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AIRCRAFT YEAR BOOK FOR 1938
AERIAL PHOTO SURVEY
This aerial camera, worth about $2o,ooo, was used by Fairchild Aerial Surveys in mapping vast areas of the West for the U . S. Department of Agriculture.
The AIRCRAFT YEAR. BOOK
For 1938
30 Rockefeller Plaza New York
Copyright 1938 By
NEW YORK, N. Y.
ENGRAVIN GS BY HARDING PHOTO-ENGRAVING COMP,I,NY 1 INC . , NEW YORK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CIIAPTER PAGE
I. TH E V\iORLD IX THE • l R . • . . . . • . . . I I F01·eign :ations P t·eparc fo r \ Va r-Ge rma ny Boasts of Su­ premacy-Great B rit a in's l lan -The I·rench :M istake-I taly 's I rogre s-Ru ssia Improve Airnaft-The Japanese Expa nsion -- ' eed for 1Iore . erody namic R e ea rch in the ·nited S tates .
li. AVIATION ! K THE UNITED ST. TES . . . . . . . . . . . 19 G rowth o f A ir Transport-Giant L a nd P lanes a nd F ly ing B oats -Pla ns for roo- Passenge r P lan es-Progress in . ir D efense­ Importance of the ia tional A d vi o1·y Committee for . \ e ro ­ na uti cs-Aircraft :Manufacturers Contt·ibute to D evelopm ent­ R ecOt·d Yea r fo r Sales and Exports-Pilo ts- A irpo rts-\\.ork of Aero nautical Organi zati ons-Capacit) of the Aircraft Plants to Double Producti on.
III. TuE AturY AlR CoRPS . . . . . . . . . . . 43 1v1arked P rogress in A ir Corp Equipm ent-Automatic " Blind' ' Landings-Description of the Bell Two-Engine Fighter-High A ltitu cle Laborato ry-Lockheed S ub- Stra tosphere Plane-Gen- eral \Vestover' s D eset·iption of Activit ies-Pilots f ro m \i\iest Point-Awards and Trophi es-Cadet Training.
IV. THE NAVY ArR FoRcEs . . . . . . . . . 6 r Hig h S tanda rds o f P er fo m1a nce-Epic F lig ht in Consolida ted F lying Boat-The " L ex ing to n" in Earhart Search-Adr·.1iral Cook 's Repo1·t on Activities in Naval Avia·~ i on-Lack of S ea­ plane T end ers-Cooperation with Aircraft Manufacturing In­ dustry-New Developments-Description of Sikorsky Navy Bomber-A wards.
V. CoA ST GUARD AviATIO N . . . . . . . . Sr A n Amazing R ecord-Night Flights-Life- Saving-Hero ic Ad ­ ventures-New Air Stations.
VI. FEDERAL GoVERNMENT AcTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . 87 B ureau of Air Commerce-Bureau of Fisheries-Bureau o i Foreign and Domestic Commerce-Federa l Communications Commission-Geological Survey-Hydrographic Office-Inter­ departmental Committee-National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics-National Bureau of Standards-Office of Arms and Munitions Control-Soil Conservation Service-Tennessee Val- ley Authority-D. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey-D. S. Forest Service- D. S. :tviaritime Commission-D. S . Public Health Ser­ vice-D. S. Weather Bureau.
VII. NoTADLE FLIGHTS oF 1937 . . . . . . . . . . . 147 The Russian Flights from Moscow to the United Sta tes-The Russian Polar Caf!!p-Merrill and Lambie Make Round Trip to
v
England-The Earhart Tragedy-Lieut. A dam Makes Altitude Record-Japanese F light to London-Howard Hughes Ma kes Record Across Continent-Other Flights.
PAGE
VIII. A IR LINES OF T H E U N ITED STATES . • . . IS S Increase in Speed-Development o f Luxurious A ir Liners­ Growth o f A ir Express-Pan American Airways Operations- Air Lines in the United States.
