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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0812.PDF
FLIGHT, AUGUST 12, 1932 AIR TRANSPORT D' A NEW BOEING TRANSPORT PLANE ESIGNED especially for speedier transportation of passengers by air, a plane that will slash hours from present coast-to-coast flying schedules has been designed by the Boeing Airplane Company, of Seattle, and a large order has been placed in production for United Air Lines. The new transport, which will be powered with two special 550-h.p. " Wasp " engines mounted forward of the leading edge of the wing, will have a high speed of 175 m.p.h. and a cruising speed of 155 m.p.h., with full load of fuel for 500 miles, 10 passengers, 500 lb. of mail and express and crew of two. With this load the plane will be able to climb to an altitude of 18,000 ft., or 6,000 ft. higher than is necessary to cross the highest mountains on the transcontinental airway. As a result of the unusually large range of the new planes, the longest divisions existing on the transconti nental line can be flown without stopping for fuel and with a reserve of 35 per cent, of fuel in the tanks to care for adverse weather conditions and other contingencies. The flight from coast to coast can be made with only six stops for refuelling, where 14 stops are now required. The new transport will have a wing span of 74 ft. and a chord of 15 ft. at the fuselage. It will be 16 ft. in overall height and 51 ft. 5 in. in length. Fully loaded, it will weigh approximately six tons. The plane is of Boeing semi-monocoque all-metal con struction, duralumin being used chiefly. It embodies principles successfully employed in the Boeing twin-engined monoplane bomber produced last year for the Air Corps, which was illustrated in our issue for November 13, 1931, and also the Monomail, an all-metal, single-engined mono plane now being operated by United Air Lines. Features of the transport include full streamlining and freedom from parasite drag, along with a retractable land ing gear. It is being completely bonded and shielded for radio telephone installation, and latest aids to night flying in the form of lights and flares are to be incorporated. The spacious cabin, which will have an interior height of 6 ft., will include such travel conveniences as hot-water radiators with air-circulating fans which may be inverted for use as cooling systems during the summer season ; a double ventilating system, including main fresh-air intakes and air outlets, supplemented with individual ventilation facilities ; insulation to subdue noise ; lavatory, and in dividual reading lamps at each chair. The upholstered seats will have adjustable backs which may be set to re clining position. The chairs are to be spaced 40 in. apart. The forward compartment for pilot and co-pilot will be perhaps the most modern of any transport aeroplane cockpit, and includes features being used for the first time on the new Boeing. There will be a special rudder flap control to permit more than ordinary ease of directional control, along with an adjustable elevator flap to compensate for variations of loading conditions. The retracting mechanism for the landing gear will be operated electric ally, with a manual auxiliary control provided for emer gency use. If the landing wheels are in retracted position when the pilot closes" the throttle" prior to landing, warn ing lights on the instrument panel and also audible signals remind him to lower the gear. In addition to standard navigating instruments, there are to be three pairs of instruments whose functions are duplicated. These include the directional gyro, and com pass ; the sensitive altimeter, recording elevation in hundreds instead of thousands of feet, and the rate of climb indicator ; and the turn and bank indicator and the artificial horizon. A feature of the pilot's cockpit will be the inclusion of a gauge by means of which pilots may read the cylinder head temperatures of any of six individual cylinders. An outstanding feature of the plane is to be the excel lence of visibility provided in the cockpit. Compartments directly in front of the cockpit will house mail and the radio telephone equipment, and additional space at the rear of the passenger cabin will accommodate baggage and express. The New Air Mail Rates IN our issue for August 5 we made brief reference to the special rate for postcards carried by Air Mail just introduced by the G.P.O. We now publish the list of charges in full, viz.: — Country of Destination Air Mail Post-card R s. All European countries shown in Section A, page 3, of the Air Mail Leaflet Africa (North) — Algeria Morocco Tunis Africa (West)— French Guinea Senegal Gambia Sierra Leone Africa (East)— Kenya Uganda Tanganyika Nyasaland Portuguese East Africa Africa (Central)— Belgian Congo (via Sudan) Belgian Congo (Internal) Africa (South) Argentine Republic Australia— By air in Australia By air to Karachi, thence by ordinary route By air to Karachi and by air in Australia Bolivia Borneo (North), Brunei and Sarawak Brazil Canada Central America— Costa Rica Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama Salvador Ceylon— By air to Karachi By air to Delhi 0 o J 1 L (1 r j o J 0 tl 0 0 see ate d. 2j 3 5 3 4 5 4 2* sepa- rateentrv. 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 *° 1 ' J 0 0 0 3 3 4 0 6 9 2 7 3 4 1 Country of Destination. Chile Colombia Cyprus Dutch East Indies Ecuador Egypt French Indo China Guianas India— By air to Karachi .. By air to Delhi Iraq Malay States Mauritius Mexico New Zealand Palestine Paraguay Persia Peru Rhodesia (Northern and Southern) Russia in Asia Siam South Africa— Direct air mail Internal air mail Straits Settlements and Malay States Sudan Syria and Transjordan United States of America Uruguay Venezuela West Indies— Cuba Jamaica Dominican Republic, Haiti, Porto Rico, Leeward Is., Wind ward Is., Barbados, Trinidad Zanzibar Air Mail Post-card Rate s. d. 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 7 0 10 0 2 0 8 0 10 0 3 0 4 0 3 See Straits Settle ments. 0 5 0 5 0 3 0 2 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 4 0 6 II fi 0 5 0 2 0 6 0 3 0 2J 0 3 2 U 0 10 0 3 0 4 1 y o 7 f J 0 3 The new Boeing Air Transport, an all-metal low-wing monoplane fitted with two 550-h.p. " Wasp " engines. All the rates quoted include ordinary postage. Imperial and Foreign reply paid post-cards can also be sent by air mail. The outward half of the card must be prepaid at the rates shown above but the reply half of the card can only be prepaid 1 Jd. The original sender of the card cannot prepay the reply half of the card for return by air mail. London-Rome in 14 Hours TRIALS were commenced on August 2 on the Milan- Zurich air route with a new time-table, whereby passengers and mails will be able to complete the journey between Rome and London easily in one day. Leaving Rome at 6.30 a.m. passengers arrive at 10 a.m. at Milan, where they link up with the Milan-Zurich aeroplane, which leaves at 10.30, reaching Zurich at 12.30, Paris at 5.30 p.m., and London at 8.15 p.m. 756
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