helped survey difficult route from Chicago. CIVIL WAR IN SPAIN halted commercial aviation there. Below, a Douglas DC-2, originally delivered for use as a transport, is guarded by soldiers at Barcelona air field. NEW YORK'S GOV. ROOSEVELT predicted rather grad- ual growth year by year for aviation while making industrys first political flight, with his family on American Airways. SKYPATH TO THE ORIENT received vital link when Pan Americans China Clipper, a Martin flying boat, flew past uncompleted Golden Gate Bridge to deliver first transpacific airmail to Hawaii and Manila. Alternate plan to reach Orient by Alaska Great Circle route led Pan American to form Pacific Alaska Airways in 1932, with a base at Fairbanks (bottom, left). But the route from San Francisco to Hong Kong was surveyed in 1933; bases on Guam, Wake and Mid- way were built in 1935 (Capt. Edwin C. Musick piloted a sur- vey flight in the Pan American Clipper); and on Nov. 22, 1935, Postmaster General James A. Farley (above, r.) turned over the first transpacific airmail to Capt. Musick, atop the ladder. The first passengers were flown to Hawaii October 21, 1936. Hong Kong Clipper flew mail to China in 1937. TWO GREAT AIR PATHS linking France to her colonies to Africa and Brazil. The other, to Indo-China, was route of were flown by Air France after its emergence in 1933. One led Emeraude, pictured during early trials. Plane later crashed. 148 GREATER GROWTH of the transcontinental airlines follow- ed re-bidding on airmail contracts in 1934. Split up of air- lines and aircraft companies meant best facilities were avail- able to all. United, which had introduced Boeing 247 (above, I.) in 1933, flew Douglas DCs as well on its main line route, pioneered during the 20s. Central route oper- ated by TWA was widely known as the Lindbergh Line (above, r.), recalling his 1929 survey of cross country route. MODERN AIRLINES EMERGE 1934 re-bidding brings new lines, new routes Airlines both suffered and gained from the reorganization and re-bid- ding on routes demanded by the Black-McKellar Bill of June, 1934. Capital Airlines, known then as Pennsylvania Airlines, gained the De- troit-Milwaukee route in the rebid- ding; later merged with Central Air- lines and known as Capital. Chicago & Southern Air Lines, Inc., born in 1933, received the Chicago- New Orleans route in 1934 and oper- ated between Detroit and Chicago. Continental Air Lines, Inc. suc- ceeded Western Air Express and Wy- oming Air Express in operation of routes linking El Paso and Denver. Delta Air Lines, Inc., which had been absorbed by American in 1930, reorganized in 1934 with a Charles- ton-Dallas mail contract. Mid-Continent Airlines, Inc. was the name adopted in 1938 by Han- ford Tri-State Airlines. It won Win- nipeg-Chicago-Kansas City route in 1934, and it later added routes to St. Louis and Tulsa. National Airlines, Inc., began op- erating in Florida in 1934, won a New Orleans route in 1938, and later flew Miami to New York. Northeast Airlines, Inc. began operations on hazardous New England routes on its own in 1937. Northwest Airlines, Inc. expanded steadily. In 1945 New York was add- ed: Honolulu came in 1948: and in 1950, Formosa and Hong Kong. Oldest U.S. Airline, Western, faced an uphill struggle to regain her former prominence, and did so under the United wing. EASTERN AIR LINES became one of America's most suc- cessful airlines when Capt. Eddie Rickenbackei (4th jrom I.), formerly v.p. of North American Aviation, took reins. Left is James H. Kindelberger of North American; Mrs. Ricken- backer wears corsage; on steps is widow of Pres. Wilson. "GREAT LAKES TO THE GULF" became route of Tom and Paul Braniffs airline when service was extended to Corpus Christi in 1935. Rebidding on airmail contracts in 1934 gain- ed Chicago-Dallas route. Deriving chief revenue from mail, line strove to attract passengers, as 1939 photo above testifies. 4 AMERICAN AIRLINES flying Douglas DCs on its ramb- ling Southern transcontinental route, began using Douglas sleepers in 1936, with sleeping room for 14 passengers and lounge. It was first company offering regular sleeper service. MAIL BY AUTOGIRO was first carried regularly by the Eastern Air Lines in 1939, when this KD-1B received load at Camden, N, J, airport, flew to top of 30th St. Post Office in Philadelphia. Richard C. duPont formed All American Avia- tion in 1939, to fly mail over Pa.-N.J. circuit. Lacking even roofs to land on, planes had hooks to pick up cargo. HIGH WINDS AT SOUTHAMPTON force passengers of English flying boat Capella to go ashore by launch. High tar- iffs on foreign landing rights, rising Pan American competi- tion, Air Ministry restrictions, and increased airmail require ments forced the dissolution of Britains Imperial Airways in favor of the government-operated British Overseas Airways Corporation, BO AC, on the eve of the Second World War. BACKBONE OF KLM, (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maastschap- pi) Royal Dutch Airlines, was line from Amsterdam to Batav- ia in Dutch East Indies, opened in 1934, and flown by Douglas DCs after delivery of first DC-2 (above). Donald Douglas (third jrom r.) made delivery to KLM officials. Only one of the DC-3s survived German bombing of Schipol airport, major airfield located at Amsterdam in 1940. It escaped to London. 150 SOUTHERN SKYPATHS of the Pacific were charted by Pan American in 1937. Captain Edwin Musick arrived at Auck- land Bay, New Zealand, on March 29, 1937, in a Sikorsky flying boat (above). Musick lost his life flying the second scheduled flight to Auckland in December, 1937. This New Zealand route proved vital when war checked Orient routes. BUSHWACKING "TACA," short-haul airline in Central America, began in 1932 with flights by New Zealand-born Lowell Yerres in a four-place Stinson. Jr. In 1934, Yerres received Honduras airmail contract. Above, single-engine Bellanca is loaded from cart. Cold wea- ther problems, ably solved by Finnish Airlines (above, r.) provided experience for turning back Russians in 1939-40. AIRLINE WAS BORN when C D. Howe, then Canadian Minister of Transport, tendered official send-off to first Trans- Canada Air Lines Lockheed 12 to sur- vey the transcontinental route on July 17, 1937. The first commercial service undertaken by TCA, off-shoot of Canad- ian National Railways, was between Vancouver and Seattle. Canadian Paci- fic opened Canadian Pacific Air Lines. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ANTHONY FOKKER, in craft he built and flew in 1911 to get his license, saw his planes eclipsed by all-metal trans- port after 1931 CAA ruling required periodic inspection of wooden wings. GLENN CURTISS flew his new 20-pas- senger Condor from Albany to N. Y. City in 1923, duplicating history-making flight he made over the same route 20 years earlier. He died July 23, 1930. CLAUDE RYAN, (left) and O. J. Whit- ney stand beside first Ryan S-T trainer. This was prototype of later Army Air Corps PT-20 and PT-22 and of Navys NR-1, all used well into World War II. BUILDERS OF THE THIRTIES Expansion in transport, threat of war bring new speeds, comfort, designs 'T'he progress and goals of the worlds leading nations in the thirties were reflected in the character of their aircraft manufacture. Rebirth of Germanys Luftwaffe came in 1933 with the appointment of Hermann Goering as the Reichs Minister of Air Transportation. Transports were designed with an eye toward their eventual military use. Junkers Ju-52/3s, for example were to become the backbone of Germanys lightning paratroop warfare and cargo suppliers for Rommels troops. Slight modification of the Heinkel He-111 was to make it the dread He- 111-K of the Luftwaffes bomber arm. France was tragically weak in the mass production of modern aircraft. Nationalization (state control) of her aircraft industry in 1937-38 resulted in a large force of obsolescent types. A change in government brought a resurgence of civil aviation in 1938 but it came too late. Italys geography dictated produc- tion of large flying boats and sea- planes. In 1931, she demonstrated her progress to the world by the flight of 12 Savoia-Marchetti S-55 flying boats from Rome to Rio, and flight to U.S. in 1933. By 1936, the tri-motored bomber was king in Italy, though a critical shortage of materials forced 152 composite construction (wood, metal, fabric), which placed her behind other nations in the development of all-metal aircraft. Russia, in contrast, had many all- metal monoplanes in use during the 30s, and production of new types was progressing rapidly. The first Russian aviation Five Year Plan was instituted for the years 1928-32. At the end of this period, some 1,500 planes were in use. A goal of 8,000 war planes and 20,000 engines was set for the second Five Year Plan, which spanned the years 1933-1937. Japan successfully shrouded its de- velopment from foreign observers. This and the uninformed argument that Japanese planes were merely sec- ond-rate copies of American types, succeeded in convincing Americans erroneously that Japan was not to be counted among the aviation powers. In England, many new military types began appearing in 1936, such as the Hurricane and Spitfire fighters, and the Blenheim bomber. To acceler- ate production of new designs Eng- land developed its shadow scheme in 1936. Under it, auto manufactur- ers built stand-by aircraft factories at government expense. A modernized air force grew out of this foresight. In U.S., growing popularity of air travel brought construction of com- mercial aircraft. In 1933, Boeing pro- duced the Model 247, first U.S.-built modern transport of all-metal con- struction. Its prominence was over- shadowed in 1934 by the appearance of the first transport in the Douglas DC series which was soon to gain world-wide airline acceptance. North American Aviation, formed in 1934 from an aviation holding company, entered the production pic- ture. Observation and experimental bombers followed its successful BT-9 of 1936. The NA-73, designed in 1939, for the RAF, was to become the United States Armys P-51. Boeings concentration on four-en- gine bombers produced in 1939, the Model 307, or Stratoliner, first pres- surized, four-engine transport. As war came to Europe, Lend-Lease contracts began changing the produc- tion picture in the U.S. The Curtiss Mohawk, built for France, fought the Messerschmitt; a later design, the P-40, gained fame with the Flying Tigers in China. Boeing built im- proved models of its Flying Fortress. Martins Maryland bomber served the British in the Middle East. These and other planes were to form the sinews of United States air might, in the global struggle ahead. DOUGLAS DC-4, first successful four-engine transport, was delivered to United Air Lines in 1939 (above). Left of Scot- tish piper is William E. Douglas, father of manufacturer Donald Douglas (extreme r.). Youth prevailed at Lockheed after reorganization in 1932, following its purchase by the Gross Brothers. Pictured here are: Ronald P. King, assistant treasurer; Carl Squier, vice-president, sales; Lloyd Stear- tnan, president; Robert Gross, chairman of the board and treasurer; Cyril Chappellet, secretary; Hall Hibbard, vice- president and chief engineer. First transport designed and built by Lockheed under its new leadership was the Electra which appeared in 1934, distinguished for its high speed. CONSOLIDATED AIRCRAFT Corp, moved from Buffalo in 1935, built plant at Lindbergh Field on land filled from Cali- fornias San Diego Bay (in background); obtained largest U.S. order since 1918 for 60 flying boats, forerunners of PBY- 1 Catalinas, used extensively by the U.S. Navy in WW II. JOHN NORTHROP formed a new company, Northrop Air- craft Inc., in 1939 to work on a military contract for develop- ment of the XP-61, famed Black Widow twin-engine night fighter; built the N-3 PB, twin-float attack bomber for Nor- wegian Air Force. He designed Army A-17, A-17A attackers. BEECH AIRCRAFT made history in 1932 with Model 17 biplane, combining comfort with high speed and perform- ance. Later Model 18 (left, with Walter Beech) was used as basic training plane for 90 percent of the navigators and bombardiers during World War II. LAST BOEING TRANSPORT before production of revolutionary Stratoliners in 1939. was ten passenger Model 247 (right) which appeared in 1933 while Douglas was developing the DC line. Comparison with stick and wire craft shows the impressive strides of aviation. 153 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com 4 VOUGHT-SIKORSKY, formed in 1939 by consolidation of former Chance- Vought and Sikorsky divisions of United Aircraft, was chiefly engaged in con- struction of multi-engined amphibians and flying boats, such as 44 passenger, four-engined S-42 (1933), 8 43 (1935). NORTH AMERICAN Aviation began manufacturing operations at a new fac- tory in Los Angeles in 1936. then began production of the BT-9A trainer for the U.S. Army Air Corps. It later developed the model into famous AT-6 used by all Allied nations in Second World War. BARBER SHOP BACK ROOM operation of Douglas had expanded into this sprawling Santa Monica plant by 1938. Installation of 5,000-ton hydropress (right), which could stamp out 100,000 parts a day, bespeaks the development in production techniques. Domination of transport market with DC-3 gave Douglas firmest non-military backing of all planemakers. Navy torpedo bombers and dive bombers, plus 8-18, made Douglas prominent military supplier during WW II. 4 TWA SET transcontinental record in 1935 with 11 hr., 5 min. flight from Los Angeles to New York. Record was made in Douglas DC-1, forerunner of respected DC commercial transports. LOCKHEED ESTABLISHED itself as builder of highspeed transports with Model 14. Forerunner of the Lockheed Hudson, Howard Hughes flew it around world in 1938, 3 days, 19 hrs., 14 min. CIVILIAN PRIDE of Imperial Airways in 1938, the Ensign became a vital instrument of the British Transport Command under the pressure of early war days. The plane saved hun- dreds of men at Dunkirk. Imperial made extensive pickaback experiments (r.). Photo shows composite craft, Maia and Mercury, in Ireland. Idea was never commercially feasible. BOEING 314 of 1939 was the largest flying boat ever put in service by Pan American Airways. It served in both oceans during the war, was replaced in 1945 by Douglas and Boeing landplanes. ABSORBED, Dr. Claude Dornier, one of the leading figures in German air- plane production, whittles a chestnut. LOCKHEED "ORION," fastest trans- port of its day, was built in 1931. Popu- lar among speed pilots, plane set many marks. With it, Swissair set La bour record from Zurich to Tunis and back. FLYING WING TYPE of plane was one of first produced by newly-formed Northrop Aircraft in 1930. It was test flown by Eddie Bellande (r.), standing next to Jack Northrop, its designer. KING'S CUP was won in 1933 by