Chapter 6 Golden Age 1927 1939 Golden Age

Chapter 6 Golden Age 1927 -1939

Golden Age of Flying n n Adventure Exploration Sport Airplanes • Increased safety • Reliability • Frequency

Charles Lindbergh n Early Life • Worked on farm • Dropped out of U. of Wisconsin n Flying • Flying lessons – 1922 • 8 hours of dual instruction • Barnstorming n Wing-walking/parachuting • Bought Curtiss-Jenny – 1923 • Continued barnstorming

Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh n Military aviation • Cadet - 1924 • Formation flying • Bombing and strafing • 104 cadets in class 18 graduated n Lindberg finishes first n 2 nd lieutenant n Released from active duty n

Charles Lindbergh n Robertson Aircraft Corporation • St Louis to Chicago • Airmail pilot Tested airplanes n Organized routes n Hired pilots n Arranged delivery trucks n • 1 st airmail run – 15 April 1925 n 5 roundtrip flights per week • Left in February 1927

Charles Lindbergh n Orteig Prize • $25, 000 prize • First nonstop flight • Between New York and Paris • Either direction n Financial support • St Louis business community • $15, 000 business loan

Spirit of St Louis n Chose monoplane • Reduced drag • Single engine • Additional fuel tank • Periscope added n Ryan Aircraft • $10, 580 • Test flights – April 1927 • Flew from San Diego to St Louis n St Louis to Roosevelt Field n

Other Attempts n Rene Fonck (21 Sep 1926) • Crashed S-35 on takeoff • Survived – two died n Naval aviators (April 1927) • Died during test flight n French airmen (8 May 1927) • Nungesser & Colt • Never seen again n n Clarence Chamberlin Richard Byrd

Atlantic Flight n Coast-to-coast speed record • 21 hours 20 minutes n Packed for trip • 4 sandwiches • 2 canteens of water • Army rations n Takeoff – 20 May 1927 • 07: 52 AM • 450 gallons of gas • 20 feet clearance of wires

Atlantic Flight n Challenges • Skimming over storm clouds • Flying as low as 10 feet • Icing • Flying blind in fog • Navigating by stars n Landing • Le Bourget Airport • 21 May 1927 • 10: 22 PM

Charles Lindbergh n n n n n Won Orteig Prize Awarded Legion of Honor Chevalier of Royal Order Leopold Distinguished Flying Cross Promoted to Colonel Congressional Medal of Honor Time “Man of the Year” Brief flights in Europe Longines watch

Charles Lindbergh n 1 st Goodwill Tour • Sell aviation • Promote commercial aviation • 20 July to 23 October Visited all 48 states n 82 cities n 30 million people n 22, 000 miles n Logged 260 hours 45 minutes n 147 speeches n 1, 290 parade miles n

Charles Lindbergh n 1 st Goodwill Tour • Pilot applications tripled • Licenses aircraft quadrupled • Passengers 1927 – 5, 782 n 1929 – 173, 405 n 3, 000% increase n

Charles Lindbergh n 2 nd Goodwill Tour • Nonstop Washington to Mexico City n 26 hours 15 minutes • 17 Latin America countries n 9, 000 miles • Flew airplane to Washington Donated to Smithsonian n 174 flights n 489: 28 hours logged n

Charles Lindbergh n n “Crime of the Century” Move to Europe • Return to U. S. • Temporary call-up to active duty n Dr. Alexis Carrell • Glass perfusion pump • Future heart surgeries possible n Travel to Germany • Report on German aviation • German award

Charles Lindbergh n America First • Proposed neutrality act with Germany • Resigned commission n Anti-Semetic • FBI investigates Lindberg n United Aircraft • Tech representative - Pacific • Flew over 50 combat missions n Brigadier General appointment

ADVENTURE, EXPLORATION, AND SPORT n Dole’s Pacific Air Race • $35, 000 prize • Nonstop flight • Oakland to Honolulu • 15 airplanes entered n 3 crashed before race

Dole’s Pacific Air Race n $35, 000 prize • Nonstop Oakland to Honolulu • 16 August 1927 n 9 participated – 6 flew west • 2 • 1 crashed on takeoff went missing returned for repairs n Search for missing n Disappeared • 2 planes completed race Wooloroc - Art Goebel and Bill Davis n Aloha - Second prize - $10, 000 n