IX. AERIAL SERVICE • . . . • . . . • . • . . . . I95 Airplanes Chartered for Emergencies-Civil Aircra ft in the United States-Activities of the Air Taxi Pilot-Aerial Pho­ tography-Weather Reporting-Crop Dusting.
X . PRIVATE FLYING . . . . • . . . . . . . . . I99 Planes for Private Owners-Licensed P ilots- Requirements for Licenses-Aircraft and E ng ine Mechanics.
XJ. TRAINING A N D E DUCATIO N . . . . . . . . . . . . . · ( 209 Description of Instrument or "Blind" F lying Instructi on-T he Link Trainer-Flying Schools and Their Activiti es- Trade Schools-Colleges Giving Courses in Aeronauti cal E ngi nee ring.
XII. AIRWAYS A N D AIRPORTS . . . . . . . . . . 223 Combatting Bad W eather-Facilities fo r A ir Nav igation-The F ederal A irways System-Secretary Rope r 's Heport-The Hanks Plan for Flight Strips.
X III. STATE AviATION ACTIVITIES . . . . . • . . . . . . 235 Gill Robb Wilson's Comments-Recommendations fo r S ta te Aviation Improvement and Development-Development of Sta te
. . and Municipa l Airports-WPA's Important Contribution to the Airport System-New Laws-Plans for the F uture .
XIV. NEw THI NGs I N THE Am . . . . . . . . 25 1 Air Transport Club Cars-Flying Boats Like Ocean Liners­ Supercharged Airplane Cabins_:Four-Engine Machines for Land and Sea-Manufacturers of Ai rplanes and Their Activi­ ties-With the Builders o f Aircra ft Engines- Aeronautical Accessories.
A IRCRAFT SPECIFI CATIONS TABLE
AIRCRAFT AND E N GINE DESIGNS .
AVIATIO N CHRO NOLOGY A N D RECORDS
FLYI N G FACTS AND FIGURES
AERO N AUTICAL DIRECTORY
1-.::C . Engine E1 IJ-C
:\ merican :\ irlinc,.; De-Icer~ Beechcra it DI;R DI;\V EI;B EI;L Fact on· ).[OLlel. IO
).[ode! Io Interior Bell :XF).1-I Fighter Bellanca :\it-cruiser Inn ior ·Pacemaker Senior Pacemaker 28-go 28-92
Boeing Asscmbh· Plant Bomber ·H-IS 11omher B-17 Clipper 314 . 3 q Engine Nacelle 314 Hull .
2Ig. . 93-
314 \Ving Construction Boeing Sclwol of Aeronautics Brewster Scout Bomber .
I/7
Ce,.;sna C-37 . Consolidated Patrol Bomber . Patrol Bomber XPB2Y- I
Continental Engine Curtiss Attack . . . . Constant Speed Propeller Fighter P-36 Hawk 75 Hawk Type IV Pursuit P-37 Scout Bomber SBC-3 Scout SOC-r
217
24, 53 302
Curtiss-\Vright 19-R 127, 220 Curtiss-Wright Technical Insti­
tute Douglas
DC-3 Interior . DC-4 Sleeper S!t:eper Interior Torpedo Bomber TBD-1
Eastern :\ir Lines l~reat Sil\"er Fleet 0\"erhaul . Steward Sen·ice
E\-erel Propeller Fairchild 24 . 45 . . . . Solar .::\a \"igator
Federal Airways Station Goodrich Tire . Graphs Air Express :\irplanc Production Engine Production Exports Lighted Ain\·ays ).[ail l~outes Passenger Tratl1c Postal Dollar . . Production and Exporb Transport ).[iles Flown
Grumman :\mphibion F2F-I . . F3F -2 Fighter
PAGi:
20
&l 387
r6o
Factorv . Howard .DGA-1 I Tacobs ·Engines Fa~tory . . . .