Cap- tain Geoffrey De HaviHand in his DH Leopard Moth. With De Havilland (c.) are Captain Hubert Broad (I.), 1927 winner, Alan Butler, former chairman. FAIRCHILD BUILT this Model 82 in its Canadian plant. Planes high payload, ease of maintenance and low-cost op- eration made it a quick favorite with bush operators; used for many years, 155 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com EARLY BORDELAIS B-20 bomber, despite its ungainly ap- pearance, was farther advanced than its biplane contempor- aries. France had lost her lead in the field of aviation and could offer only minor resistance when the Germans, using both land and air forces, launched their devastating stack. HITLER'S BLITZKRIEG crushed Belgium and SABENA moved its headquarters to Belgian Congo. One of Europes most efficient airlines, SABENA used fast three-engine trans- ports to fly between Europe and Africa. An Italian-built Sav- oia-Marchetti SM-73 is shown with airline, govt, officials. FRENCH, ITALIAN AND DUTCH PLANES The French LArmee de LAir resistance against the World War II German march on Paris was ineffective. Yet, the French aircraft industry, with residual forces of the first World War, had continued to develop military aircraft through the 1920s and 30s. A single explanation for the failure of the French defenses cannot be given. A world-wide lethargy to the German political expansion coupled with a 1936 socialization of the French military aircraft industry played a major share in the fall. When the persistent territorial encroachment of the Reich finally aroused the world, it was too late for France. An attempt was made to re-equip her air force with top- line airplanes by ordering American-built warplanes, but not enough were delivered before the German push. Many patriots escaped after the fall of their homes and, adopt- ing the red Cross of Lorraine as an insignia, fought with the RAF against the Germans. The Italians appeared to be better craftsmen than war- riors in World War II. Entering the hostilities when the Allied Powers were reeling under the German onslaught, Italy expected a quick victory. However, the Allied air- forces refused to concede battle to the Fascists, and the Regia Aeronautica was mauled by the more aggressive Allied air crews. Before the war, Mussolini had instigated an ambitious program of news-making record flights. While these rec- ords encouraged technical progress, they had little effect on the combat worth of the Italian air arm. The Italian General Staff dictated design requirements, based on obsolete concepts, to the industry. The resulting planes could not adequately compete with the rigorous tactics of the Allied pilots. Italys morale dropped with each de- feat until she ignored Nazi orders and surrendered un- conditionally on Sept. 8, 1943. MUSSOLINI'S air force had to be taken over by the Nazis due to its poor show- ing. Above are 200 Fiat CR-32 fighters being inspected at an airport opening. BOMBER air crew of French LArmee de LAir is shown learning the perplex- ities of the highly specialized equip- ment for releasing bombs on an enemy. TOP QUALITY Dutch production could not stop Nazis, and Fokker plant be- came a Luftwaffe repair depot. Shown, T-5 bombers, D-21 fighters, S-9 trainer. 156 WORLD'S FASTEST seaplane was this Italian Macchi MC-72, but the Fascists could not produce top combat planes. MANY ITALIAN fighters were fitted with German engines in order to obtain higher speed. One was this Fiat G-55. FREE FRENCH airmen and these Potez 63 bombers joined the Royal Air Force to assist in the smashing of Rommel. LENDLEASE Curtiss Hawk 75As rein- forced French Dewoitine D-520s and Morane-Saulnier 406C fighters. The Americans had sold many of the Cur- tiss Hawks to the Chinese in the Id30's when China was struggling against the Japanese domination of the air. FRENCH BOMBERS were not very ad- vanced technologically before the sec- ond World War. The Amoit 143Ms (above) were awkward in appearance and typify antiquity of prewar French aircraft. France once had the largest air force in the world, but dropped by 1937. ADVANCED design was the Dutch Fokker G-I fighter-bomber. Appearing in 1936, the Reaper popularized the twin boom configuration. Anthony Fokker, famous as the designer of many war- planes used by the German air force of World War I, produced many worthy de- signs at his Amsterdam plant. The other major Dutch aircraft plant, Koolhoven, joined with Fokker to equip their coun- trys air services with capable war craft. Too few, however, were produced to be of much help against the Germans. THREE ENGINE aircraft, disclaimed by most countries, were used in great numbers by Italy. Fiat G-12 is shown. FASCIST BOMBER, showing Italian development of the twin engine design, was the Fiat B. R. 20, built in 1940. FIRST LINE fighter of the French at the beginning of battle was the cannon-fir- ing Morane-Saulnier MS-406C (above), 157 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FDR CONGRATULATED 1933 Collier Trophy winner, Frank W. Caldwell, for his part in developing controllable pitch propellers. This greatest achievement in aviation in Amer- ica, as it was termed by the award committee, was made by Hamilton-Standard Propeller Co. under Caldwells direction. VERTICAL FLIGHT was attempted in the earliest days of powered aircraft. Helicopters like the Berliner and DeBothe- zat machines of 1922 managed to rise a few feet, but none of them could be fully controlled. Igor Sikorsky, who produced the VS-300 (above) in 1940, led helicopter manufacture. i AIR SCIENCE COMES OF AGE Engineering research and inventions bring solution to many flight problems While aircraft production fell sharply from the heights attained following Lindberghs flight, the depression- born competition helped to change aviation from its former loosely ex- perimental character into a practical science. Many inventions appearing during the early scramble for pub- licity or financial gain reappeared and were developed for commercial and military use. For example, the tricycle landing gear, first used by Glenn Curtiss on the White Wing of 1908 began to ap- pear on American models of 1937. But not until the advent of World War II did this landing gear become generally accepted in foreign coun- tries. It is not widely known that Dr. A, A. Griffith of Englands Royal Aeronautical Establishment was con- ducting serious experiments with gas turbine compressors for aircraft as early as 1927, although Professor Ernst Heinkel of Germany developed the first practical gas turbine engine. The HeS-3B produced 1,100 pounds of thrust and first flew in the Heinkel He-178 on August 24, 1939. The importance of research organi- zations such as Americas National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and Great Britains RAE in develop- ing inventions into useful mechanisms was paramount. They possessed elab- orate facilities to test the reliability of an invention. Aviation progress was inseparably tied to power-plant developments, including engines, pro- pellers, cowlings, fuels and metal- lurgy. The NACA developed low-drag cowling for air-cooled radial engines early in the 1930s. Prestone high temperature cooling systems, devel- oped in the United States, soon re- placed bulky cooling systems in air- craft throughout the world. In 1932 Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and Wright Aeronautical, working in conjunction with the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, developed twin-row air-cooled radial engines which were to set an unsur- passed record for reliability. Frank W. Caldwell and the Hamil- ton Standard Propeller Company pro- duced the first successful controllable- pitch propeller in 1932, and demon- strated the first constant-speed pro- peller in 1934 as one of the most sig- nificant developments in aviation his- tory. The rapid advances made in this period were indicative of subse- quent progress. The 1930s, ushered in with the stressed skin monoplane, departed with the futuristic jet. LINK TRAINER enabled pilot to make a successful instrument flight without leaving the ground. Night flights, once the airman's nightmare became routine with aids like Sperry's gyro-horizon. FLYING WING plane, designed by Dr. Alexander Lippisch in Germany, was grandfather of W II rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me-163B. The Ptero- dactyl was later built in England. MARTIAN suit worn by Wiley Post was pressurized for stratosphere flights. His famous supercharged Lockheed Vega, Winnie Mae, was used in pioneering high-altitude research flights in 1934. MODERN DESIGN was exemplified by the smooth lines of the Northrop Alpha transport plane. Designed by the ingen- ious John K. Northrop about 1930. its performance surpassed that of most fighter aircraft of the period. The Alpha was used by National Air Transport to replace obsolete biplanes. BEND IX TROPHY winner, the Laird Super Solution was a typical 1931 racing plane. Laird engineers combined an N.A.C.A. cowl, the Hamilton-Standard Adjustable propeller, and clean-design ITasp engines. With these improvements Doolittle (above) established a new Bendix race record. IRON MIKE, the Sperry automatic pilot, shown here in the control cabin of the Martin 130 China Clipper, allowed pilots to rest on long flights. The device enabled Wiley Post to un- dertake his solo flight around the world in 1933. Martin Clip- pers were the largest all-metal flying boats ever built in the U.S. Twin row radial, air-cooled engines were installed in the Clippers tor the first time on a commercial flying boat. BOEING AIRCRAFT (above) pioneered in replacing fabric- covered biplanes of 20s with aluminum-skinned monoplanes. 4 GIANT ANT-20, eight-engine monoplane, flies over Red Square. Named Maksim Gofkii, 58-ton plane had 206-foot wing-spread It was wrecked minutes later in mid-air collision. AIRCORPS GENERAL C-14B lands automatically with Sper- ry Gyropilot and Instrument Landing System radio beams. WINGLESS AUTOGIRO, Kellett KD-1, is shown with earlier type having conventional system of directional control. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com ELINOR SMITH, at 17, set womens endurance record at 26 hrs., 21 min. in August, 1929. In December, assisted by Bobbie Trout, she boosted this to 45 hrs., 5 min. She is seen (r.) at the National Air Pageant, Roosevelt Field, in 1933. The roaring twenties brought many changes to the wom- ens world. The gentle sex of the flapper age smoked, voted, wore one-piece bathing suits and took to the air in ever increasing numbers. Before World War I, only a handful of women piloted aircraft, but the tremendous impact of aviation during the 1914 to 1919 period had made this new sport attractive to women the world over. In 1918, at the age of twenty, Katherine Stinson estab- lished a new non-stop record, flying 610 miles from San Diego to San Francisco in the fantastic time of only nine hours and ten minutes. During World War I, she and her sister Marjorie trained Army pilots. The first postwar womans pilot license was issued to Laura Brownell in 1919. This started the race for inter- national honors. In 1920, Louise Favier of France set a woman's international altitude record of 21,325 feet. The year 1925 saw Ruth Gillette as the first woman entry in the National Air Races at Mitchell Field, New York. In 1926, Viola Gentry startled the citizens of New York by flying under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Lady Mary Heath, flying as co-pilot for Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) between London and Amsterdam, be- Air heroines spur popular acceptance of flying came the first woman pilot in passenger service on July 28, 1929. A month previously in Los Angeles, California, Phoebe Omlie set an unofficial altitude record of 24,000 feet. In the same year, August 27, the first National Wom- ens Air Derby was held as part of the National Air Races. The leading feminine fliers in the United States assembled at Santa Monica, California for the race to Cleveland, Ohio. The winner of the contest was Louise Thaden who received $4,400 in prize money. Here at the Cleveland Air Races, women pilots competed with men on an equal basis for the first time. A woman figured in ballooning when Mrs. Jean Piccard and her husband ascended to the height of 57,979 feet in a huge stratosphere balloon at Dearborn, Michigan. In the decade between 1930 and 1940, flying became a pastime for more and more women. Instead of one or two names appearing in the newspaper headlines, a veritable avalanche of women aviators flashed before the public. Winifred Spooner, Laura Ingalls, Beryl Markham, Jean Batten, Frances Marsalis, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Maryse Bastie, May Haizlipall contributed to the his- tory of women in aviation. Most famous of all was Amelia Earhart, who, in 1932, flew from Newfoundland td Ire- land in a record 15 hours, 18 minutes and from Hono- lulu to Oakland, California in 18 hours, 16 minutes. AMELIA EARHART (I.) flew the Atlantic as the first woman passenger on June 17, 1928. She later became the first woman to solo the Atlantic on May 20, 1932. Five years later she and navigator Fred Noonan were lost in Pacific flight. AMY JOHNSON of Britain set records in flights from Eng- land to Australia. Japan and Capetown. South Africa during 1930-56. With her husband, Capt. Mollison, she was first woman to make nonstop east-west Atlantic crossing, 1933. RUTH NICHOLS held womens altitude record of 28,743 ft. and womens 3-km speed record (210.6 mph) in 1931. Her Atlantic flight that year ended in crash in Newfoundland. A Quaker, she organized Relief Wings, aviations Red Cross. MRS. KEITH MILLER was first woman to fly London to Port Darwin, Australia (1928), in five months, covering 12,500 miles. In 1930 she held U.S. women's transcontinental record. Above is German glider she flew in N.Y. Glider Meet, 1931. MRS. LOUISE THADEN was first woman to win New York- Los Angeles Bendix race (1936). With Frances Marsalis, she established endurance of 196 hrs. in 1942. Four years later she won Harmon Trophy as most outstanding woman pilot. 