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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0123.PDF
FLIGHT, FEBRUARY 5, 1932 at the same time, is over the ensuing five years. The initial development, to be com pleted within fourteen months, calls for an expenditure of $2,000,000.00. It is designed adequately to supply the immediate needs of the port. Under this de velopment will be constructed three units of the seven units de signed for the Administration building, 360 ft. X 90 ft., two storeys high, with a control tower four storeys high, to cost $190,000; two hangars, 200 ft. X 120 ft. ; Maintenance and Emergency build ing, 60 ft. x 128 ft. ; Transformer building, 40 ft. X 22 ft. ; Repair and Overhaul building, 100 ft. x 120 ft. ; together with runways, lighting facilities for night flying .and complete radio equipment. Typical New Orleans Architecture Spanish Renaissance architecture was chosen for the Administration building, after careful study and preliminary sketches of different types of architecture. This period of architecture touches upon the romance of Old New Orleans, and, ,very practical and attractive, harmonising admirably with the other buildings of the group. It is practical in that it lends i.tself to additions without detracting from the original beauty. The exterior walls are of hand-finished plaster with carved stone panels and wrought-iron grilled balconies. This ornamentation is treated lightly, and not overdone. The roof is of Spanish tile, and all exterior sashes and doors are of Louisiana Cypress. The landscaping has been designed to harmonise with the Spanish Renaissance architecture and to give to the airport an artistic and beautiful appearance from both the ground and the air. This design shows the driveways lined with low shrubs and tall Cypress trees. The park way in the centre of the main driveway will be planted with red and yellow flowers, giving to the entrance a bright and colourful Spanish atmosphere. Where the driveways converge in front of the main building, there will be a large, low, graceful fountain of stone. Appro priate statuary, in the small courts on either side of the main entrance, and the low shrubs and tall Cypress trees will form a pleasing picture against the dull cream tones of the buildings. Value of Preliminary Surveys Shown As the first step in the development of this project, the National Airport Engineering Company's engineers made surveys upon the ground and from the air, with aeroplanes especially equipped for this type of work, to determine the type of airport grades and levels and the position of runways for landing and take-off. These sur veys are important, inasmuch as commercial planes of the future will be high-speed machines, cruising at 175 to 200 miles per hour, reaching the port in varied weather condi tions. The airport has been designed so that the approach to the port can be made with the minimum of hazards and obstructions. Studies were made of the meteorological conditions of the airport site and surrounding terrain at this time, and from data accumulated over a period of years. In view of the extremely heavy rainfalls in this location, meteorological surveys are an important part of these preliminary investigations. These surveys revealed one of the most difficult drainage problems in airport engineering, due to the varied eleva tions of water levels at and surrounding New Orleans. This city lies below the Mississippi River and below the high-water mark of Lake Pontchartrain. The airport is being constructed so that the surfaces of the airport will be above these water levels. Shell Drain Solves Problem Twenty-rive feet inside the main bulkhead, there is being constructed a concrete wall 6 ft. lower than the main bulk head. The area between the bulkhead and the wall is being filled with oyster shells. The porosity of the oyster shells will permit the water drained from the surface of the airport to this area to be carried off to the lake through A view of one of the shell drains and concrete bulkheads (looking north-east) under construction for the Shushan Airport. weep holes in the outer bulkhead. In addition, a subsur face drainage system has been constructed to carry sub surface waters from various parts of the airport to the Drainage Canal, a mile south of the airport. Four Runways From the aerial surveys data pertaining to the direction and conditions of prevailing winds, the wind-rose of the port was determined, from which the direction and type of runways were planned. There will be four runways, each 300 ft. wide ; one will be parallel to the east bulk head for 4,000 ft. ; another will parallel the west bulk head for 3,800 ft. A taxiway connects the ends of these two runways, completing the horseshoe. At right angles to these runways are two runways 3,600 ft. and 3,700 ft. respectively, forming an X at the opening of the triangle. This design enables planes to land or take off into the most advantageous wind and provides the utmost in safety and efficiency. It also controls the movement of planes on the field preparatory to take-off and after landing. Graceful Arrangement of Buildings The buildings of the Shushan Airport will be located in a graceful curve at the opening of the triangular-shaped bulkhead. The Administration Group, including Adminis tration building, Maintenance and Emergency building, and Transformer building, is strategically situated in the middle of the group of buildings to facilitate the efficient handling of aerial and highway traffic. Extending at a slight angle on either side of the Administration Group are the hangars—four on one side and six on the other. At either end of the rows of hangars are the Repair and Overhaul Shops, connected by taxiways to the hangars. A short distance from the south hangar group lies the Sea plane Base, protected by the bulkhead, with its own station building, two hangars, ramps and float. The grouping of the various units reduces the cost and main tenance of operations to a minimum, and increases the architectural symmetry of the entire group. Two driveways will lead from the main highway to the airport buildings. A two-way main driveway—with park way in the centre—leads direct to the administration building. The other driveway runs in an arc past the buildings, to the highway, forming entrances at both ends of the airport. Trees and shrubbery typical of New Orleans will beautify the driveways, and a lawn will ex tend from the hangars to the driveways. Automobile and Aeroplane Parking Solved On the field side of the buildings, paralleling the east and west runways, are taxiways and parking facilities for aeroplanes. These taxiways butt the edge of the hangars. Between each two hangars are large paved courts, 75 ft. x 200 ft. The hangars are placed at right angles to the taxiways, with large doors opening into the court. This placement of the hangars increases the hangar area, and eliminates dust and dirt from the field. 115
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