$700 Plane?

In 1930 when U. S. production of commercial airplanes fell to 2,300 planes. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Young hopefully observed: "The gold paint has at last been erased from commercial aeronautics." By the time his successor, Eugene Luther Vidal, took office last month as Director of Aeronautics, not only the gold paint but several thicknesses of hide had been scraped from the battered body of the industry. Last year's production was 549 planes, representing about $2,300,000. The first nine months of this year were a shade better, at 552.

Besides those gloomy figures Director Vidal contemplated the paradox that while there are 14,000 licensed pilots in the land there are only 7,000 licensed planes (including some 600 of each employed on transport lines). Also there are 11,000 student pilots, 8,500 mechanics--potentially 33,500 new plane-owners right at hand. The reason for this situation was simple. Since airplanes are practically handmade, you cannot buy much of a ship for less than $2,000; and if you want room for two or three extra passengers it is apt to cost $4,000 or $5,000.

Last week Director Vidal attacked the problem in typical New Deal manner. He revealed that aeronautical engineers have assured him: "It is a comparatively easy task to design and turn out on a volume-production scale a small airplane which will sell for around $700. . . . It would be a low-wing monoplane . . . would carry two passengers, be constructed of a new steel alloy, fitted with an eight-cylinder, smallbore engine . . . and equipped with a geared propeller. Top speed probably would not exceed 100 m.p.h. The outstanding feature would be the landing speed of about 25 m.p.h. which would be brought about by air brakes in the form of flaps. The cost of operating and maintaining . . . would be less than that of an average-priced automobile and it would not require 'superman' qualifications to fly it. . . . Arrangements would be made for selling the plane on a credit basis."

The big "if" was mass production, by which the manufacturer might stamp out standardized parts, bolt and weld them together as cheap automobiles are made. Director Vidal thought 10,000 planes would be mass enough. After stating his case he mailed a questionnaire to his 33,500 prospects, asked each to state if he would buy such a plane.

Startled by the boldness of the move, the industry scarcely knew whether to cheer, scoff or suspect. Was the Department of Commerce about to hand out $7,000,000 contracts to favored manufacturers? Was it going to solicit R. F. C. money for production of the Vidal "flivver?" Would it prescribe its ideal plane design for manufacturers to follow? Director Vidal hastened to squelch all such notions. His Department would simply look for customers for a $700 airplane, drop its findings into the industry's lap, let the industry do the rest. He added: "If favorable response [to the poll] does not follow, we will at least learn what is retarding the development of private flying."

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