Other Pacific Crossings n Oakland to Sidney, Australia • 31 May to 9 June 1928 n n 83 hours 38 minutes Japan to Wenatchee, Washington n Clyde Pangborn • October 1931

Atlantic Crossings n South Atlantic Ocean • Italian Francesco de Pinedo n Amelia Earhart • 1932 n n Solo, nonstop transatlantic flight James Mollison • First east-to-west solo crossing • England to Cape Town n Airship Graf Zeppelin • 18 crossings (S. Atlantic)

Round the World n Graf Zeppelin • Lakenhurst start/stop • 21 days, 5 hours, 31 minutes • 20, 651 miles n Wiley Post • 1931 n 8 days 15 hours 51 minutes • 1933 – solo n 7 days 18 hours 49 minutes • Monoplane “Winnie Mae” on both trips

Round the World n Howard Hughes • Lockheed Super Electra • 3 days, 19 hours n Polar Flights • Byrd n South Pole – November 1929 • Russian crew First nonstop great-circle flight n Soviet Union to United States n 63 hours 17 minutes n

Italian Distance Flight n Benito Mussolini • Chicago World’s Fair - 1933 • Squadron of airplanes (Flying Boats) • 25 airplanes One lost enroute n Flew in formation over Fair n One lost on return flight n

Mac. Robertson Air Race n October 1934 • $75, 000 prize • England to Melbourne No limit to aircraft/power/crew size n 5 compulsory stops n Initial field - 60 n Start of race – 20 n 9 finished race n Scott and Black winners (Britain) n • 71 hours 0 minutes

ALTITUDE FLIGHTS n n n Altitude Flights Speed Flights French Raids Light Airplanes Autogiros Homebuilt Aircraft • Flying Fleas • Homebuilt Movement n Gliding

Altitude Flights n Flight over Mt. Everest (29, 030 ft) • April 1933 • PV. 3 Torpedo Bomber • Lord Clydesdale/Dave Mc. Intyre n Balloonists • 1934 Explorer I n Captain Orvil Anderson n More than 11 miles n • 1935 Explorer II n 72, 395 ft (13. 7 miles) n

Speed Flights n Absolute Record • 278. 481 • 297. 817 • 318. 624 • 407. 001 • 440. 678 • 463. 921 • 469. 224 (May 1927) (November 1927) (March 1928) (1931) (1934) (March 1939) (April 1939)

Light Airplanes n Popularity of airplanes • Manufacturers produced small planes Private pilots n High performance n Competitive aviators n • De Havilland D. H. Moth 60 Bi-plane n Two-seater n Over 1, 000 built (1925 – 1934) n • Taylor Aircraft Company n Piper Aircraft Corporation • Stinson

ADVENTURE, EXPLORATION, AND SPORT

Golden Age n Autogiros • Both rotor and propeller Rotor generates lift n Propeller draws aircraft forward n Competitive aviators n Juan de La Cierva (Spain) n n Homebuilt Aircraft • Standard feature of aircraft • Heath “Super Parasol” kit n Popular Mechanics • Pietenpol’s “Air Camper” n Modern Mechanix

Flying Fleas n Henri Mignet • Built own airplanes • Inspired homebuilding movement n “The Flea of the Sky” • “a kite with an auxiliary engine” n Did not have • Ailerons • Slots • Elevators • Cowling n Flea rally - 1935

ADVENTURE, EXPLORATION, AND SPORT

Gliding n Germany • Enrollments increased yearly n 1930 s – 10, 000 members • Investigated thermals Fly in front of storm n Cloud to cloud n City thermals n

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n Aéropostale • Airmail service between France and S. America • Strong government support • Competed with Lufthansa • Longest line of routes in world • Scandal in 1930 s Lost government subsidy n Liquidation and bankruptcy n

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n French Aviation • Merged 5 airlines into 1 (Air France) Air Orient n Air Union n CIDNA n SGTA n Aeropostale n n Air France • National airline

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n French Aviation • 1930 s – decline in aviation Poor domestic economy n Government corruption n Civil war in Spain n Fasicm n Military strength n • 1937 – produced 37 planes/month n Custom craft techniques

