“BUMPLESS” AEROPLANES

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 34, 10 February 1937, Page 16 (Supplement)

“BUMPLESS” AEROPLANES

Ocean Air Line Improvement

Aeroplanes so steady that “even a glass of water would not be spilled in rough air" are predicted for the near future by Igor Sikorsky, aeronautical engineer.

Speaking before a round-table discussion of 600 engineers on “ tho next five years in aviation," Mr. Sikorsky, designer of huge flying boats, declared that elimination of unsteadiness which is one of the banes of present day air travel, would be accomplished through “wing loading." The wings of planes, he explained, would be weighted as much as 40 pounds to the square inch. Even heavier weighting would bo used in special cases. These planes, he indicated, would bo so stable that practically stable flight would be assured in conditions which bring excessive dis* comfort to passengers of present-day transports. The meeting under the joint auspices of the Institute of tho Aeronautical Sciences, the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers heard Mr. Sikorsky forecast that aeroplanes of from 50 to 100 tons gross weight will be in trans-Atlantic service or under construction bofore 1941

Mr. Sikorsky stressed tfiat while flying boats carrying 3000 passengeiH and weighing 500 tons would be an eh* gincering possibility before 1950, actual operation over air routes would b* limited to smaller equipment because of traffic considerations.

“Frequency of operation is one of the benefits of air transport/* he eon* tinued, “so I do not look for the do* volopment of super-aeroplanes. I do, however, predict with confidence that we shall have land planes and flying boats in operation, or, at least, undef construction, in the next five years, that will gross from 100,000 to 200,000 pounds."

Ultimate flying speeds of 200 miles an hour for sea travel and 250 mile# an hour for land travel were antici* pated by Mr. Sikorsky in making the observation that practical speed limit# almost had been attained. He empha* wised that there was no real need of aeroplanes travelling more than three or four times as fast as express train# or of flying boats moving five or si* times as fa.'t as ocean liners. Instead of trying to attain greater speeds, he said, engineers will turn their atten* tion upon improvements of operation and refinement of design.