Unsigned handwritten draft by Charles Lindbergh, three pages, 8 x 12.5, no date but published in the New York Times on February 3, 1929, as part of the exclusive 'Lindbergh on Flying' weekly series. Lindbergh's draft for an article entitled 'Air Speed Limited Only by Power and Streamline,' commenting on the economies of speed offered by the advent of aircraft. In part: "The entire history of passenger transportation has evolved around the desire of mankind first, to reach distance places; second, to go there in comfort and safety; and third to lose as little time as possible en route. For centuries it was thought that there was a limit to the speed a human being could stand, and that if a man fell off of the top of a cliff or high building he would become unconscious from the rapidity of descent long before striking the ground. This theory has been conclusively disproved in the last few years by actual test…
Racing records stand at around 100 miles an hour on the water; 200 miles an hour on the land and 300 an hour in the air. Commercial speeds, of course, are considerably less…Speed on the ground is limited by the smoothness of the road, by the necessity of quick turns, and by stopping for cross traffic. A second or two of inattention at any time while driving at high speed is sufficient to cause an accident. In the air, on the other hand, it is limited only by horse power and streamline. Except in taking off, land, and watching for other planes there is no immediate danger if something distracts the attention of the pilot. Once at flying altitude he might walk back into the cabin and ride with his passengers without fear of having the plane do more than veer off of its course slightly…
How fast will we be traveling in the next decade?…The faster transports will undoubtedly be cruising at well over 150 miles per hour while pursuit planes will be capable of developing close to three hundred if necessary. Racing planes will push on toward the 400 mark and possibly go higher. One of the most interesting contributions to aircraft design in 1928 was the development by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics of a new type of cowling for radial air cooled engines. One of the main drawbacks of air cooling has been the added head resistance of radial motors. This has been more than offset in commercial operation by the saving in weight together with added reliability and lower maintenance…
After carrying on extensive experiments in the large wind tunnel at Langley Field the N.A.C.A. discovered that by cowling in the entire engine and leaving an opening in the center of the cowl to admit air for cooling; together with a space around the back of the cowl to permit the escape of this air in a smooth flow that the speed of the plane could be increased from five to ten miles as a result. The theory of the new cowl is that the turbulence created by the cylinder heads is reduced to a minimum thereby greatly decreasing the drag of the fuselage.
Another feature which may be incorporated in fast planes, especially of the low wing type is the folding landing gear. As speeds increase the value of streamlining the wheels into the wings will become much greater…The adjustable pitch propellor promises greater efficiency both in take off and cruising…Geared engines promise better performance for the plane and less noise for the passenger…All of these improvements will aid in making the airplane of 1930 a vast improvement over those in service today." In fine condition, with a few edge nicks and minor losses to corners. A remarkable handwritten piece by Lindbergh, penned as he promoted new advances in powered flight.
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