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Building Stratosphere Air-Liners

by ALLAN LOCKHEED

Noted Plane Designer

This article on the strato-plane of the future tells how huge double-decked planes will speed through the rarefied air from coast to coast in six hours.

ALLAN LOCKHEED

Supplies the nation’s premier flyers—Lindbergh, Earhart, Hawks, Post, Wilkins—with Lockheed planes for their record feats. This pioneer of early aviation, now active on design work for air transports of the immediate future, contributed many of the ships that today are burning up commercial airline schedules and cutting air mail time in half. Consequently the words of Allan Lockheed, today one of the outstanding individual technicians of aviation, are of more than usual significance when he deals with the problems of flying airplanes in the stratosphere. His story follows:

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It would be so cool if airmail really worked this way.

Chicago’s Airmail Pick-up Catapults Mail Bags To Planes
DRAWINGS revealing the operation of the pick-up device used at the 1934 Century of Progress in delivering and receiving mail from planes in flight have been revealed by the inventor, Dr. Lytle S. Adams of Chicago.

Most ingenious feature of the device is the method by which the incoming bag is released and the outgoing mail tossed into the air. As the plane flies directly over the chute, the comparatively fragile wire dangling from the plane is broken at the mail bag as it reaches the end of a narrowing chute in the pick-up device, releasing the bag. A steel ball on the dangling wire trips a lever which catapults a new sack out of the chute and into the air. Shock absorbers on the plane take up any jars not offset by the catapult when picking up a new bag of mail.

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Can We Ever Fly Faster Than Sound?

A seemingly impassable barrier blocks the way to higher plane speeds. Can we hurdle it? Our aviation editor gives his views.

By C. B. COLBY

Drawings by STEWART ROUSE

DESPITE glowing newspaper reports, man cannot now fly at the speed of sound. In fact it is doubtful, according to the best authorities, that man has ever closely approached sonic speed (764 m.p.h, at sea level and 664 m.p.h, at 40,000 feet), let alone attain or exceed it. Speeds of over 500 m.p.h, in level flight are a serious challenge to design and power-plant engineers. Even in a terminal-velocity dive (straight down with all stops open), it is doubtful that any pilot has attained the speed of sound.

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Skeleton From Auto Parts
UTILIZING odd parts of old autos, a Tampa, Fla., firm dealing in used auto parts constructed a skeleton from a headlight, spring leaves, connecting rods, ring gears, pinions and starting gears. The unique “ghost” of many a long departed car, instead of scaring people away, attracted them, and many who came to laugh stayed to buy.

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William B. Stout and his Wonderful “SKYCAR”

by J. A. Greenberg

BILL STOUT, the genius of Dearborn, Michigan, has been responsible for more revolutionary innovations in the design and construction of automobiles and airplanes than has any other man, living or dead. Yet he has found time to create such minor novelties as the first gasoline-driven railroad car, the first Diesel-electric streamlined train, a streamlined motorbus lighter and faster than any then manufactured, a brick conveyor which saved thousands of dollars in building construction, an improved theater seat, an air-conditioned bed, and, among other things, a staggering number of mechanical toys. He has been credited with more technical inventions than any man since Edison.

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Powered Wheel Chair Goes 25 M.P.H.
TIRED of pushing himself around in an ordinary wheel chair, Charles Bancroft, of Port Arthur, Texas, constructed a
three-wheeled vehicle which resembles an armored car in its general appearance. The home-built car is powered by a two-horsepower motor salvaged from a lawn mower and features a motorcycle transmission, the combination enabling the vehicle to travel about 60 miles on a gallon of gasoline.

Portable Church Goes to People
WHEN it gets too hot for the folks to go to church, the church can now go to the people. Seven Baptist ministers in northern Indiana put their heads together and solved the problem by devising a traveling church mounted on the chassis of an old seven passenger car. The “motorized” church has a twelve foot belfry, with bell and all, and a roof which is thrown back, disclosing a pulpit and an organ with amplifiers which permit a huge audience to hear the entire services.

