Transactions (Eighteen)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ...Our experience has taught us that the only excuse at present for a multi-engine plane is to get that plane from one major stop to another without a forced land ing. We have forced landings from two causes, the' weather and engine trouble. I think we should change from one engine to three. If one engine of a two-engine plane quits, we have lost 50 per cent of the power. If the plane is fully loaded, we have not enough power to drive the machine on to a major station where it can be landed properly and taken care of. Right there is an item of the cost of our Aerial Mail Service that is enormous, in comparison with actual operating cost. This maintenance and repair cost is much higher, including bringing in the machines from forced landings, when it is impossible for them to get out or they are damaged in getting them back to a repair station, replacing parts and putting them in flying condition. The other large maintenance cost has already been brought out. The planes we are using today are revised war-planes. The trouble we have in keeping these planes in flying condition is unbelievable, unless one encounters it from day to day. We have to deal with it because we are flying in all kinds of weather. Our performance is from coast to coast; it has not been as high as it might have been. In speaking of the types of carrying plane, I think it is better, from the commercial standpoint, to divide the load between a number of single-engine planes. If the total load is carried in one plane and it has a forced landing, the whole service is delayed; while, if the load is distributed among four planes and two get through, at least one-half of the service has been performed. Where aerial trade is predicated on delivery of goods within a specified...