161 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com Statement by Jacqueline Cochran I celebrated the Fiftieth Anniversary of the first powered flight by man by becoming the first woman tc pass the sonic barrier and by setting in a Sabre jet some new worlds speed records. These speed records will not last long because aviation, notwithstanding the progress made, is just in its infancy. For over twenty years I have been flying, having flown enough miles during this period to take me to the moon and back eight or more times. In 1934 I started in the London-Mel- bourne Air Race expecting to win in a plane that had a top speed of about 225 mph. That was before the days of ocean air transports. In 1938 I won the Bendix air race with a speed of 250 mph from Los Angeles to Cleve- land. In 1948 it required 446 mph for me to place third. And in June 1953 I made 675 miles per hour over a 15 kilometer course. Such has been the march of aviation. In 1941 I flew a Lockheed bomber from Canada to England, and it was quite an event, taking twelve hours. During the summer of 1952 I flew my Lockheed Lodestar to Europe just to have it for transportation purposes while on the continent. From the aviation standpoint this flight in the Lodestar was no longer an event but just in a days routine. Breaking the speed of sound on May 18, 1953 was an unforgetable experience but it took a vertical dive from 48,000 feet to do it. Planes are now able to beat the speed of sound in level flight. They will be testing It took man anout 25,000 years to decide to fly. Thereafter, it took man only 50 years to surpass the birds in their own realm. And the end of such progress is by no means in sight. Rockets and guided missiles are taking over. Air freight will soon be cheaper and, of course, much faster than ground freight. Only the commuter will know about the inside of a train. Already we have penetrated the outer atmosphere and are on our way to conquer space. The trouble is that we of the present generation were bom too Soon. But that will also be said by the next generation, for the flight, of man is endless. Each goal is but a camp for the night. RUTH ELDER, unsuccessful Atlantic flier, bids Thea Rasche. noted German aviatrix, farewell as Miss Rasche starts a flying tour of New England, Sept. 25, 1927. Ruth deserted aviation soon after Air Derby to score as a Hollywood movie queen in the thirties. GLAMOROUS JACKIE Cochran, holder of five of the eight world speed records, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and French Legion of Honor. She won 1938 Bendix Trophy Race, and in 1953 was the first woman to break the sound barrier in Canadian- built Sabre. During war, she was in charge of WASP, women pilots. 162 WOMEN IN THE WAR On December 7, 1941, Rosie the Riveter of World War II stepped into the place of the pioneer aviatrix. Women, aside from early-day stewardesses, had little place in commercial aviation prior to the forties, and only a few had the chance to distinguish themselves as famous fliers. From 1939-1941, over 2,200 women were trained in the CAA Pilot Training Program, and from 1942-44, 1,074 women were trained in the pilot program of WASP. At the start of the war, there were 1,200 women with com- mercial licenses and 25 with instrument rating. A total of 3,050 women had private pilots licenses. Although civilian flying was strictly curtailed during the war, these women served as engineers, control tower operators, sales mana- gers (below), assemblers, riveters (left) and instructors. The Office of Civilian Defense employed hundreds of women as aircraft spotters and radio-teletype operators. Thousands of women, working with aircraft for the first time, gained knowledge and love of the air. WOMEN'S AIR DERBY (Santa Monica, California-Cleve- land, Ohio, August, 1929) brought winner, Louise Thaden, ^4,400 prize money. Girls in the Derby participated in the other events of the Cleveland Air Races, which marked the first time women fliers competed on an equal basis with men. 163 PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com DORNIER DO-X, the largest flying boat in the world, took off from Friedrichs- haven, Germany, in November 1930. It flew to Amsterdam and then to Calshot, England, where the Prince of Wales went aboard and piloted the huge 169- passenger ship for ten minutes. Delayed by fire damage at Lisbon and by storms at the Canary Islands, the big plane fi- nally arrived at New York on August 5, 1931. The DO-X had a span of 157 feet and weighed 105,000 pounds fully load- ed; 12 engines in tandem pairs gave it a cruising speed of 130 miles per hour. SPECTACULAR FLIGHTS IN THE THIRTIES While Dr. Claude Dorniers mam- moth DO-X, capable of carrying 169 persons, was attracting world wide at- tention, another Dornier-designed sea- plane, piloted by Captain Wolfgang von Gronau, was making pioneering flights across the northernmost routes of the Atlantic Ocean. After the third Atlantic crossing, von Gronau con- tinued to fly around the world by easy stages. Meanwhile, the Russian-born Am- erican pilot, Boris Sergievsky, a test pilot for designer Igor Sikorsky, es- tablished four seaplane records in 1930. In 1934 he set ten speed and altitude records for seaplanes, and four additional world records for amphibious planes in 1936. Henry T. (Dick) Merrill, veteran pilot, and Harry Richman, noted New York entertainer, attempted a non- stop flight from New York to London in September 1936 using a Vultee airplane called Lady Peace. They crossed the ocean safely, but were forced down in Wales by fuel short- age just 175 miles short of their destination. The transcontinental speed record was broken repeatedly in the early thirties as Captain Frank Hawks, James Doolittle and Roscoe Turner raced from coast to coast at ever in- creasing speeds. In January, 1937, sportsman pilot Howard Hughes, holder of the worlds landplane speed record of 352 miles per hour, won transcontinental honors with a flight from Los Angeles to New York in seven hours and twenty-eight minutes. On March 17, 1937, the huge Si- korsky S-42 New Zealand Clipper took off from San Francisco with Capt. Edwin C. Musick in command. This was a survey flight to link the United States, Hawaii, and New Zea- land. Musick had commanded the first trans-Pacific air mail flight to Hawaii, Guam, Manila and return in 1935. On a later survey trip, Musick and his entire crew were killed. The Musick Trophy was established in honor of this trail-blazing aviator. THREE TIME WINNER of the Thompson Trophy, Roscoe Turner (shown receiving award from Mary Pickford) set transcontinental speed records in 32, 33, '34. His greatest competitor, Captain Frank Hawks (right), made a record transcontinental round-trip flight in August 1930, flying east- west in 14 hr., 50 min., and return in 12 hr., 25 min. Two years later, Turner flew to Los Angeles in 12 hr., 33 min. In July 1933, he established an east-bound record of 11% hrs. 164 i 4 AUGUSTE PICCARD (I., with bro- ther Jean) made the first stratosphere balloon flight in May 1931, rose to 51,775 ft. In August 1932, he bettered the record to 53,153 ft. Both flights were for research testing of equipment. $25,000 PRIZE for flying to Dallas $ after their arrival in New York nonstop from Paris, was awarded to Captain Dieudonne Coste (third from I.) and his copilot Maurice Bellonte (I.). The prize was offered by Colonel W. E. East- erwood. Also in photograph are Mme. Doret and Marcel Doret, French flier. THE BALLOON Explorer climbed to 60,613 ft. in July 1934, for the National Geographic Society. During descent the bag tore and Maj. William Kepner, Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson parachuted from gondola. "WRONG WAY" Douglas Corrigan caused sensation when he flew from N.Y. to Dublin "by error. He insisted he had meant to go to Los Angeles. He served 5-day flying suspension aboard ship, was given heros welcome in N.Y. GEE-BEE RACER, piloted by Doolittle, won 1932 Thompson Trophy Race (above, passing a pylon). He won Sch- neider Trophy (1925), made first blind flight under the hood (1929), set landplane record (1932) of 294.4 mph. NEW NONSTOP distance record was made by Boardman and Polanda flying a 300-hp Bellanca New York to Istan- bul; 5,011 miles in 50 hrs., 8 mins. For- mer record holder, Coste, sits in middle. SHOWING STRAIN of record-breaking 1931 flight around the world in 8 days, 15 hrs., 51 mins., Wiley Post and Har- old Gatty (I.) landed their Lockheed plane, Winnie Mae, at Roosevelt Field, L.I. Post made 1933 solo flight around the world in Winnie Mae (15,596 miles in 7 days, 8 hrs., 49% mins.). He and Will Rogers (r.) were both killed when their plane crashed in Alaska in 1935. 165 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com THE FLYING MOLLISONS, who took off from Wales in their twin-engine DeHavilland to fly nonstop to New York, were forced down 39 hours later in fog at Stratford, Conn. They sustained painful injuries when the plane crashed on landing. Capt. James Moliison made the first solo westward crossing of the North Atlantic in 1932. The following Febru- ary, he made a record flight from West Africa to Brazil. Amy Moliison soloed London to Capetown and back in 1936. ch FLAGSHIP OF THE ITALIAN SQUADRON from Rome to Rio in January, 1931, rests in the harbor at Rio de Janeiro as General Italo Balbo, leader of the first mass flight across the South Atlantic, prepares to go ashore. In July, 1933, General Balbo, Italys Air Minister, led a flight of 24 twin-engine Savoia-Marchetti planes from Orbetello, Italy, via Holland, Iceland, Labrador, New Brunswick and Canada, to the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. ACCURATE AERIAL NAVIGATION with sextant, stars, timepieces and compass marked Howard Hughes record flight around the world in 3 days, 19 hrs., 14 min., July 10 to 14, 1938. With weather obscuring visibility during much of the trip, the twin-engine Lockheed New York World's Fair 1939 was never more than a few miles off course and always within a few minutes of the planned schedule. A triumphal parade for Hughes and his four-man crew was led by New Yorks Mayor LaGuardia (who was an aviator in W.W. I) and Grov- er Whalen, president of Worlds Fair which flight publicized. NORTHERN SEA ROUTE ADMINISTRATION was official title of Russian expedition which set up a base on an ice floe 13 mi. from the North Pole as the first step in establish- ing air communication between Russia and America via the Polar regions. The expedition was headed by Dr. Otto J. Schmidt (c.), shown with Ivan Papanin (I.), chief of arctic stations, and M. V. Vodopyanov, chief pilot. In June, 1937, a few weeks after the Polar base was set up, a Soviet plane flew from Moscow to Oregon. In July pilot Mikhail Gromov and a crew of three left Moscow for San Francisco, landing near San Jacinto, Calif., to set a new long-distance record of 6,262 mi. in 62 hrs. Gromov had made longer flight in 1934: 7,707 mi., using a Russ ANT-25 plane. This was not officially recog- nized as Russia was not member of International Federation. 166 STABLE AIR PLATFORM is provided by the non-rigid blimp with its hard nose-cup. Goodyear Co. made this type for U.S. Navy. Blimps served as offshore observation posts in submar- ine hunts. Radar operated efficiently from aerial platform and depth bombs could be dumped from blimps gondola. ASSEMBLAGE of majority of U.S. Navys lighter-than-air fleet in 1930 is shown. Four types of gas bags are seen: left background, rigid dirigible USS Los Angeles; right, five free balloons; in middle, two non-rigid blimps; above, captive sausage useful for hanging air nets to trap enemy. ILL-FATED AIRSHIPS Storms, flaws and explosions destroy the dirigible Three disasters were to eliminate the dirigible from avia- tion. The first tragedy struck the USS Akron shortly after midnight April 3, 1933, some 2,000 feet above a stormy Atlantic, off the New Jersey coast. A down draft plunged the Akrons tail into the sea. Among the 76 officers and men aboard was Rear Adm. William A. Moffet, chief of Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, who had called the Akron the safest dirigible ever built. He was not among the three survivors. On February 12, 1935, a blast of wind ripped away the upper fin of the USS Macon at 1,250 feet, off Point Sur, Calif. Lt. Comdr. Wiley, survivor of the Akron, maneu- vered the Macon to the seas surface, tail first. Two over- anxious crewmen leapt from the Macon s nose, still 125 feet above the waves, and were killed by the impact. Surface ships saved the rest of the crew as the Pacific swallowed the Macon s breaking hull. At 7:20 p.m. May 6, 1937, at Lakehurst, New Jersey, the Hindenburg dropped her lines for mooring after an Atlantic crossing. At 7:25 p.m. she lay a flaming skeleton when her highly-inflammable hydrogen gas caught fire. Among the dead was Captain Ernst Lehmann, pioneer Zeppelin booster. Germany built one more dirigible after- ward, the LZ 130, flown in 1938-39 during tests, and believed destroyed in an air raid on Friedrichshafen. THE "HINDENBURG" represented Germanys bid to lead the world in use of the dirigible as a passenger transport. Largest rigid airship ever built, it was 803 feet long. 135 feet through its thickest diameter, and could cruise 8,000 miles. Of the 97 aboard when she met her sudden end at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937, 35 persons were killed. TRAGIC END to U.S. attempts to use rigid dirigibles for Navy purposes came in fate of the Akron (below r.), under construction, and the Macon, aft section of whose control car is seen at left. In both cases turbulent air striking tail assemblies left huge ships helpless. The Akron went down off N.J. coast, the Macon broke up in California coastal waters. JAPAN FOUGHT almost continuously during the 1930s in Manchuria and China. Superior aircraft led the Japanese to exaggerate greatly the aerial victories they claimed against the Russians during Manchurian border-clashes. A Japan- ese pilot and gunner (I.) are shown preparing to go into ac- tion against the Chinese in a then-standard two-place biplane of 1933. Picture at right shows the terrific damage after one of the Japanese raids on Shanghai in 1937. PLANES FIGHT AGAIN IN 30s Worlds warplanes undergo tryouts in China, Ethiopia, Spain and Finland After more than 10 years of rest fol- lowing World War I, airplanes again took wing in far-flung battles early in the 193Os. First in Manchuria, then in Ethio- pia, followed by Spain and China and Finland, warplanes showed their weaknesses and strengths, and design- ers learned what might yet be needed for World War II. During these wars, airplanes were thought of and used ITALY, unopposed in the skies over Ethiopia, gave first tryouts to plane de- signs later to fight in Spain and WW II. Farewell parade for Marshall De Bono (above) shows tri-motor bombers. as auxiliaries to armies and navies. The independent air force did not get its first battle-test until the Second World War, nor did strategic bomb- ing, both advocated by Italian Gen- eral Giulio Douhet in 1921. His theo- ries were vindicated, however, during the big war. In Manchuria, warplanes played a slight role in the Japanese conquest. Both there and in Ethiopia, they were used primarily as scouting equipment. A little bombing was done, but it was not of a magnitude meant to influence the outcome of the wars. Warplane types which were to be used in World War II first tried their wings in Spain. Italy and Germany utilized their latest and best, while Russia contributed fighter planes which proved successful against the Fascist bombers in fair