Salt Lake Telegram | 1935-02-26 | Page 1 | Planes Hop for Capital; Training Jaunt to Panama

1 Giant Army Bombers Begin First Leg of Mile Test Flight I g l M c t v h y v x xV V f t 4 44 4 4 I sr k I I n m. m Eleven tle of the Army's latest latelL style bombing planes were Mere th lr w way y to Washington Ion p. p C. C Tuesday on the first Ic leg of or a mass flight to Panama lanam The They took off ort Irons front March field at Riverside Calif at 7 a. a m. m 1st They are sh shown n here here at field San Sail Diego being prepared for the test lest Captain II 11 D. D Smith inset Is In command of r the group roup Planes for Hop lop Capital Capi Capi- tal Training Jaunt to Panama MARCH MARCIl FIELD Cal Cat Feb 26 W- W P Eleven giant army war birds of ot the lir t bombardment squadron took look off oct here lod today y at a. a in m. m on the first le lej Jel o of a projected mile Io round round- roundtrip nd trip tr training flight to r. r Panama by Y JY J r io Texa an Washington f W sh D. D C. C rne me b bombing armada carrying a force of ot 32 army fliers in command of ot Capt Caplain in I Halold la i old D. D Smith headed for Antonio Flight officials said sale the mile 1000 jaunt would take lake between be tween six and seven een hours Weather conditions permitting the squadron hoped hope t to refuel at the Texas flying b base e and fly on to toI I Washington D. D C C. tomorrow after after- noon Definite pl plaus js for this howeVer however how how- ever will not be determined until the unit reaches Texas Washington D. D C C. is about seven hours from San Antonio flight light officers of of- estimated One plane of ot the group will be left behind after alter the fliers mers reach the capital and only 10 will fly southward south south- ward vard Wednesday day 0 or lat later r on the one one- stop hop to Panama The planes will vill touch at Miami Fla for tor gasoline before making the 1150 mile over overwater overwater overwater water jump to the Canal Zone Present plans call can for the flying fleet to remain in Panama 10 da days s 's sand and then to hop off olf on a nonstop flight back to Washington ton D D. D Ca Ca C. C C.- C. 2150 miles a a dista distance ce of OC around The fliers fliers' will vill retrace their route on their return to the coast flying by way of San Antonio Heavier ier than an average elephant yet as fast as a hawk is any anyone one of the giant bombers One of the Martin bombers wei weighs hs seven tons carries a crew of three men and wil wiH lift two tons tons' of r. r gasoline gasoline gaso gaso- line and a quarter of a ton of oil oH for the longest stages of ot the mais mass flight Despite this tremendous weight the twin horsepower Whitney Pratt motors can develop a atop top speed of miles an hour and anda a cruising spec hof In war th would carry arry a ton tori of or bombs bO bombs iRi dilU three machine guns gun One Ori of the guns would fire lire through a tunnel underneath the fuselage Each Ech plane is manned by a pilot pHot navigator and radio operator In the event their their- land Jand plane was forced down on an over water hop the crew would t take kc to a rubber life raft raU one of the standard standard emergency emergency supplies for tor the flight