Kansas State College Kellett Autogiro Kinner Engines Lambert Engine Link Trainer Lockheed Electra I2 . . Milo Burcham and the 12 14 . 30, 184, 296, Factory . Instrument Panel XC-35
Luscombe Ninety
390 292
I I 3, I 50 242 197
400, 403 153 400
. . 47 Phantom . . 326 329
353, 354, 393 185, 189, 193, 225 Lycoming Engines Panel . 282 Map-Air Lines in U. s. . . I76
V11
Vlll ILLUSTRATION S
M artin, G lenn L. Bom ber Clippe r Interi o r Cli ppe r· Overha ul
PAGE
E ng in e Insta lla tion T es t
55, 109, 404 169 167 245 233
13, 76 355
F a c to ry F ly ing Boat 156
Menasco E ng ine l\lfo nocoup e Corp .
lVIonocoach Monocoupe
303 2 0 2
N ationa l A d viso r-y Committee fo r A erona uti cs
Eng ine Cowli ng 1~ r ee F lig ht W ind T unnel F r ee S pinning 'vV ind Tunnel Hig h S peed \N ind T unnel Variable D ensity T unn el
103 107 10 1 406 !05
North Ameri can Av ia ti on Basic Com bat 57
17 Bo mber N A -1 6 N J-r 0-47A
Northrop A-17 A ttack SA
Ortman and R acer Pan A merican Airways
M id way Is land Port \Na shing ton Base T ermina l W eather Map
P a rks Air Coll ege Piper Cub Cub Interi or Factory
Porterfield 70. 90 Zephyr - -
Pratt & Whitney Engines Factory
38, 323 204 237
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 216 Roosevelt Aviation School 228 Ryan S-C Factory
Ryan School of Aeronautics Sever sky Amphibian Fighter
o::u:a .... I
320 151
Convoy F ig hter· J acq ueline Cochran a nd P lane P ursui t
S ikor sky 48
Pat ro l B omber 15, 69, 322 S -42B 229 S-42B Instrument Panel 165 S -43 . . . . 18.3, 205, 22 1 S -43 E ng me Insta ll a tion 325
85 75
S -4.3 In teri or S -4.3 Landin g Gea r
Stea rman A d va ncecl T ra ine rs P r·ima r·y T ra iners
Stea rman-Hamm oncl Y S ti nson Reli ant 1.35, Re li ant I nt eri o r Wall ace Beery m H is
Taylor-Y oung T aylorcraf t D e L u xe Tay lorcraf t Seap lane Taylorcra ft Standa rd
T 'vV A Sleepe r· . U nited A ir· L in es Exp ress Ten Y ears' Progress
U. S. A rm y A ir Cor ps Par achute D r- op P ilots Wright F ield
35, 131 ss, 325
Rel iant 28
207 334 222
239 19 1
U. S. B ureau of S tanda r-ds Ill
So, 8.3 U . S . Coast Gua rd U. S . Forest S er vice U. S. Navy
" Lex ing ton" "Sara toga" "Yorktown"
Vought Corsair S B2U-1 Scout Bomber V-143
Vultee Attack Bomber \ Naco
37,
!25
Weather Recording Instrument Western Electric Radio Wright Engines Factory
371, 375, 377 73
D -1 7 °
Brewster Scout-Bomber essna A it·ma ter
Conso lida ted PBY-1 PJ 2-A
Curt iss Attack-Bomber Army P ursuit . Hawk Pu rsuit . Observation Scout Seag ull
Curtiss-VI/ toight Bas ic Tra iner
Doug las Day-Sleeper Transport DF F ly ing Boat
Fairchild 24 45
Howard DGA-r r Kellett KD-r Lockheed
Model 12 Electra
Airplanes
PAG E PAGE
Model 14 298 Lu com be Pha ntom 299 ~~ del -o 300
~fartin I s6 F lying Boat 301
2 -6 130 F ly in O' B a t 302 2-- 166 Bomber 303
~lonocoupe Corp. 2 - ::O.lonocoupc 304 259 1\lonocoach 305 2DO North Ameri can
Pur uit 306 26 r 0-47 307 26:2 BT9 . 308 267 NA- 16-1G 309 _6 Northrop A-17 310
Piper Cub J -- and J -3 31 I 269 Pitcairn R oadable Autog iro 3 12 270 Porterfi eld
go 0 313 271 Zephyr 314 27- R ea rwin 273 Speedste r 316 27:1 Sportste r 317 275 R yan
S -C 318 277 S-T . 319
Seversky BTS 321 279 Sikorsky 28o S-42B 323
S~3 ° 3~ 283 Stearman 285 NS-1 Primary Ttoainer 327 286 76D Advanced Trainer 328
Stearman-Hammond Y -I 330 287 Stinson Reliant . 332 288 Taylor-Young . . 334 289 Vought Corsair SBU-2 . o 336 290 Vultee Attack Bomber V-IIGB 338 291 \ i\Taco 293 F-7 339
N-7 340 295 C-7 342 297
Engines
PAGE
PAGE
Official U. S. Army Photo
BOEING BOMBERS OVER NEW YORK
Part of the Army Air Corps formation of Boeing "flying fortresses" during the 1937 American Legion parade. Each bomber is powered by four Wright Cyclone
engines.