proportion to their numbers. However, the Russian planes failed miserably against Hit- lers Messerschmitt fighters. Large scale bombings were used at Barce- lona and Madrid, but were not car- ried out long enough or hard enough to show their true potential. Japanese raids against undefended Chinese cities proved nothing militarily. Russia, using the first of her native- designed-and-built warplanes against the Finns, found them obsolete when pitted against the modern types which Finland bought from other nations and used in combat. A complete over- haul of Communist airpower and techniques was initiated shortly there- after. After the rehearsal wars were over, Europe set the pattern for the role that the warplanes were to play in the impending Second World War. HEAVILY OUTWEIGHED in the air, Abyssinia had only a few obsolete air- planes with which to fight up-to-date air offense of Mussolini. Here, Ethiop- ians are loading a two-seat biplane. REBEL OUTPOST goes up in smoke, hit by Loyalist bomb. While Fascists had more and newer planes, Loyalists made excellent records with what they had, especially Russian fighters which were modernized versions of older U.S. craft. Despite damage. Rebel bombing didnt hurt Loyalist morale. OVER SPAIN, Italians were close to being unopposed since Fascist planes far outnumbered polyglot Loyalist craft. Shown above are Savoia-Marchetti bombers making bomb run with- out flak or fighter defense to bother them. Germans, too, gave Francos Rebels aircraft, although bulk came from Italy, MOROCCANS were flown to Spain in these Junkers Ju-52 transports, which later were mainstays of Luftwaffe in WW RUSSIA ATTACKED Finland in 1939 and found her air fleet insufficient (downed Russian bomber, I.). Finns, using Ital- ian, American and British planes, put up a valiant fight (Fin- IL At right, remains of Loyalist aircraft downed by Rebels. Loyalists bought planes everywhere, especially from Russia. nish biplane bomber, r.). Russia started extensive program of new designs after the war with Finland, and had achieved successful results by the middle of World War II. FINNS USED swastika as early as 1918, long before Nazis adopted the emblem. Shown above is a Finnish light bomber, a British Anson bought from England and used against the Russians. RUSSIAN ANT-6 bombers, like those above, appearing over Helsinki on Nov. 30, 1939 told Finns that Russia had at tacked without declaring war. However Russias planes proved inadequate. MOLOTOV breadbasket, a container which revolved as it fell and spewed 60 incendiary bombs in all directions, wrought brutal havoc on wooden homes and buildings in little Finlands cities. Fascisms rise spurs military designs Had it not been for the rise of Fascism in Germany and Italy, the progress of military aircraft in the 1930s might have been nil. As it was, innovations appeared at mid- decade which were important in World War II. Restricted by the Versailles Treaty, until Adolf Hitler came to power and denounced it, Germany, in a very short time, built an aerial juggernaut which almost con- quered all of Europe. The Luftwaffe would have succeeded had it operated on the tenets of a sustained war, but the theory of Blitzkrieg, with breathing space between cam- paigns to replace lost aircraft won out, and Germany went into World War II with many excellent planes, but no spare parts, reserve planes or heavy bombers. Britain pioneered new models and refined airplanes, but did not produce them. She set up a shadow factory system, wherein automobile manufacturers built aircraft under government subsidy, providing the nation with enough new designs to hold her own against an aggressor. America developed excellent aircraft, once she saw the shape of developments in Europe. The nation also had two years of producing airplanes for the anti-Nazis before she became embroiled at Pearl Harbor. Soviet Russia, having disposed of foreign aircraft pro- ducers and designers, made progress too, but it was diffi- cult under a regime which might sacrifice an aircraft de- signer and his design to political thought. France, torn by political intrigue, made her aircraft factories government property. She turned out nothing significant in design, and had few airplanes in production. She had no chance when the Luftwaffe struck. The decade started with biplane fighters and unwieldy bombers. By the time the war had begun, wires were gone, landing gears retracted and engines had high power. Speeds were four times that of twenty years before. COMMANDER of air corps during expansion in critical 1935-38 period was Maj. Gen. Oscar Westover (I.), who moved into Gen. Headquarters Air Force, air corps combat element. With him are (c.) Col. Arnold, Maj. Spaatz. STORMY PETREL of 1930s was Maj. tz A. de Seversky, whose book Victory Through Air Power did not endear him to Army authorities. His company pro- duced fighters which set speed records, were ancestors of WW II Thunderbolts. 170 STANDARD FIGHTERS for the Navy were these biplane Grumman F3Fs (above) which were replaced just prior to WW II by Wildcat monoplanes. H GHOSTLY FACES were not those of men from Mars but of First Pursuit Group in high altitude garb. Wearing oxygen masks and fur-lined coveralls, they flew open biplane fighters. In 1931, they made a nonstop 400-mile flight from Selfridge Field, Mich, to Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., at 20,000 feet. FIRST SUPERBOMBER was the Boeing XB-15 of 1937. Its four 850-hp Pratt- Whitney engines gave the 35-ton, 149- ft.-wingspan giant a speed of 200 mph. MANY RESCUES were effected by the Coast Guard during the 1930s using Douglas Dolphins. Airplanes of the am- phibious type made sea-to-land flights. MODERN ATTACK plane was 1937 Northrop A-17A. Designed for strafing, export versions were used in WW II until fighters assumed support duties. GERMAN SHOW of huge Luftwaffe was put on during tour of Col. Lind- bergh, shown with Air Marshal Goering. GERMAN GENIUS, during days be- } fore rearmament was openly begun, turned to getting high efficiency from low power. Picture is of Feisler Storch (Stork), an observation plane using slots, flaps, and other design features to get in and out of small landing fields. 171 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com NEW, FAST BOMBERS like these Martin B-lOs, shown as they prepared for a mass flight from Bolling Field, Wash- ington, D.C. to Alaska, were replacing biplanes by 1934-35. These fast aircraft maintained their excellent handling char- acteristics even with their full combat load. Succeeding the Martins later in the 1930s were the Boeing Flying Fortresses of WW II fame, along with other improved designs. BRITISH BATTLEPLANES of the 193Os were in most respects typical of the day although they had certain improvements non-existent in other nations combat planes above is the Blackburn Skua, Britains first naval dive bomber. At right are Hawker fighters using the Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine which was the forerunner of the famed WW II Merlin power plant. The British pioneered many excellent types of air- craft in pre WW II days, including the Spitfire, and sub- sequently put them into production in numbers sufficient to use when they were urgently needed in 1939. A notable British design of 1931 was the Gloster 85-9, a biplane which had guns mounted in the wings outside the propeller arc and carried 1,600 rounds of ammunition per gun, more than was carried per gun in WW II fighters. The same plane had a supercharger on its engine which was then con- sidered a novelty and only later became standard equipment. PREPARING FOR WAR, a Japanese fighter plane of the late 1930s circles over line of battleships. The Japanese rec- ognized the airplane as a sea weapon, proved their effi- ciency at Pearl Harbor. Accused of copying designs, Japan- ese actually used only best foreign ideas in their planes. 172 PARATROOPS FOR OFFENSE were a Russian idea, and battalions of 400 to 500 chutists were trained as early as 1932, Picture (above) shows paratroop drop from late-1930s Russian bomber. At right, a mass drop is shown. Failure of Russia to use chutists to any extent in WW II was blamed on purges which cost lives of men who were versed in the strategic use of paratroops. Dis- sension within the Red Air Force over whether to build bombers or transports, resulted in underproduction of both types, also hampered Russian chutist activity. In 1930s, paratroops were stationed in Far West, Japan then being considered more of a threat than Europe. GUIDING BRAIN behind the Luftwaffe, before his fatal accident was WW I ace, Ernest Udet. Had his plans been followed, England might have been taken. SKYHOOKS for fleet scout planes like this Vought of the 1920s, were dirigibles Akron and Macon. They serv- ed in the 1930s to test the soundness of the skyhook idea. Primary purpose was for planes to scout for fleet. Idea died when crashes caused abandonment of dirigible. 173 FFom-PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com SNEAK ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR BY 360 CARRIER-LAUNCHED JAPANESE PLANES PARALYZED U.S. PACIFIC FLEET. JOLTED WARFARE INTO THE World War II Allies defeat German and Japanese air fleets; first jet planes are put to use by both sides as U.S. produces 96,000 planes in 1944 Carl (Tooey) Spaatz flew his first mis- sion of Pershing's 1916 expedition into Mexico, became commanding general of U.S. Air Force before retiring after VFIF If. He is best known as chief of 8th Air Force during build-up from small bomber group to strategic weapon which hammered Germany to defeat. On April 16, 1945, it was within the power of my command to announce the end of the strategic air war in Europe, A weekly average of 4,000 tons of bombs had rained on Austria and Germany from the day of the Normandy landing; a two-weeks toll of 3,484 Nazi planes had been the final coup de grace to the famed Luftwaffe. Dr. Albert Speer, Reichmeister of Armaments and War Production, esti- mated Germany could have produced from 30 to 50 percent more fighter planes, but for our bombing. . . . An official morale report in March, 1944, GEN. CARL SPAATZ said: Morale has reached a low point never before observed since the beginning of the war. . . . The air terror proves to be the crux in the molding of morale. . . . The report of the Japanese Diet on Sept. 4, 1945 . . , stated, In the days just preceding the termina- tion of the war it seemed almost im- possible to carry modern warfare further for any long period of time. The manufacture of modern war ma- terials, principally aircraft, by mass production methods . .. would short- ly have to face insurmountable diffi- culties as a result of the destruction of transportation and communica- tions facilities caused by air raids. These words assume even more sig- nificance when we realize that the attacks which laid waste to more than 42 percent of urban industrial areas had begun only eight months before. In 1944, not more than 100 bombers attacked Japan in a single operation; in early August, 1945, 801 Superfor- tresses attacked in a single nights operation. The heartless statistics of total war alert us to the limitless possibilities of airpower applied to peace. Is there a better, saner use for the greater ranges and altitudes now at our com- mand? z? PROF. WILLY MESSERSCHMITT The history of the German aircraft industry teems with such outstanding personalities as Otto Lilienthal who conducted the first successful flights as early as 1893, and Grade, Rump- ler, Dornier, Junkers, Heinkel. The contributions of the Messer- schmitt firm consisted principally of WW II fighter planes: the standard fighter Me-109, the heavy fighter Me- 110, and the jet fighter, Me-262, first mass-produced jet aircraft. .. . Prior to WW II the achievements of special Long a leading plane designer, IFilly Messerschmitt built for Bavarian Air- craft Co. Me-20, 10-place, all metal transport, sports planes such as 2- place Me-23 which won Continental Races (1929-30). Me-109, German fight- er in IF IF II, still holds worlds speed record for propeller-driven, aircraft. prototypes of the Me-109 attracted world-wide attention as, for example, the speed record for land aircraft in 1937, and the absolute speed record of 755 km/hr for propeller-driven planes in 1939. Always a glider enthusiast, in 1921, with a continuous flight of 21 minutes in a motorless plane, I established a world record. The sailplane was . . . the only testing means for the Ger- man aircraft builder, since the Ver- sailles Treaty had forbidden the con- struction of motor-driven aircraft. Only after conditions of the Treaty had been relaxed could the German aviation industry take a further step forward. Preceding and during WW II, the well-known military models were cre- ated. In addition to the previously mentioned jet fighter Me-262 with two turbojet propulsion systems, I de- signed, in cooperation with Dr. A. Lippisch, the tailless Me-163. This model was equipped with rocket pro- pulsion and could reach a height of 10,000 meters (32,500 ft.) in three minutes. Little known is the fact we were successful in exceeding a speed of 1,000 km/hr (621 mph) as early as 1941 with the Me-163. By 1945 a fighter with jet propulsion and swept- back wings had been developed . . . the P-1101... characterized by many of the features common in present day aircraft. Following WW II, the writer, like other German aircraft manufacturers, was forbidden by an Allied edict to make airplanes. It is hoped that the lifting of this restriction will permit us to work in our field once more.... 175 From -Pi lotMa nualsrCom-/ Ra reAvi ati o n. co m FIRST British jet flew May 15, 1941 at Cranwell. An E28/39 design begun in 1939 by Gloster Aircraft under George Carter, it had 850-lb. Whittle engine. WORLD'S FIRST successful gas turbine jet, He-178, built by Heinkel Co., was flying test bed for HeS 3B engine, also being developed by Heinkel. First flight of this revolutionary design was Aug. 27, 1939 at Rostock, Germany when Capt. Warsitz made the first circuits of the field. Thrust of HeS 3B engine, rated at 1,100 lbs., marked culmination of gas turbine development from 1936. ITALY'S interest in jets was shown by Campini Caproni N-l, first flown in Aug. 1940. Powered by 900-hp recipro- cating engine, plane went 110 mph. DAWN OF JET PROPULSION Advent of World War II accelerates gas turbine research and development In 1934 a red seaplane roared over a 3-km course in Italy at 440.68 mph, breaking all records. In 1939 in Ger- many, a Me-109 R flown by Fritz Wendel increased the speed to 469.22 mph. Each record, while an admir- able feat of engineering and flying skill, was, in effect, a defeat to de- signers aware of certain limiting fac- tors which prohibited appreciable in- crease in aircraft speeds. These fac- tors were loss of propeller efficiency as blade tips reached