December 1, 1930

December 1, 1930

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The Story of Wichita

By John T. Nevill17 min

Statistics of the Month

Statistics of the Month

Inspection of Aircraft

By I. W. Miller15 min

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More Features
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The Story of Wichita

HAVING “pulled out” from Swallow Airplane Manufacturing Company because of Jake Moellendeck’s disinclination to accept tubular steel fuselage construction. Walter Beech and Lloyd Stearman, late in 1924, rented a small workshop located behind the Broadview Hotel, Wichita, and there began construction of the first Travel Air.

By John T. Nevill17 min

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Statistics of the Month

Statistics of the Month

Material supplementing the statistical issue, AVIATION, March 22, 1930, appears regularly each month. Page numbers in the statistical issue are given.
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Inspection of Aircraft

THAT careful pre-flight inspection of aircraft will disclose most of the symptoms of material failure is not an over-zealous statement has often been proven by many flying organizations under field operating conditions. There is, of course, no way to determine the condition of some internal engine or plane part, and it therefore becomes necessary to place complete reliance on the manufacturer of those parts.

By I. W. Miller15 min

330331

America’s Airport Problem to Date

FOUR years ago it was predicted that by 1931 the country would be dotted with ground facilities for aircraft, enabling pilots to find recognized landing places on every hand and complete terminal facilities at strategic points. We have had four years to fulfill these promises.

By Charles H. Gale14 min

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Airplanes as the Test Pilot Sees Them

What are the points that a test pilot criticises in a new type? Lieut. Ofstie, veteran Navy test pilot and once a member of a Schneider Race team, observes some common short-comings on the part of manufacturers.

By Lieut. R. A. Ofstie14 min

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The Trend of Activities

Sales, Production and General

ACCORDING to a report issued by the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce, the total number of commercial airplanes produced by American manufacturers in the first nine months of this year totalled 2,154. The Branch’s report states that these planes were manufactured by 296 companies or individuals.
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Flight Instruction and Flight Theory

THE theorems discussed in Article One concerned the operation of the airplane at full throttle. The student should be instructed in another interesting and important peculiarity of the airplane,—the effect of throttling the airplane engine.

By W. F. Gerhardt12 min

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Preparing for the Private Market

IT was confidently believed a year and a half ago that large numbers of airplanes would be sold to private owners. Everybody would be flying. The past year has shown such a belief to be a mistaken one. Large numbers of airplanes have not been sold either to private owners or to commercial aviation operators.

By Robert M. Burtt12 min

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What Our Readers Say

What Our Readers Say

Your editorial in AVIATION for September, “Safety—It Can Be Done,” hit the nail on the head. “It’s stunting that’s stunting aviation today.” And by “stunting” I don’t mean acrobatics. I mean maneuvers not necessary to safe and efficient flying.
322323
The Trend of Activities

Flights and Competitions

TWO words—“Do.X” and “Hawks” —have appeared with almost regular frequency in the news of the month. At present, the former is completing preliminary legs of a Lake Constance, Switzerland, to New York flight. Officials of the Dornier works in speaking of this flight have pointed out that it must not be placed too high in the field of ambitions.
November 11930 JANUARY1931