Aviation Show

Round & round over New York City one noon last week wheeled some 100 private planes to draw the city's eyes to the sky, its feet to New York's first aviation show since 1930. New Yorkers, 95% male and 50% under 20, responded with a will. They trooped into Grand Central Palace, gaped at 32 planes, milled around 100 exhibition booths, badgered salesmen and demonstrators with questions they could not always answer. With 1936 sales up 85% over 1935 on a gross business of $76,805,000 in ships and parts, U. S. air-crafters beamed on the attendance at last week's National Aviation Show because it showed not only that airline business was up but also that the younger generation of the U. S. is sky-minded as never before. As never before, too, are aircrafters able to satisfy the demand of would-be flyers with little cash. Seven years ago not a single plane in the Show cost less than $2,000. Last week there were several models within reach, both in price and cost of upkeep, of the average car owner.

Planes. More for spectacle than for sales at last week's Show were such ships as the Navy's Grumman fighter, Sever-sky's pursuit ship, the Douglas observation plane, TWA's "Overweather" Northrop and the glider Albatross. Like Ziegfeld show girls, these unique planes drew first looks, but more serious attention went to the chorus of sturdy little troopers lumped by the name "flivver planes." First sale was an Arrow monoplane, powered with a Ford V8, which went to Negro Perry Newkirk for $1,500. Even cheaper was the Taylor Cub, over 1,000 of which have been sold. In the first three days, sales of ten more Cubs were reported at $1,270 each. Similar success attended the rival Taylorcraft. Last week, Horace Keane Co. had a slick white Ace Monoplane with a Ford V8, out to rival Arrow. The Bureau of Air Commerce showed its Pitcairn readable autogiro. It was supposed to drive in through the streets, but Manhattan's police said it would have to get an automobile license. So it rode ignominiously to the Show in a truck.

At $1,590 was a tiny yellow Aeronca, at $1,355 a Porterfield Zephyr. At $2,468 was the Rearwin Sportster, which flew in from Kansas City on $10.68 in fuel. Speediest looking of the little planes was the Ryan STA, only all-metal job as cheap as $4,885. In a higher bracket were the bigger ships like Bellanca ($23,000), Beechcraft C17R ($14,500), Stinson Reliant ($7,985), Waco ($5,395), Luscombe ($5,500), Monocoupe ($3,825), Argonaut ($5.450), Fairchild 24 ($5,590), stainless steel Fleetwing ($18,500), each with room for several passengers in luxurious automobile-like cabins. Great majority were cabin monoplanes. Gone forever are goggles and helmet.

Accessories. Among the welter of engines, models, meteorological balloons, flashing beacons, wind-tunnels, irstruments, parachutes and uniforms, several drew special notice. Displayed for the first time was the world's first single-blade propeller--looking like half an ordinary wood "prop." Sensenich Bros., its makers, claim that it eliminates all vibration, in-.creases speed 25%, improves take-off and climb. Its pitch is automatically controlled by centrifugal force. Another odd prop was offered by Maynard-DiCesare, with the two blades offset at the hub to give greater bite. Edo showed the world's first detachable amphibious gear for land planes. Most resplendent exhibit of all was Colonel Roscoe Turner, strutting about in a fawn-colored uniform.

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