sonic speeds and the power limitations of piston engines. For technical progress, a new propellerless engine with much greater power was needed. In 1928 an Englishman, Frank Whittle, wrote an examination thesis on possibilities of gas turbines as air- plane engines and of jet propelled flight. By 1930 he had taken out his first patents. Simultaneously, a Ger- man, Hans von Ohain, was doing re- search in the same field and applied for first patents in 1935. British gov- ernment interest in Whittles work led him to form Power Jets Ltd. in 1936. In 1939 the Air Ministry awarded him a contract for a flight engine and commissioned Gloster to build the special airframe necessary to test flight this new propulsive device. In Germany, Dr. Ernst Heinkel added a gas turbine engine division to his airframe plant, and with von Ohain, built a turbojet suitable for flight. Known as HeS 3, this engine flew in the He-178 on Aug. 27, 1939, first turbojet in the world to fly. On May 15, 1941, the Gloster E28/39 was flown in England powered by first flyable Whittle engine, W-l. Of historical interest was the Italian Campini Caproni N-l which, because of wartime secrecy, was long thought to be the first jet to fly. Developed in 1939 by Ing. Secondo Campini, it used system of propulsion known as a ducted fan where an Isotta Fras- chini 900-hp piston engine drove a three-stage compressor. The projects disappointing performance caused it to be abandoned. Development in Germany after Heinkels success, spread to Junkers and B.M.W. engine factories. As a hint of vast turbojet potentialities realized by the German High Com- mand, it is noteworthy that 5,000 Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines were built before the wars end, at the rate of 1,500 units per month. A total of 1,294 Messerschmitt Me-262s were built to utilized this output dur- ing late 1944 and early 1945. By the end of the war Britain was in full production on Gloster F9/40 Meteor, which first flew Mar. 3, 1943. In the U.S., with the aid of the Whit- tle w IX turobjet, General Electric produced first American turbojet, the 1-16, and flew two in the Bell XP- 59A, Oct. 1, 1942. Jan. 9, 1944 the Lockheed XP-80 made its first flight with a British Halford turbojet. Jet aircraft had arrived. Driven by the impetus of war, the German Me-262 was climbing to operational heights at speeds faster than U.S. bombers could reach in level flight. The turbojet had defeated the pro- pellerand seemed hardly to have touched its own potential. 4 MAINSTAY of German Fighter Com- mand in closing months of war was Mes- serschmitt Me-262 (left), powered by 2 Junkers Jumo 004B-1 axial flow jets. AMERICA'S first gas turbine powered plane, XP-59A (r.), first flown by Rob- ert Stanley at Muroc, California Oct. 1, 1942, had two 1-16 jets built by GE. DB-3 "GALLANT," NAMED FOR HERO-PILOT YAK-9 FIGHTERS MATCHED ENEMY'S CRAFT "STURMOVIK" ATTACKERS SCOURGED NAZIS RUSSIAN PLANES IN WORLD WAR II Overwhelmed in 1941 by the numerical and technical su- periority of the Nazis, the Soviet Air Force closed the gap by 1943. By then Russia was producing many good planes, but air power was completely under army com- mand; planes flew only in support of ground attacks. Ignoring the use of strategic bombing until very late in the war, Russia was never able to mount an attack of more than 100 planes. Their standard TB-7 was no match for American or British long-range bombers. The most famous Red plane was the IL-2 Sturmovik attack plane. By 1944-45, the Russians had 20,000 warplanes operat- ing at one time, including Lend-Lease American and British planes. Hampering Russian operations throughout the war was the lack of radar and almost no radio naviga- tional aids. As they acquired U.S. planes, they built a navigation system, though it was never equal to that of the Allies. Maintenance and supply for the Russian air force was poor at first, but became adequate by 1943. MITSUBISHI TYPE "O" FIGHTER-THE ZERO MITSUBISHI TYPE KI-462 FIGHTER PLANE KAWASAKI TYPE KI-61 FIGHTER-THE TONY JAPANESE PLANES On December 7, 1941, it was with considerable chagrin that Allied airmen discovered that their best fighter planes were being out-run and out-maneuvered by the Japanese fighter known as the Zero. Powered by a 1,100-hp Mitsu- bishi Kinsei engine, the Zero had a speed of 340 mph and a service ceiling of 34,000 ft. No U.S. or British fighter could match that performance. It was two years before the old P-39's and P-40s were replaced with the P-38s and P-47 s that provided some equality between Japanese and Allied fighter pilots. Japan never mass-produced four-engine heavy bombers but her twin-engine planes kept abreast of and, in some cate- gories, ahead of the Allied counterparts. Several types of twin-engine planes were in the over 300-mph class, for instance the Mitsubishi Army Type 4 heavy bomber, Peggy 1 in the Allied code, was rated at 346-mph. By 1945 Japan succeeded in producing three fighters in the over 400-mph class. MODEL S2NAVY'S CARRIER-BORNE ZEKE KAMIKAZE OR SUICIDE PILOT GETS READY "BAKA" ROCKET-PROPELLED SUICIDE BOMB BOMBER PRODUCTION at Heinkel plant in Mari- enhe, near Rostock, Germany showed remarkable man- ner in which civil aircraft, such as Heinkel transport 1935, was converted into potent bombers like He-lllK. H BLACK CAT presaged doom for German Fighter Command. An armament crew is seen loading 7.7 mm machine guns of an Me-109E. In production in late '38, this Messerschmitt typified German design simplicity. RESEARCH at Hermann Goering Institute at Volken- t rode, Germany, aided much in amazing progress made by aviation in high speed flight. The swept wing, delta configuration were stimulated by work here. A NAZIS PERFECT AIR BLITZ Fatal leadership and Allied airpower combine to defeat mighty German Luftwaffe The battle of France in the spring of 1940 saw the German Luftwaffe hit its peak as a fighting air force. Never before had the world seen such an exhibition of aerial action in support of land armies. The Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber became the worlds most pub- licized and feared plane as it spear- headed the blitzkrieg, blasting Allied defenses. German tank columns roared through, supplied by Luftwaffe transports. Roads became im- passable for retreating Allied armies as German Righters strafed fleeing refugees. The Luftwaffe seemed cruelly in- vincible. But Englands gallant RAF smashed this myth. In the Bat- tle of Britain, started as the Luftwaffe prelude to invasion, Goerings squadrons lost half their committed forces. The Stuka was withdrawn, un- worthy for such battle. Ger- man air crews suffered 90 per- cent more losses than those of England. The threat of invas- ion was over for England in late 1940 but the bloodletting of sea- soned pilots proved too severe for Germany, Hitlers disastrous Russian adven- ture, begun in 1941, also caused heavy pilot losses. The Luftwaffe mar- shalled 3,000 aircraft for the Eastern Front, but these were dispersed over 2,000 miles. Such attenuation meant German pilots worked harder with FLYING WING twin jet fighter plane demonstrated the extent of development of all-wing aircraft by the Hor- ten Company. The Ho-9, pictured above, was an experi- mental design for a day and night fighter. It was flown in prototype as a glider. This plane (with its wings removed) was captured by the Allies. greater losses to provide the same support they had given on the 250- mile front in France. By autumn of 1941, a third of Luftwaffe forces on the Russian Front was drained. The losses stayed critically high. By 1943, the Luftwaffe had become a defensive force, guarding earlier gains. German designers concentrated on night and day fighters to intercept growing armadas of Allied bombers. Never did Germany try to build a big offensive force of heavy bombers. Nazi fuel supplies dwindled and pilot ranks thinned. Germany ended the war with thousands of airworthy planes immobil- ized. Her jets and rockets came too late. With its technical versatility and daring designs, the Ger- man Air Force set the pace for the world in development of military aircraft, but like the nation, it had a poor leader. Goering threw away seasoned pilots as Hitler threw away the goodwill of men and nations. 178 LAST DITCH BID for air supremacy was Heinkel He-162A Volksjaeger (Peoples Fighter). A single engine jet made from semi-strategic materials and produced in record time, it first flew Dec. 6, 1944. He-162A-1 was service version. "VIPER" was designed as another last-ditch jet to oppose Allied bombers. It climbed to 30,000 feet in less than 60 seconds. Rockets in nose all were to be fired in one salvo. After attack, pilot and engine parachuted down to earth. PLANE builder Willy Messer- schmitt (c.), who supplied Luft- waffe, is seen with its chief, Her- mann Goering, at diplomat party. ch ERNST HEINKEL, one of Ger- manys major aircraft designers, formed company in 1922, built many notable bombers, fighters. TOP BRASS of German and ch Italian Air Ministries first met, 1940: (I. to r.) Gen. O. Milch, Gen. G. Valle, Lt. Gen. E. Udet. RECONNAISSANCE in a Dornier 215 bomber is the mission of the German pilot being buckled into a parachute. The Luftwaffes reconnaissance work failed German armed forces after 1943. AIR TRANSPORT of troops and mater- iel was a thoroughly developed phase of Luftwaffe activity. German blitz- krieg (lightning war) would not have been possible without such mobility. GIANT TRANSPORTS of German Luft- waffe tried to keep armies on the north Russian front supplied with arms and food. Huge Messerschmitt Me-323 Gi- gants were easy targets for the enemy. 179 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FOCKE WULF FW-190A FIGHTER JUNKERS JU-287 JET BOMBER HEINKEL HE-112 OF 1939 JUNKERS JU-88-4 BOMBER JUNKERS JU-87 "STUKA" DIVE BOMBER JUNKERS JU-8BK BOMBER FOCKE WUIF FW-189 "UHU" (OWL) BATTLE OF BRITAIN RAF, British morale thwart Hitlers invasion, make offensive possible The gratitude of every home in our island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunt- ed by odds, unwearied in their constant chal- lenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict iifos so much owed by so many to so few.Winston Churchill, Aug. 20, 1940. The long history of proud Britain had never, in mod- ern days, faced so grave a threat as that following Frances capitulation to Germany in 1940. Only the Chan- nel separated her from the enemy. Military second-guessers have long concluded that if Hitler had staged a quick and massive invasion after Dunkirk, he could have brought a shaken empire to its knees. Instead Hitler determined to soften England with disastrous air assaults, hitting simultaneously at trans- port, shipping, war production and civilian morale. The British Air Ministry considers the Battle of Brit- ain to have begun August 8, 1940, when Germany shifted her attack from Channel shipping to bombardment of the home island in daylight. The Ministry divided the battle into four phases. In the first. August 8-18, the main objective was Channel shipping, with inland bombing aimed at ports and coastal air facilities. The Luftwaffe, however, found Britains defenses much more formidable than they had supposed. On August 15, the RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires marked up 180 German planes as destroyed. The second phase ran from August 19 to September 5, DISASTROUS RAID on Coventry by German Luftwaffe on Nov. 15, 1940 served as still another stimulus to all-out effort by the RAF to rid Englands skies of Nazi planes. Shown is the nave of Coventry Cathedral, once regarded as a fine ex- ample of 14th century architecture. Services continued there throughout the war, despite its almost total destruction. with attacks concentrated on inland airdromes. The pat- tern of the raids indicated the intention of forcing de- fenses away from the Channel. By September 6, the Nazis concentrated on industrial centers, particularly on London. On September 7, a radi- cal tactical change came with the first mass bombing at night. These nightly random bombardments of industrial centers continued for weeks, with high civilian casualties and great damage. Day bombing did not disappear, and when RAF defenses were deployed inland, the Luftwaffe renewed dive-bombing raids on ports. In the last phase, beginning October 6, daylight bomb- ing almost disappeared; heavy bombers were abandoned for fighters and fighter-bombers. During the 84 days of almost continuous attack ending October 31, Germany lost 2,335 aircraft. The RAF tallied 275 pilots killed and 358 wounded as the cost of this essential delaying action which kept the Nazis on the continent until new strength and allies were available. Over 14,000 civilians died, 20,000 were wounded in this period, but morale continued high. British ships still used the Channel and the RAF strewed its own havoc. A CABBAGE PATCH just two years before, this Rootes plant at Speke, Liverpool, had 6,000 employees turning out Bristol Blenheim Mk. 1 bombers. Powered by two Bristol Mercury VIII engines, they played major part in RAF raids. FIGHTER COMMAND was superior over Channel and occu- pied nations within fighters range by May, 1942. Shown are (I. to r.) Air Marshal Sir Arthur Conington, Air Vice Mar- shal Broadhurst, Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder. 181 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com COASTAL COMMAND De Havilland Mosquito F. 8. Mark Vis prepare to take off. Escorting and protecting convoys, maintaining constant anti-submarine patrol, attacking en- emy shipping were functions of this Command, which flew 66,362 sorties, dropped 1,411 tons of bombs, mines in 1944. EVERY INCH A FIGHTER was the famous Supermarine Spit- fire. First prototype flew Mar. 5, 1936, and plane was combat- ready when war came. First Mark I types performed out- standingly in the Battle of Britain, shared honors with the Hurricane. The Mark 5A (above) was produced in 1941. BRITISH HAWKER "HURRICANE" lie BRISTOL "BEAUFIGHTER" MARK X SHORT "SUNDERLAND" MARK 11 AV RO "LANCASTERS," among the most versatile British heavy bombers, were capable of carrying the 22,000-lb. bomb, and dropped the first blockbuster at Bielefeld, Germany, March 14, 1945. In 1942, Avro produced the first Lancaster, and in 1943, Canadian-built Mark Xs joined the RAF. EAGLE SQUADRON returns from a fighter mission. Found- ers of this group were U.S. pilot-volunteers. Some first joined the French Air Force; some joined the RAF; some participated in the Battle of Britain. At their own request, these pilots were grouped together in the Eagle Squadron. 