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n Deutsche Luft Hansa • Installed radios on large transports • Instrument rating compulsory-1926 • 1928 – refreshments for passengers • Large European network • Flew more miles • Transoceanic Routes N. Atlantic Ship-to-land service n Floatboat off passenger ship to New York n S. Atlantic service - 1934 n

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n Deutsche Luft Hansa • International Cooperation Reduce competition along routes n China service – 1930 n

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n British Airlines • Imperial Airways Neglected domestic routes n Did not improve colonial routes n • Domestic carriers n n Hillman and British Airways British government (1938) • Divided international routes • Imperial – long Empire routes • British Airways – short Empire routes

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Air Mail Act of 1925 n Stimulated formation of airlines • Air Mail Act of 1930 Premium to airlines transporting n Passengers and mail n

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n Mergers • United Airlines United Aircraft & Transport Corporation n Boeing Airplane Company n Pacific Air Transport n • Eastern Airlines Florida Airways n Pitcairn Aviation n • TWA Transcontinental n Western Air n • American Airlines - 82 small airlines

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Air Commerce Act n Bureau of Lighthouses • Airway development and maintenance • Light beacons, navigational aids n Bureau of Standards – government lab • Aeronautical research n Coast and Geodetic Survey • Mapping airways n Commerce Department • Air regulations • Administration of Aeronautics Branch

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Air Commerce Act Test/license pilots n Issue airworthiness certificates n Make/enforce safety rules n Establish airways n Operate/maintain aids to air navigation n Investigate accidents and incidents n

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Jeppesen Airmail pilot – Elrey V. Jeppesen n Recorded detailed notes in notebook n Charted “letdown procedures” for emergency airfields along routes n Other pilots requested info n 1934 – published airway information n

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Airmail Scandal n Postmaster James A. Farley • Cancelled airmail contracts on 9 Feb 1934 • Charged collusion between n Previous Postmaster General n Airmail contractors • Congress investigates n FDR – directs Army Air Corps to fly mail • 19 February to 1 June n Not prepared n Fighter planes/trainers not appropriate n Many pilots had little experience

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Army Air Corps Suspended service - March 10 to 19 n Reorganize for safer operations n • 14, 745 hours • 1, 707, 559 miles flown • $3. 76 million dollars n $2. 21 per-mile cost n Contract airlines - $0. 54 • Failed test of readiness

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Air Mail Scandal n Congress force separation of • Airlines flying mail from • Companies that produced aviation equipment n DC-3 emerged • Requirement n Airlines carry passengers without subsidy • Popular with passengers • Over 10, 000 built in 1930 s and 1940 s

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n United States • Pan American Scheduled service in 1927 n Juan Trippe n Secured monopoly rights on routes n Passenger service across Pacific Ocean n • 1936 • Prepared routes • Constructed bases

Commercial Airlines and Airliners n Airships • British Airships R. 100 n R. 101 n • German Airships n Graf Zeppelin • Hearst funds n Hindenberg

Aviation Radio and Military Aviation n Early Radios • “Radios must be improved a lot” • 775 of 8, 000 civil aircraft • Only 326 two-way capability n Four-Course Radios • Two directional signals “N” & “A” • Figure 8 pattern • On-course signal – steady dash • Morse Code

Aviation Radio and Military Aviation n Accidents • Lack of familiarity with radio navigation • Faulty reception • Dec 1936 – Jan 1937 5 airliners crash n Filmmaker Martin Johnson n

Aviation Radio and Military Aviation n Pacific Radios • Pan Am Long-range direction-finding equipment n Guided planes to islands n • Amelia Earhart flight Removed aerial and code wireless set n Lack of preflight preparation and coordination n

Military Aviation n Chaco War • Bolivia and Paraguay n n Identified need for modern aircraft Abyssinia • Italy invaded Ethiopia • Improved Italian aircraft production n n Produced long range bombers Spanish Civil War • Germany used as proving ground

Military Aviation n Nazi Germany • Expanded borders with threat of war n Sino-Japanese Conflict • Expanded aircraft production n Military Expansion • New technology development • Germany – 1, 000 airplanes/month