THE WORLD IN THE AIR
Foreign ::\at ions Prepare for \ \' ar-Germany Boasts ot :::-upn.:macy -Great Britain's Plans-The French ).Iistake-Italy's Prog­
ress-Russia Improves ~-\ircraft-The Japanese Expansion -::\cell for .:\1 ore :\erou ynamic l{escarc h in the L-nited
States.
A T the beginning of 1938 all the principal pmvers of the world were striving to lead in the race for supremacy in the air, and in whatever light one might view it the goal was plainly
apparent. It lay in attaining dominant air force strength. complete mastery of the air in preparation for a war that seemed to become more imminent with each passing month. \Vhen Germany's official spokesmen came out frankly ami boasted of a military air force sec­ emu to none. at the same time betraying an impatient desire to go to war and prove it. the trend in world aviation no longer could be concealed, even by rigid censorship and all the secrecy of which officialdom is capable.
Some of the other European pO\vers had tried to disguise their military aviation programs under the cloak of civil aircraft develop­ ment or, at the most, moderate defensive measures. This was espe­ cially true of nations such as Great Britain, France, Czechoslovakia, Poland and others. They had disclaimed any plan toward intensive rearmament, when as a matter of fact, they were doing their utmost to rearm on an unprecedented scale. There was real justification for it, of course, because Germany, Russia and Italy were known to be building up huge air forces, which might conceivably force an early decision in any conflict, and might in fact encourage the precipitation of war if other possible belligerents remained unprepared in the air.
Germany's assertion that the aerial squadrons of the Reich were capable of backing up any demands that Germany might make, there­ fore, struck the rest of the world with all the impact of a mailed fist,
II
CONSOLIDATED PATROL BOMBER
One of the Navy's fleet of Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp-powered long range ships manufactured by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation.
THE \\ RLD I N T HE _ IR 13
a mailed fi t '' ith \\in a~, winas capable o f hurling tons o£ e--xplosives on the mo_t di tant con fme of Eu r pean countrie at a speed of_ not le tha n three miles a minute. J u t ''"hen war\\ a uld occur or precise!; what fo rm the a lig nment of nation would take wa la rgely a m atter f r conj ctu re ; but that all E ur pean o·ove rnment were st rivina fra nt icall · t build up a ir f r es t me t uch an emergency n o longer
. coul d be deni e I. 1r a t B ri ta in ' poli cy wa t po tpon h st ili t ie , i £ p ible, unt il
her a ir tr ng th sur pa eel Germany' . T-he B ri t i h plan wa to
GLENN L. MARTIN FLYIN G BOAT
The 6s,ooo-pound ocean transport, 156, produced by the Glenn L. M artin Compan y for the Russian Government. It is powered by four "Wright Cyclone engines.
acquire at least twice the number of war planes possessed by Ger­ many before permitting a conflict, if it could be delayed. The B ritish program probably \Vas the most elaborate in Europe early in 1938. The British airplane factories were operating day and night to produce machines of the most modern and effective types.