182 ch "BEAUF1GHTER" party, photograph- ed from lead plane, shoots up German convoy. Photo, one of the best taken of anti-shipping strike, shows Coast- al Command Beaufigkters attacking German M class minesweepers north- west of Borkum on August 25, 1944. SHORT "STIRLING" BOMBER MARK III BOULTON PAUL "DEFIANT" MARK I GLOSTER "METEORS" had the dis- tinction of being the only Allied jet- propelled airplane to go into opera- tional service during the war. The Meteor first flew in March, 1943, shot down its first flying bombs on August 14, 1944. Meteor Mark TVs (r.) were powered by two Rolls Royce Derwent turbojets of 3,500-lbs. thrust each. HANDLEY PAGE "HALIFAX" MARK VI DE HAVILLAND "MOSQUITO" MARK XVIII WESTLAND "LYSANDER" MARK I PERFORMED PATROL DUTIES BRITISH "BEAUFORT" T. B. MARK I WAS BUILT BY BRISTOL 183 Frorr^PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com LINE CHIEF, Master Sgt. J. T. Smith } held Air Corps record for 30 years service as instructor at Randolph Field, called the West Point of the Air. CONTROVERSIAL Airacobra rolled off production line of Bell Aircraft in 1940. Sleek, sport-like in appearance, its 1,325-hp liquid-cooled Allison en- gine was behind pilot. It was armed with deadly 37-mm cannon, was capable of reaching a top speed of 375 mph. USN FLYING BOATS, designed in 1933, performed patrol and rescue work. PBY amphibian, Catalina, was equip- ped to land on ice, land or water. 4 AVIATION CADETS at Randolph Field, Texas, flew first-line combat planes after seven months training. U.S. trained 300 in 1939, 7,000 in 1940. U.S. AIR EXPANSION Growing military emphasis opens new plants INDUSTRY CHIEFS met as National Aircraft War Production Council, 1944. Shown are (I. to r.) G. Martin H. Bly- the, (Goodyear), E. Breech (Bendix). D. Douglas, E. Wilson (United), T. Ryan, F. Marchev, J, Johnson (Boeing), Though Europes skies were dark with warplanes struggling for aerial supremacy, aircraft factories in the United States continued to produce in modest quantities. In its entire his- tory, the industry had produced fewer than 45,000 planes of all kinds, on January 12, 1939, President Roose- velt requested $300 million for the building of 5,500 planes a year and the training of an additional 20,000 men to fly them. A year later, the President asked for $896 million to- ward the building of 50,000 planes. Speaking for the industry, Donald J. Kindelberger (North American), V. Emanuel (Aviation Corp.), L. Bell, L. Goad (Eastern, GM), J. Ward (Fair- child), R. Gross (Lockheed), H. Wood- head (Consolidated), L. Cohu (North- rop), G. Vaughan (Curtiss-Wright). Douglas wired, We can do it. The air power of the United States consisted chiefly of a striking force of a few heavy, medium and light bombers, a few hundred fighters and combat training planes. Congress de- bated the Armys request for four- engine bombers in a controversy heightened by British opinion. A British aeronautical magazine in 1940 warned: Any big bomber policy in Europe would be a tactical error of the first magnitude. Huge four-motor airplanes . . , would not survive long in a full-scale war in Europe. Nevertheless, the Army Air Corps ordered 512 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers in September of 1940. One month later, total defense appropri- ations passed $17 billion. Factories began to produce military planes, armament and equipment. New fac- tories and airfields were built. Exist- ing plants were converted to wartime use, while tooling and research facil- ities sprang up overnight. From 2,000 planes in 1939, production rose to 6,000 in 1940, then Jumped to 19,000 in 1941. The Army Air Corps, which had trained 300 pilots in 1939, trained 7,000 in 1940 and another 12,000 by late 1941. FIVE LINES OF BT-13's, the standard U.S. basic training plane of World War II, display peacetime marking as they line up for inspection. The Valiant used a 450-hp Pratt and Whitney engine, and was the plane in which cadets were first trained to use instruments in blind flying. OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY LINE of famed P-38 Lightnings ran full blast at Lockheed Aircraft plant. The P-38 initially required 17,000 man-hours for its construction, but by 1942, construction time had been cut to 8,000 man-hours. Acceler- ated production program sent hundreds of P-38s to Europe. "LIBERATORS" await their turn in line before being flown by U.S. Fer- rying Command on first leg of the flight to England. Thousands of rounds of ammunition, tons of bombs accompanied each ship. These four- engine B-24 bombers later teamed with B-17 Flying Fortresses in the devastating daylight precision bomb- ing raids which formed part of the round-the-clock aerial offensive that battered Fortress Europe. ARMS TO THE ALLIES Lend-lease boosts production In November, 1939, the United States Neutral- ity Act of 1937 was amended by repealing the embargo on arms and permitting their export to belligerents on a cash-and-carry basis. On these terms, almost 2,000 airplanes were sent to France and England before the fall of France in June of 1940. In March, 1941, the lend-lease bill was passed by a vote of 60 to 31 in the Senate, and 317 to 71 in the House of Representatives. The act empowered the president to lend de- fense articles to nations whose defense he deemed vital to the safety of the United States. The production of planes and arma- ments was greatly accelerated by orders placed by Great Britain under the lend-lease act, and was again increased after November, 1941, when KI billion lend-lease credit was extended to the Soviet Union. The Allied governments placed orders for 45,000 planes to be delivered in two years. The United States began to build up its own air power, and provided orders that enabled manufacturers to expand production facilities and train workers in new skills. The pressure of war abroad had brought mass production of aircraft to the United States. AIR MARSHAL W.A. (Bil- ly) Bishop, V.C., Canada's reknowned WW I ace, was Canadian Air Ministry ob- server in European theater. 185 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FAST AND POWERFUL A-20 Havoc and Boston attack- bombers were built for Britains defense in mid-1941. Night construction at Douglas' Santa Monica, Calif, plant (above) typified the newly-accelerated methods of mass production. THE BIG PUSH for arms to the Allies in 1940-41 required day and night team work. Workers (above) pushing the Lockheed Hudson were among the 6.9 million in U.S. de- fense plants by late 1941. U.S. built <18.000 planes in 1942. THE FLYING TIGERS created a legend in the skies over Asia. Led by Gen. Claire L. Chennault, seventy pilots formed the American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force, and supplied the beleaguered Chinese with their first outside aerial assistance. Between December 18. 1941 and July 4, 1942, when they were disbanded and incorporated into the U.S. Army Air Force, the Flying Tigers were official- ly credited with the destruction of 280 Japanese planes. Some 1.500 Japanese pilots and crew members died at the hands of the AVG, whose own losses numbered only eight pilots killed in action, two pilots and a crew chief killed on the ground and four pilots missing in action. The Flying Tigers 55 precious P-40s, with their distinctive decorations, were serviced by Chinese mechanics (above). Gen. Chennault, the commander of the AVG, is shown (below, r.) as he greets members of a group of Chinese Nationalist pilots trained in the U.S.; and as he received the congratulations of his pet dachshund, Joe, (above, r.) after the U.S. awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross. The medal was bestowed by General G. E. Stratemeyer (l.)f commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces in India and Burma. The third member of the trio is Gen. Edgar Glenn, Chennaults Chief of Staff. 186 A A A PEARL HARBOR ATTACKED Japanese air power scores heavily bringing the U.S. into World War II On December 7, 1941, the coming-of-age of airpower was demonstrated with sudden and tragic force to the people of the United States. On that day, the Japanese First Air Fleet, in a maneuver planned during the summer of 1941, carried out a fantastically successful air strike against the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor and the three Army Air Force Bases in Hawaii, Hickham, Wheeler and Bellows. During the hour-and-a-half attack, the Navy saw four battleships sunk, four others damaged; a mine layer and target ship sunk; three cruisers, three destroyers and a seaplane tender damaged; 2,086 officers and men killed with the missing and wounded bringing the casualty total to over 3,000. Fortunately, the carrier force of the Pacific Fleet was not in port during the attack and escaped damage. Simultaneous Japanese strikes against the Army air bases had prevented effective retali- ation, as the Nipponese fliers destroyed 64 planes and damaged 86 more. Their mission complete, the Japanese carrier force turned west without being threatened by a single bomb or torpedo. Apparently unprepared for such a staggering success, Japanese Imperial Headquarters failed to follow the air attack with a ground invasion, which would have enjoyed an excellent chance of success. Fearful of such an attack, the United States government long withheld figures re- vealing the exact extent of the damage. Pearl Harbor, however, was not the only base to suf- fer air attack on December 7. Nine hours after the Ha- waiian strike started, land-based naval air units from Formosa began attacks against United States air bases in the Philippine Islands. Shortly after noon, Japanese bombers made unopposed runs over Clark Field and de- stroyed the communications center, hangars, shops and other facilities. Attack planes followed with strafing runs, completing the destruction of all but three planes be- longing to the two squadrons of B-17's caught on the ground. At the same time, fighter bases suffered heavy losses. By December 10, only 31 pursuit planes remained operational in the Philippines, and the remaining B-17's numbered 14. Eleven days later, the B-17'S were forced back to Australian bases. A stunned United States began to look anxiously to its own coastal defenses, and to recognize for the first time, its own vulnerability to an attack from the air. FOUR BATTLESHIPS were sunk by Japanese carrier-based planes at Pearl Harbor. The burning USS West Virginia is shown (r.) in the foreground, next to the badly damaged USS Tennessee. Despite the risk of a strafing attack, a rescue boat crew had pulled in to pick up another man from the stricken ship. Although ships were not fully manned on the peacetime Sunday morning in port, hundreds of men went down to their deaths with the ships. Japanese torpedo and dive bombers participating in the attack took off from the carriers Kaga and Akagi, seen in the drawing (top I.). Of 1927-1928 vintage, both carriers were sunk by U.S. planes in the Battle of Midway Island six months later. The U.S. car- rier Wasp met her end on Sept. 15,1942, when she was struck by torpedoes (I.) from a Japanese submarine off Guadalcanal. 187 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com CORAL SEA BATTLE fought May, 1942, was the first en- gagement between U.S. and Japanese carrier forces. Both lost one aircraft carrier. American fliers sank the Ryukaku or Shoho and the Japanese sank the Lexington (shown). BATTLE OF MIDWAY ISLAND in June of 1942, was a Japanese defeat, but costly for the U.S. Navy. Of the heroic Torpedo Squadron No. 8, only one, G. H. Gay (kneeling, c.), survived. Enemy fliers sank Yorktown; U.S. sank 4 carriers. India became the FLYING THE HUMP between China and supreme test of the Air Transport Commands Curtiss C-46 Commando transports (I.). The U.S. AAFs ATC planes were modified commercial craft. Cargo planes had large doors, reinforced landing gear, transports had benches and smal- ler doors. Navys Air Transport Service (NATS) and the 4 NON-RIGID AIRSHIP L-2 ar- rived at its mooring at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey, after a practice run over the North Atlantic in 1941. Blimps spent an estimated 500,000 hours in the air during World War II. GRUMMAN torpedo bombers | like these helped to sink the Nip- ponese carriers at Midway. Two Japanese naval task forces were turned back in that battle. If the U.S. Navy and Army planes had failed to stop them, Hawaii cer- tainly would have been hit again. ATC flew troops, supplies, ammunition, medicine and wound- ed to almost every part of the globe. A primitive ox cart (C.) moves slowly across a field in China as an ATC transport roars in for a landing. Led by Chinese and U.S. Army En- gineers, some 300,000 conscripted laborers (r.), toiled to clear fields and to build air strips for these U.S. planes. 188 CORONADO FLYING BOATS of } the NATS formed a global network of aerial highways. The burden of defend- ing these unarmed and heavily laden PB2Y-3Rs rested on the pilots and crews. Powered by four P&W engines, Coronado cruised at speed of 191 mph. CAPTURE AT SEA of a Nazi U-858 submarine off the Atlantic coast by an M-type blimp is one example of the numerous daring exploits of the air- ships which flew in conjunction with the Navy's fleet. By 1944 airships pa- trolled 3.000.000 square miles of ocean. DOUGLAS C-54 Skymasters like the one pictured were designated as the basic airplane for long-distance hauling on the military air supply lines. In addition, they were select- ed for the very exacting job of evacuating the wounded to military hospitals in the United States. Skymasters were widely used by the airlines until the postwar aircraft ap- peared and usurped this old veterans place in the skies. MILITARY CONTRACTS dictated the terms by which all domestic and foreign airlines would be serviced while the war lasted. Since there was no new equipment available to the commercial lines, careful maintenance of existing equip- ment was imperative. The air routes such as the U.S.-Lisbon run were kept open by emphasizing the kind of maintenance being performed on the Pan American Clipper shown above. