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30 U.S. AIR SERVICES November, 1931
Transatlantic Flights Eastward, 1931 
|Date|Flyers|Place|Type|Motor|H.P.|Useful Load Est. Lbs.|Distance Miles|Duration|Days Required Including waiting for start|
|June|
|25|Post and Gatty|Lockheed|Landplane|Pratt & Whitney|525|3,500|2,200|16 hrs., 15 mins.|3|
|26|Hillig and Hoiriis|Bellanca|Landplane|Wright|300|3,800|3,500|32 hrs.|*|
|July|
|16|Endres and Magyar|Lockheed|Landplane|Pratt & Whitney|425|4,200|3,280|28 hrs.|22|
|27|Cramer and Pacquette|Bellanca|Seaplane|Diesel|225|*|*|*|*|
|28|Boardman and Polando|Bellanca|Landplane|Wright|300|4,500|5,011|49 hrs., 20 mins.|31|
|28|Pangborn and Herndon|Bellanca|Landplane|Pratt & Whitney|425|4,800|3,030|31 hrs., 40 mins.|33|
*Further data unobtainable.
away, is still some feat of flying and navigation.

The most thrilling flight was that of Rody and his two companions in the Junkers landplane. Leaving Lisbon Sept 14, these three daring youngsters crowded into the space of eight days enough adventure to last several ordinary lifetimes. After leaving Lisbon all seems to have gone well with them until arriving almost within sight of the shores of Newfoundland, their fuel supply failed them. Forced to land, they drifted about on the ocean for six days until picked up by a passing motor-ship bound for New York. Arriving there, they were accorded the usual keys to the city by the usual reception committee to the accompaniment of the usual Broadway plaudits. 

Who wins in this gamble with death for fame? Well, the flyers win a lot of offers, but how much money they win is something else. The most consistent winners of all are the airplane manufacturers. The Lockheed company sold at least eight planes for long distance flights for probably around $240,000. The Bellanca company sold at least four planes for the same purpose for perhaps around $100,000. These two company's products practically monopolized the field among the American planes.

Did this crop of successful flights produce any disappointing features? Strange as it may seem, yes. The greatest disappointment was that no flying boat and but one seaplane was used by any American entrant. With the exception of von Gronau's flying boat, no multi-motored aircraft of any type was used. This year's flights proved that our motors are vastly more reliable and that our overseas flying skill has improved, but it proved hardly anything with reference to the transatlantic abilities of the seaplane or flying boat, which last two will probably be our carriers when the first mail and passenger service is inaugurated in 1933. 

The trend is towards bigger and better motors. Whereas in '27 the average overseas motor was 200 h.p. this year, with the exception of the Diesel 225 h.p. motor, the lowest powered motor was of 300 h.p. From this, the motors ranged up to 525 h.p. This was a far more powerful motor than any used in 1927.

The phenomenal transatlantic safety record this year of single-motored landplanes, indicates a possibility that in future, even multi-motored landplanes with three or four motors will be used for the ocean crossing in preference to flying boats, because of the greater payload which the landplane carries. This record certainly does not prove conclusively that landplanes are safe over the ocean, but this past summer has at least proved that airplane motors are much more reliable than they are given credit for being, and it definitely strengthens the standing of the multi-motored landplane for overseas transportation over what it formerly was.

If landplanes are admittedly more dangerous for ocean flying than flying boats, then why did all the American ocean flyers use landplanes? They were landplane conscious for four reasons:
1st. The landplanes were less expensive to buy.
2nd. Landplanes of a given horsepower will take off with a greater fuel load, thereby increasing the cruising radius over a flying boat of similar horsepower.
3rd. It has been found necessary in crossing the ocean, sometimes to fly at altitudes ranging up to 12,000 feet in order to avoid fog, clouds and adverse winds and also in order to take advantage of favorable winds. The landplanes can attain these altitudes somewhat easier than can the average flying boat.
4th. Single airplane motors have proved themselves increasingly reliable, thus making the flyers less dependent than formerly on a flying boat hull for the possibility of a forced landing. 

How did last summer's experience influence the trend as between the plane and dirigible for ocean crossing? While the Graf Zeppelin made two roundtrip crossings between Germany and South America, the airplanes were making several successful crossings over the Atlantic, which resulted in a distinct gain favorable to the plane. 

Viewed from the international angle, America gained a predominating lead in aerial overseas transportation in that six of the eight crossings were American. American planes and motors gained a tremendous advantage in prestige over their foreign competitors.

This summer, six American motors flew over the ocean and Europe for 14,800 miles, plus 15,470 miles around the world by Post and Gatty, all without an engine failure. No European nation this year has even approached this record for overseas travel. No British airplane motor in the past eleven years has been able to cross the Atlantic, only one French motor has ever succeeded in doing this, and only one German motor has ever done it in one flight.