France was in pitiful condition. Political unrest and a wayward program of testing socialistic theories by n ationalizing the French aircraft factories had combined to place her air strength in serious
I4 A IRCRAFT YEA R BOOK
jeopardy. The technicians were losing their initiative under the nationalization scheme. Products of the F rench plants were neither as numerous nor as efficient as the machines coming off the assembl; lines in neighboring countries . Nor was the training of war pilots and auxiliary personnel so extensive . Mo re than half o f the ma­ chines in the French air forces were not fit for active service again t a first class power.
Italy's program of air force development flowered into full bloom
Official U . S. Army Photo AIR CORPS BELL FIGHTER
The XFM-I, multi-engine pusher fighter, carries airplane cannon. It is powered by Allison engines, and is the product of the Bell Aircraft Corporation, Buffalo, N.Y.
at the close of the Ethiopian campaign, after which Spain became a proving ground for Italian airmen. Under the stimulus of actual war conditions Italian personnel and equipment received exhaustive tests. New knowledge acquired in bomber raids or in fighting off enemy pursuit planes went back to Italy in official reports, and was immediately applied to new development work. Under such con­ ditions Italy's aviation program gained headway, based solidly on laboratory investigation at home, practical research in the field and a policy of making Italy the equal of any possible rival.
... •• :t I} I ~ ~ . = .. ---=.-
THE i\ ORLD I N THE _. IR IS
Russia , too, made considerable prog ress technically . Russian planes p roduced in 1937 were ' as tl · imp rO\ eel O\ er former m odels. They were much cleaner in de ign , and thi s was r efl ected in better per­ fo rmance. R us ia's flv ing personnel, like Ita ly s, had e.,,tensive prac­ tical experience in Spain , where R u ian p lanes fl ·ing fo r the Lo) alist cause ''ere matched with both I tali an and German machines operating under the banner of the Insurgents. Both the Ge rman and Russian qui pm ent p ro ·eel capable, and Ita!) was fo re cl to send in h er
la test machines to prevent being manem ered out of the air.
Official Photo U. S . Navy NAVY'S SIKORSKY P ATROL BOMBER ,·,•
The XPBS fl y ing boat is powered by four Pra tt & vVhitney Twin Wasp engines of I,oso h .p. each, with Hamilton Standard constant speed propellers.
The Russian aircraft plants improved their production in 1937, so that by the end of the year the new military models were leaving the assembly lines at an increasingly rapid rate. Another notable fact was the revelation that the Russians no longer had to depend on men as aircraft artisans. Russian women had demonstrated that they could perform much more effectively than men in nearly every branch of aircraft manufacture. They learned their trade more quickly. They were more adept with precision work; and they were more adaptable to the rigorous discipline and care required in airplane construction. The result was that Russian factories were able to increase their output, and at the same time train numerous women
r6 A IRCR AFT YEAR BOOK
aircraft mechanics. Insofar as her air power was concerned, R ussia was bound to prove a formidable foe . R ussia had an air fo rce pecu­ liarly adapted to Russian needs, whether from ca mpa ign wi th neighbors in the \i\ est or the East. The R u ian a ir fo rce was trained and equipped fo r any po sible conflict wi th either G rmany or Japan.
Knowing that , the Japanese in 1937 speeded up their program,
CONSOLIDATED PATROL BOMBER XPB2Y-r
The Navy's new Consolidated Patrol Bomber in flight, showing wing tip floats down for a landing.
with emphasis on augmenting their army air corps, for three dif­ ferent eventualities. The immediate concern was home defense, and the fear that in any large-scale campaign the chief industrial and political centers of Japan might be subjected to air raids that would prove destructive. Japan had under way early in 1938 the improve­ ment of her aerial defense system regardless of cost. The second reason for building up the army air corps was the campaign in China. Japan was brought to full realization that the…