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com FORD WILLOW RUN bomber plant (I.) near Detroit, Mich., like most U.S. industry, kept assembly lines moving on a 24-hr. schedule. Bombers moved on twin parallel production lines (background) before converging to single assembly line. Then outer wings of B-24 Liberator were added (fore- ground) and conveyor lines moved ships to completion. For each craft, 1,250,000 parts were put together. Backbone of Boeing B-29 Superfortress (c.) at Wichita, Kan. plant, was composed of circumferentials and stringers. In Douglas Air- craft plant (r.) at Long Beach, Calif., women work on planes. WAR SKYROCKETS PRODUCTION Americas industrial might, growing under the impetus of the war in Eu- rope, mushroomed after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Engine production was the key to rapid expansion of airplane produc- tion, and first funds and priorities went to powerplant companies. Allo- cations for airframes soon followed. At the time of Pearl Harbor, en- gine production was 12 times that of 1939; airframe construction had in- creased eightfold, and the dollar value of plane manufacture had tripled. Thirty combat types were being pro- duced for the Allies, at their expense, and the United States government had started its appropriations for ex- pansion when Japan attacked. One of the early bottlenecks was the lack of trained workers. Com- panies had to set up their own train- ing programs to turn unskilled work- ers into skilled artisans. Engineers were being called into the services, and in many cases were replaced by women. The industry faced the added handicap of having to pay wages frozen below the level of other in- dustries. Despite these handicaps, the air- craft industry met and exceeded the goals set for it when President Frank- lin Delano Roosevelt asked for and got almost 20,000 warplanes in 1941, and more than double that figure in 1942. A potent force in reaching the high goals set for airframe producers and engine manufacturers was the work performed by women, who were free- ing men for the battlefront. Between December 1942 and Janu- ary 1944, the combined efforts of all U.S. aircraft companies produced 29,355 bombers, 38,873 fighters, 7,012 transports, 19,939 trainers, and 5,604 other types. DOUGLAS DB-7B, twin-engine Havoc night-fighters were mass produced for Britains RAF to use in North Africa. The P-70 or USAAF Nighthawk, also painted jet-black, flew over Germany. GIANT PLANTS such as North Ameri- can Aviation (above). Consolidated Vul- tee, Douglas, Boeing, Grumman, Martin, Republic, Lockheed, Bell, Curtiss, and other aircraft manufacturers, acted in concert after U.S. governments urgent call for planes. Army Air Corps appro- priations at turn of 1942 approximated 82,173,608,961. U.S. Naval Aviation total in 1941 was $646,620,350 after original allocation was augmented. WOMEN WAR WORKERS in many plants were affectionately nicknamed Rosie the Riveter. Percentage of U.S. women holding defense jobs rose to 33.9% in Dec. 1945 from pre-war 25.8. DAWN PATROL off Biscayne Bay by U.S. Coast Guard Martin Mariners maintained steady reconnaissance for Nazi submarines in the Caribbean. Already a vital cog in USCO's air-sea rescue operations, the Mariner picked up hapless fliers who crashed far out from shore. Coastal vessels, par- ticularly small craft and out-bound convoys, relied heavily on the Coast Guards air facilities. After Pearl Harbor USCG aviation expanded threefold. By 1944 it used 195 aircraft: 146 transferred from Navy, 49 registered Coast Guard aircraft. TOKYO BOMBING was led by Col. Jimmy Doolittle, USAF, who received Congressional Medal of Honor from Pres. Roosevelt for the raid. Observing are Mrs. Doolittle, Gen. Henry H. Arnold (I.) and Gen. George C. Marshall. Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (r.). In the daring operation, 16 U.S. North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers attacked at noon on April 18, 1942. Taking off from 20,000-ton aircraft carrier Hornet, the twin-engined planes strafed and bombed 5 Japanese cities. Of 80 fliers and crew members, 71 survived. FLYING MEDICS in a U.S. Army Air Force high-altitude chamber experienced the many ailments that might afflict combat fliers. Chambers also aided in develop- ing high altitude equipment. AERIAL CONTRAST is shown in picture of the Stearman PT-17 Kaydet, foremost American pri- mary trainer of WW II, and Boeing Flying For- tress as they cruise over Kansas plains. In buy- ing out Stearman in 1938, Boeing became owner of planes design, built 5,000 Kaydets during war. FIREPOWER was governing fac- tor in modified North American B-25H Mitchell bomber. Tail and waist guns, side gun packages, more nose armament were added; 75mm cannon was spectacular. NORTH AMERICAN B-25 "MITCHEIL" DEADLY BELL P-83 "KINGCOBRA" CONSOLIDATED B-24 "LIBERATOR" PIONEER BELL YP-59A, FIRST U.S. JET LOCKHEED'S TWIN-FUSELAGE P-38L SINGLE-ENGINED P-51 U.S. "MUSTANG" THOUSANDS OF TONS of high-explosive bombs (right) were rsjtacked in ammunition bunkers at operational stations all over the English countryside. With Goerings Luftwaffe unable to fight off strategic bombers of the Allied Air Forces, German cities suffered the heaviest round-the-clock air bombardment in history. From the outset of the war until May 8, 1945, American and British planes flew about 4,- 000,000 sorties against Germany. USAAF bombers, including Flying Fortresses, like the Hells Angels (left) dropped a total of 1,500,000 tons of bombs on the Third Reich and German occupied areas. Of all bombs dropped on Germany in six years of war, 72 percent fell in the last ten months. II. S. OPERATIONS IN EUROPE Allies devastate Axis nations; new "blockbusters" wipe out entire cities The participation of the United States in a round-the-clock aerial offen- sive against Hitlers Fortress Eu- rope widened the scope of Allied raids, RAF Stirling, Halifax and Lan- caster bombers concentrated on night bombings while U.S. B-17s and B-24's were used for daylight precision raids. By mid-1943 flights of 700 planes or more struck Nazi targets, by day and by night. Chief target was the Ruhr Valleys industrial arsenal. The giant Krupp munitions works at Essen was paral- ized by repeated blows. Blockbusters hammered regularly on Cologne, Dortmund, Stuttgart. Mulheim and Krefeld. Thirty-one Nazi cities had 500 or more acres destroyed: Berlin 6,437 (ten times more than Lon- don) ; Hamburg 6,200; Dusseldorf 2,003. One-fourth of the bombs (about 650,000 tons) was directed at cities. About 305,000 German civili- ans were killed, 780,000 wounded and 7,500,000 homeless. The shock effect was terrifying; 300,000 fled the Ruhr area in May-June, 1943. B-17s repeatedly raided the U-boat pens along the French coast and ports of Kiel, Bremen, Emden, Wilhelm- shaven in Germany. The 1944 offensive was climaxed in late July and early August when RAF bombers pounded Hamburg mercilessly. With one-third of the citys homes destroyed, 60,000 or more people killed, Joseph Goebbels told his diary: A city of a million inhabitants has been destroyed in a manner unparalleled in history. The combined Allied sorties dropped 800,000 tons on land transportation, 640,000 on industrial areas, 300,000 on military targets, 250,000 on oil and chemical works, 190,000 on air- fields, 48,000 on plane factories and 410,000 on other targets. COMMANDERS confer on wars prog- ress. Gen. Henry (Hap) Arnold (left) headed USAAF and Lt. Gen. Carl (Too- ey) Spaatz (right) commanded 8th AF. SMOKE MARKERS were used by 8th Air Force B-24s when they hit Tours. U.S. flew 2,362,000 sorties, lost 22,948 planes, had over 120,000 casualties. RADIO JAMMERS dropped chaff di- poles, aluminum strips sized according to radar frequency. Chaff was credit- ed with saving 450 planes, 4,500 crew. 192 BISMARK LOOKS DOWN upon the ruins of Magdeburg, Germany, as civil- ians stroll the streets after surrender of Germany. At 2:45 a.m., on May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered uncondi- tionally to the Allies, ending the five years, eight months and seven days of conflict. The truce-signing ceremony was held in schoolhouse in Rheims, France.NAZI AIR BASES were systematically attacked by Lt. Gen. Hoyt Vandenbergs 9th Air Force. Northrops P-61 Black Widow (by damaged German control tower) had radar, was first night fighter. WALLS OF RUBBLE were all that re- mained of the proud city of Munich, Germany, as Michael Cardinal Faul- haber, Catholic Archbishop of Munich, officiated (above) in celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 3, 1945. German people knew in their own land the same bitter devastation their bombs wrought in London, Rotterdam, Warsaw. NORTH AFRICAN-BASED Liberators of 12th and 15th Air Forces bombed Italy and Austria as Allies bombed the Axis from the west. In 1943, Messerschmitt factories near Vienna were raided; in 1944, 162 Libya-based B-24s (above) flew 1,000 miles to hit Concordia Vega refinery, Ploesti, Rumania. U.S. NINTH AIR FORCE fighter-bombers caught German locomotive on a 300-ft. bridge spanning the Moselle River. Destruction of bridges and rail lines carrying supplies and troops to enemy positions was a decisive factor in stopping von Runstedts counter-offensive on Christmas of 1944. LOW FLYING Royal Canadian Air Force pilots (above) smother a Sperr- brecher with a barrage of 20-mm can- non shells, rockets off coast of France. HANOVER PLANT was a total wreck after 8th AF Flying Fortresses bombed it March 3 and 14, 1945. Soldiers look at twisted tanks and turret assemblies. GERMAN FLAK clipped the wing of this careening 15th AF Liberator over Italy. Plane caught fire, lost wing, then an engine, and finally plunged to earth. From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com WORK HORSE OF THE PACIFIC, the four-engine Liberator, takes off on another mission. Because of its greater range, the B-24 replaced the B-17 in this theater. The B-25 Mitchell (upper r.J became most versatile plane in island war: a reconnaissance ship, high and low level bomber, carrier, and in models with 75mm cannon, flying artillery. Carrier air power of U.S. Navy (lower r.) increased nearly 1000% during the war, some 110 flat-tops being in service on V-J Day. Since main axis naval strength rested with Jap- anese, a majority of U.S- carriers saw service in the Pacific. B-29 s BOMBED Japan, systematically blasting 66 major cities. They wrought an average 44% destruction, and in Tokyo, more than 55% of city was de- stroyed. B-29s also carried out extensive aerial mining operation on harbors. OPERATIONS IN PACIFIC Air power proves to be the deciding factor During the opening phase of the war in the Pacific, from December 7,1941 to August, 1942, Japanese aggression was decisively successful. It extended the Nipponese Empire from Burma to Guadalcanal and included the entire Netherlands East Indies plus most of New Guinea. In each sector, Japanese air power seized and maintained air superiority, providing amphibious forces ideal protection and tactical support. At the outset, Allied forces were pitifully weak in air power in the Pa- cific. Nearly two years passed before their aircraft were available in suf- ficient numbers to alter Allied tactics from a holding operation to an of- fensive one. The effectiveness of United States carrier air power was established in the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway Island; the effec- tiveness of land-based Army air pow- er was demonstrated in the Bismarck Sea battle. From these three opera- tions, Japans Imperial Command learned that further offensives beyond the 1942 perimeter were doomed. When U.S. B-29 Superjorls began strategic bombing of Japan itself in June, 1944, realistic military minds at Japanese Imperial headquarters clearly saw that both air supremacy and the warwere lost. 4 LOW LEVEL ATTACK is made by B-25 on Japanese destroyer escort off Amoy, China. With acquisition of bases in Philippines, AAF bombers forced Japanese shipping from oil-rich Sumat- ra and Borneo to virtual standstill. DEATH DIVE of a Japanese Kamikaze } on the carrier USS Hornet is shown here. Also attacked by torpedo planes, the Hornet finally went down. During the last four months of the war, these suicide assaults took a huge toll. USS "SARATOGA" RECOVERED from seven hits sustained at battle of Iwo Jima and made her way back to Puget Sound Navy Yard under her own power. Termed the most extensive- ly damaged vessel the Yard had received, she was soon re- paired and back in service. Aircraft from this carrier par- ticipated in more strikes than those of any other vessel. NEAR END OF CV "FRANKLIN," seen burning and listing, followed Japanese attack, March 1945. She was taking part in softening-up strikes against Formosa and nearby islands preparatory to massive assault on Okinawa, April 1st. While Nipponese carrier action had ceased after defeat in 1944 Philippine Sea battle, land planes continued attacks. 5TH AIR FORCE B-25's went in at masthead level to skip- bomb these Japanese ships in Rabaul harbor, New Britain. The heavy cruiser was sunk along with two light cruisers, six destroyers and eleven cargo vessels. Once a key Japanese base, Rabaul was neutralized by U.S. planes. Ships caught like these were inevitably sunk by deadly low-level bombing. IWO JIMA AIRSTRIP, after capture in March, 1945, was put to use by U.S. Air Force. Twin-boom planes (foreground) are P-61 Black Widow night fighters; single-engine planes edging strip are P-51 Mustangs. In the distance is famed Mt. Suribachi, site of dramatic flag-raising by U.S. Marines after hardest and costliest operation in Marine Corps history. 4 SILENT WEAPON of WW II was radar. The electronic eye developed by scientists in 1930s, was perfected for long-range detection and identification of airborne as well as surface objects. At left is radar plot room aboard car- rier during the China Sea operations. U.S. NAVY "BAT," was fully auto- 4 matic guided missile, first effectively used against Japanese shipping. Radar guided Bats were 12 ft. long with 10 ft. wing-span, were launched from wing of Navy Privateer patrol bomber. Later obsolete, they were a vital first. 195 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com i DIRECT HIT is made by 14th Air Force bombers on import- ant Japanese oil storage dump adjoining city of Kowloon (lower I.). American squadrons operating from China achiev- ed exceptional record despite limitations of planes and sup- plies coming by airlift over Himalayan hump. The ATC-de- veloped air supply system later proved invaluable in Berlin. WRECKED PLANES in Nagoya plant show destruction of Japans air potential. Long-range B-29 Superfortresses be- gan leveling Japan as early as June 16, 1944. In island war- fare, evacuation of wounded was speeded by big C-54 Doug- las transports, shown (r.) picking up Marines on Okinawa. GROUND SUPPORT for infantry, vital phase of aerial war- fare, is dramatized by North American B-25 bomber seen strafing Japanese dugouts in jungle at Rabaul, New Britain, where dual-purpose 75 mm anti-aircraft guns were hidden. STREET SCENE in Tokyo reveals a sturdy safe, all that is left intact where a modern building once stood. By Nov. 1944, Saipan in the Marianas became a major B-29 base from which 1000 planes dropped 150,000 tons of bombs on Japan. 