Standardized Supership

Last week the "Big Five" U. S. airlines finally took off on an industrial flight which they had long feared the Government might frown upon (TIME, March 16). From the Air Transport Association of America's headquarters in Chicago, American, Eastern, Pan American, United and Transcontinental & Western Airlines announced they had abandoned competition in equipment, would collaborate in creating a standardized fleet of huge transport planes. To Douglas Aircraft Co. of Santa Monica, Calif., current darling of most of the world's leading airlines, went the contract to develop the new type transport.

Based on a year's study, the specifications for the new plane fill 195 pages, are the most complete ever drafted. In general the standardized supership will resemble the famed Douglas DC2 and the new DST, but it will be nearly twice the former's size, with 140-ft. wingspread, 95-ft. length, 25-ton weight, four motors. Able to seat 40 passengers or sleep 20, it will have a top speed of 230 m.p.h., a cruising speed of 210 at 75% horsepower, will be able to fly coast-to-coast with two stops in 13 hours, from New York to New Orleans non-stop in less than five. For safety, it will be able to take off on three engines, fly on two. Inside, it will be as luxurious as the China Clipper, which is not quite so big. The passenger cabin will be 40 ft. long, 10 ft. wide, with a double row of seats on each side, convertible at night into compartments bigger than Pullman berths.

Cost for the first plane, due next spring, is $500,000, for subsequent ships $250,000. By shouldering this sum jointly, the "Big Five" claim they are saving three-quarters of development expense. By creating such a fleet of supertransports, they expect to jack their passenger and express business into the black, rid themselves forever of the inconvenience of their present dependence upon Government mail subsidies.

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