Race with the leaves? Are you serious? That’s the best slogan you could come up with? To me a race implies a competitive event, with a winner and a looser. You don’t know who’s going to win from the outset, that’s what makes it a RACE. So what they are saying in this ad is: Cruising along on your Harley with the throttle all the way open, driving as fast as you can; you may still be passed by a leaf. You know a leaf, falling from a tree. Or kicked up by a light breeze.

Why not just say: “Harley Davidson - It’s faster than walking.”*

(except for very fast walkers)

Update: I saw (via Boing Boing) that the current Worth 1000 Photoshop contest is titled “Bad Ads“. I think that this ad fits the contest better than some of the actual entries, but they are very funny nonetheless. If you haven’t checked out the Worth 1K contests you should, they can be hilarious.

Race with the Leaves!
BREEZE down an Autumn road, free as the red leaves that swirl along with you. Open up the eager motor of your Harley-Davidson — feel the thrill of its power, the surge of its silent speed. What a motorcycle!

Have you seen the 1932 models? They are better performers than ever — handsomer, more comfortable, better equipped—yet the prices are much lower.
Your dealer wants to show you these new Harley-Davidsons — and tell you about his Pay-As-You-Ride Plan. Why not look him up today?

Only $195 at Factory
Lowest-priced motorcycle ever offered by Harley-Davidson. A swift, sturdy Single, fully equipped—complete electrical system, 3-speed transmission, front and rear brakes, all conveniences. Easy to handle — costs almost nothing to run. Ask your Dealer.
Ride a HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Oh, this takes me back. I remember those trips my family used to take to our cabin in the woods. Before leaving mom would throw a roast beef and some potatoes into the good ole’ running board cooker and clamp that sucker closed. By the time we arrived, there would be a piping hot, carbon-monoxide infused, soot covered meal waiting just for us. I can still smell the sulfur wafting off my burnt motor oil drenched taters.

Auto Cooker Uses Exhaust Heat
THE drudgery has been taken out of picnics with a compact device that is attached to the automobile running board and which utilizes the waste heat from the engine for cooking. While driving to your favorite camping spot food may be baked, stewed or roasted without cost for fuel, loss of time or interference with the efficiency of the motor. The device cooks without water and therefore the edibles retain their natural juices and flavors. The cooker rests on an asbestos pad and is connected to the exhaust by a flexible pipe.

Woo-Wee Wolf Whistle Auto Horn

Reproduces ‘Wolf Whistle’ better than any sailor. Screeches, barks, whistles, imitates siren moves any ‘road hog’ off the highway in “double quick plus” Attract more attention than by driving a yellow Cadillac. Operates from manifold. Intall-ed on any car in 15 minutes. Sturdily constructed Cleverest novelty since the use of the auto. Be the first user in your neighborhood. Dealers wanted. Absolute money back guarantee. 6 dollars each. Order today Ohio orders add 3% tax.
THE PROTECTUROD COMPANY -Dept 102 4033 Windsor Road • Youngstown 7, Ohio

I’ve gotta give him credit, that’s a pretty stylish butt cowling.

Rider “Tailored” to Motorbike to Set 170 m.p.h. Record
WHEN J. S. Wright, present motorbike record holder, makes an attack on his 150 m.p.h, record established last year, he will ride a machine which represents the last word in streamlining.

To such an extent are the streamlining principles carried out that certain parts of the cowling were built with the rider on the machine, much as a tailor fits a suit to a customer.

The power of the racing motor has been boosted to deliver well over 100 h.p. by the use of a supercharger, and it is expected that this motorcycle will reach a speed in excess of 170 m.p.h.

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What Lindbergh Found in His Mail Bag

Offers of Millions, Offers of Marriage and 14,000 Gifts in Packages Sent to Atlantic Flyer

By FITZHUGH GREEN

THROUGH the crowded events that followed the great flight to Paris, the author of this article was one of Col. Lindbergh’s chief aides. And in the swift preparation of Lindbergh’s book “We,” he wrote several chapters describing the welcoming receptions which the modest aviator did not wish to write himself. Commander Green also aided in handling Lindbergh’s huge mail.

“Dear Lindy—”

Those two words, with variations, have been written more than three and a half million times in the last four months by people of all races, colors and climes.

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