196 AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION SOARS The American war effort was characterized by the pro- duction record of its aircraft industry. The total number of airplanes produced in 1944 reached 96,318, well above the 85,898 of 1943. In May, 1944 alone, more than 9,000 bombers, fighters and other aircraft were built-the all- time record and one-third more than the entire plane pro- duction of 1940. Manufacture in terms of numbers de- creased after June 1, but numbers no longer told the true story. Emphasis on heavy bombers, especially the Super- fortress, had made airframe weight the essential indicator of the progress of airplane production. In 1944 more than 970 million pounds of airframe weight were accepted as compared with 657 million pounds in 1943. Of this total, 623 million pounds were in 35,000 bombers and 219 million pounds were in 38,873 fighter and reconnaissance planes. Americas gigantic pro- duction of aircraft, engines, propellers, spare parts and airborne equipment increased about 38% during 1944 as compared with peak production figures in 1943. "WORK FOR DEFENSE" was the slogan that helped keep 20 million employees working in war plants around the clock in three separate shifts, commonly referred to as day, swing and graveyard. Monthly aircraft production hit a peak in March, 1944 at a cost of 51,750 million. By comparison, total armament expenditures during Americas four-year Civil War cost the Union $4 billion. Photo (upper left) shows one shift entering Lockheed while another leaves. Patriotism ran high and both the AFL and the CIO pledged no strikes for the duration and discouraged rare work stoppages. Newspapers pooled their news and photo facilities to give defense workers reports of war progress. U.S. Armed Forces swelled, and in 1944 more than 11 million wore the uniforms of Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force, while 19 million non- factory workers made up the nations third-line of defense and 9 million farmers kept the country and its armed forces well fed. Acres of chicken wire, painted cloth, fake houses, trees and scenery were wartime camouflage (lower left) to hide aircraft factories from enemy attack. Coastal cities had dimouts and civil defense groups grew, as Americans were alerted to the menace of attack on the home front. IN A SINGLE DAY in April, 1944, Boeings airplane plant in Seattle, Washington completed sixteen B-17 Flying For- tresses (above). These heavy bombers scored an unequaled combat record during World War II. The four-engined, air- cooled and turbo-supercharged B-17s were essentially high- altitude, long-range bombers designed for precision destruc- tion of unrestricted targets by daylight. In all, 12,731 B-17's were built for the USAAF; 6,981 by Boeing, 3,000 by Doug- las and 2,750 by Lockheed. Boeings B-29 Superfortress, cap- able of well over 300 mph, was the spearhead of the USAAFs attack on Japan. The giant bombers main landing gear as- semblage is shown being lowered to join the fuselage bomb- bay section (I.) in Boeing Company plant. Precision tooling made mass production possible, and 3,970 B-29s were built. The U.S. 20th and 21st Bomber Commands, using B-29s es- corted by P-47s and P-51's, dropped 171,000 tons of bombs on Japanese home islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu during the war. The cost of the war in 1944, in planes, ships and armaments, reached a new peak$64 billioncompared to the $56,900 million which the nation had spent for mili- tary equipment in 1943. 197 From Pi loti CHANCE-VOUGHT MU-4 "CORSAIR" MARTIN B-26B "MARAUDER" NORTHROP HYING WING REPUBLIC P-47N NORTHROP F-61 "BLACK WIDOW" HITLER'S FINAL PUNCH against the anticipated Allied invasion of Fortress Europe was the lethal V-l buzz bomb (above) and V-2 missile. The long- range V-2 (r.), developed at the gigan- tic rocket center of Peenemuende, at- tained a speed of over 2,000 miles per hour. The V-l bombardment of London (I.) lasted 80 days (June 13 to August 21, 1944) and killed an estimated 5,479 people. The V-2 attacks, aimed primar- ily against London and Antwerp, cre- ated considerable property damage and loss of life, but were more sporadic. Al- though the wonder weapons failed to stop Allies, they began a new air age. CONSOLIDATED PB4Y-2 "PRIVATEER" PARATROOP DROPS Paratroops during World War II were developed in- to a new and highly effective type of infantry. Air-drop mobil- ity often meant success or failure in crucial battle operations in both theaters of warEuropean and Pacific. Typical large- scale drops such as the Anvil-Dragoon Operation (below), used in the invasion of Southern France, filled the skies with thousands of men parachuting to strategic positions behind enemy lines. Largest airborne operation was Market-Gar- den, Sept., 1944, when over 25,000 men dropped into Holland. CLOUD OVER HIROSHIMA IS FROM FIRST A-BOMB USED IN WAR THE WAR ENDS Japan, stunned by destruction of atomic bombs, surrenders 8 days after Hiroshima Atomic warfare began on August 6, 1945, when the first atom bomb was released over Hiroshima. Three days later a second A-bomb fell on Nagasaki, yet it was not due to the use of atomic bombs exclusively that the Japanese government agreed to the cessation of hostilities on Au- gust 15 and signed the surrender documents on Septem- ber 2, 1945. When Germany surrendered on May 7, Japan realized she would have to continue the war alone. Premier Suzuki, Foreign Minister Tojo and Navy Minister Admiral Yonai were in favor of immediate peace, but the other key fig- ures of the Supreme War Council advocated fighting on, in the hope that new battles might provide a stronger negotiating position. The Potsdam Declaration of July 26 made clear that no compromise peace could be expected. Then, on August 8, Russia formally declared war on Japan. Superfort air attacks had already reached massive proportions. Every major city in Japan had felt their blows. On August 1, for example, 853 B-29s were in the skies over Nipponese targets, their bomb-load equal to more than 3,000 B-17, B-24 bombers. Thus, by August 14, even the stubbornest militarist in Japan was ready to admit further resistance was futile. The Emperor called the cabinet together, requested that an Imperial Rescript accepting the Potsdam Declaration terms be prepared. On August 15, all hostilities ceased. The pressure of air power had forced victory without invasion. B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, "ENOLA GAY," DROPPED FIRST A-BOMB NOW-FAMILIAR MUSHROOM CLOUD RISES OVER NAGASAKI 199 From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com POSTWAR ERA Sound barrier is shattered, jet fighters meet crucial tests of war in Korea, as U. S. air might stems tide of a third global conflict SIR GEOFFREY DE HAVILLAND Noted during World War I as designer of the Brit- ish DH-4, the warplane that wouldnt wear out, Sir Geoffrey De Havilland later became a producer of jet fighters for the Brit- ish Air Ministry, among them the first to break through the sound barrier. His firm built jet trans- ports and research craft. I account it an honour to be asked to contribute to this issue of YEAR. . . . It was my good fortune that my early youth coincided with the birth of powered flight and taking my inspira- tion from the achievement of the Wright Brothers I started my experiments in 1908 and built my first successful aeroplane in 1910. In those days competition was keen and we worked as individuals, each man exploring his own line of thought and each learning as much from his failures as from his successes. . . . Since then two wars have intervened and . . . the aircraft industry has seen many changes of fortune. It was in the lean years after 1919, when the firm which built OH aeroplanes during the war closed its doors, that the company was formed which bears my name. . . . At the close of the second world war aircraft produc- tion formed the largest industry in Great Britain but be- cause of the concentration on military needs we lacked the transport aircraft to meet the needs of peace. The fine American airliners then available have since enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the air routes, and it is only now that the initiative and effort of British manufacturers are bearing fruit , , . I believe that a keen but friendly rivalry between the American and British aircraft industries will contribute materially to our joint prosperity and contentment thus providing our two great democracies with the most effec- tive guard against those who would seek to destroy our way of life. /) William B. (Bill) Bridge- man, 38, set world rocket altitude and speed records in 1951, unbroken for 2 yrs., at 79,494 ft., 1,238 mph. He learned to fly in the Navy in 1941, won the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and Pur- ple Heart. He later joined the Douglas Aircraft Com- pany as a test pilot. TEST PILOT WILLIAM BRIDGEMAN Over the last fifty years the techniques in the art of test flying have changed considerably. The day of pilot note taking with a cockpit knee board is rapidly disappear- ing. ... It is interesting to note that the early test pilot relied heavily on information obtained from a scaled wind tunnel constructed to help determine the stability of the aircraft. But . . . the Wright Brothers had only four instruments . . . which allowed little study of sta- bility, except for a length of string mounted on the ship to indicate yaw. Today modern research craft are, of necessity, much more complex. Probably the most suc- cessful of these high performing research planes is the U.S. Navys supersonic Douglas Skyrocket . . . virtually a flying laboratory. A photographic flight recorder is used to record on motion picture film the reading of all the flight instruments. A pressure measuring system, consist- ing of an automatically recording manometer connects wing and tail at 400 points. Control forces and stresses in the structure are meas- ured by means of 904 electric strain gauges and are auto- matically recorded by an oscillograph. This means that a very complete and accurate data record is available showing drag characteristics, maximum lift and stall characteristics, buffet boundaries and stability and con- trol trends. Flight boundaries throughout a very wide Mach number range are available. Because a rather sub- stantial increase in Mach number was attained in the last stages of the testing, instrumentation was added to the glass wind shield, over the wing and in the fuselage to record the variation of structural temperature versus time. Telemetering is the latest advancement in flight test. Through this means, it is possible for a corps of engineers to interpret a pilots every move. ... As can readily be appreciated, only by testing an aircraft completely can its true limitation be found and can it be delivered to its purchaser to serve safely the function for which it was designed. - From PilotManuals.com / RareAviation.com QUICK DEMOBILIZATION was the understandable demand of servicemen and civilians alike in 1945. Huge quantities of war materiel, en route to theaters of operation throughout the world, were left on battlefields or on the way. Most aircraft not sent abroad went into airparks to be moth- balled or sold for scrap. Never the counterpart of the WW I Jenny, T-6 trainers (above) were too expensive for private use, went into commercial use or foreign service training. AIRCRAFT FIRMS DEMOBILIZE Industry falters, then expands in commercial lines, rebuilds for Korean crisis The postwar belligerency of the Com- munist world soon began to make free nations uneasy. In retrospect, the Allied demobilization came to be called hasty, From a wartime peak of two-and-a-quarter million men and women, the U.S. Air Force shrank to less than one-fourth this amount. Em- ployment in aviation manufacturing fell from 2,101,600 to 219,000. Mili- tary appropriations dropped to 1.6 percent of the wartime average. The depletion of trained personnel, both military and civilian, disrupted newly-undertaken research in jet and atomic power, each of which brought a host of new problems. Because all weapons, aircraft in particular, age rapidly, their scrappage cannot be considered a total loss, but the chief blunder in hasty demobilization was the curtailment of research at a time of keen technological competi- tion with both friendly nations and potential foes. Caught between loss of contracts and inflationary costs, airframe mak- ers who turned to other products suf- fered losses. They could not, in gen- eral, compete economically with the established manufacturers. The post- war boom in private flying became a bust. They persevered, however, charged off losses wherever possible, and managed to keep their plants and crews together. For most, it was 1950 before prospects brightened, with the outbreak of the Korean conflict. In commercial aviation rapid post- war expansion found major airlines vying with each other for new liners and competing with new companies for war surplus transports. A new class of competition, non-scheduled air carriers, arose, pooling equip- ment, operating over well-traveled routes and becoming the chief factor in the spread of air coach travel. This low-fare service, developed in 1948 by non-skeds, became strong com- petitive feature of air travel. FROM MOTHBALLS to combat in rec- ord time, these World War II Mustangs made an epic journey to Korea aboard the USS Boxer in July of 1950, to help stem the advance of the North Koreans. IMPROVISED INSIGNIA for ROK forces was made by painting an ancient emblem, the monad, over the U.S. star on the fuselage of this F-51 fighter when turned over to South Korean pilots. COMBAT AIRCRAFT were short-lived. From cocooned reserves came hun- dreds of fighters and bombers to be re- built by overhaul-supply firms as Pa- cific Airmotive, Temco, Grand Central. DONALD W. DOUGLAS paused only briefly to adjust to slackened postwar demand for military craft. He soon became largest competitor for war surplus planes of his own make, with the Super DC-3, DC-4 Skymaster, DC-6B and DC-7 (r.). A leader in commercial aviation since 1933, when first DC appeared, Douglas had built 11,000 twin-engine transports by 1945. C-54's (DC-4s) were 44 per cent of war surplus trans- ports. Through refinement, the DC-4 became DC-6 (1946) and DC-7 (1953). Wing span stayed the same, but fuselage grew 15 feet, horsepower rose from 5,600 to 13,000, passenger ca- pacity doubled and speed almost doubled. Above (I.) Douglas receives Legion of Merit from French Gen. Jacques Martin. NORTHROP AIRCRAFT entered high- speed research field with X 4, jet re- search with turbodine. Chairman O. P. Echols here discusses target plane with Whitley Collins of Radiophone Co. In rear is F-89 Scorpion., an interceptor. VIGOROUS new Northrop chairman in 1949, Oliver P. Echols broadened activ- ities, furthered company through oper- ation of engineer, mechanic schools, launched into guided missiles, bought Radioplane Co., maker of target drones. NOTED for mighty undertakings, How- ard Hughes made his greatest in this flying boat, only once actually airborne, but controversial for years. He also de- veloped a huge helicopter, airborne radar gunsight, search gear for USAF. OLDEST continuous U.S. aircralt maker, Glenn L. Martins company kept on with long-range naval patrol designs, fast twin-engine commercial craft, ex- panded to guided missiles. Maker of Canberra bomber (shown with English pilots )