Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 70: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a te i Loe AS * ate rr Pe oe ee ee Oe ee on eA 164 AIR WONDER STORIES action by the beam, and automatically kept the craft in the center, or densest part, of the beam. When Mr. Wallace stepped from the elevator after a rapid ascent to the I. A. L, station, and entered the waiting tooms of the eastbound track, he found his friend waiting. “Here so soon?” was. Riel’s greeting. “Well, we've got almost twenty minutes to wait.” “No, the special should be here soon, because I ordered it for_5.45.” : Just as he spoke, a bell rang and the train announcer it up: SPECIAL 47L N. Y.-LONDON. O T, 5.45. “On time,” added the official, looking up at the an- nouncer. “Tt must be coming in on the landing beam now.” “How far out from the station does the landing beam extend?” the sleuth asked. “Ten miles, Our landing beam projectors are lo- cated below the runways here, One beam is thrown east from the westbound tracks, the other extends the same distance west to guide the eastbound ships in.” “But when the ships leave the upper beam and drop down, entering the landing: beam, is this done by manual or automatic means ?” “Automatic,” replied Wallace. “We have a beam crossing the upper one at a certain distance out, approxi- mately thirty miles from here or twenty from the end of the landing beam. When the ship hits this cross beam the radio control is thrown out of contact, which catses the velocity regulating unit to also throw. out, shutting off the motors, while the altitude regulator is thrown into its lower setting, which is the height of the landing beam. The liner then glides down at a comfortable angle untilit enters the lower beam. Here the altitude regulator rights. it, and the beam causes the radio control to operate and throw in the velocity unit, but in a lower speed setting: The motors drive the cruiser along-the lower beam at a greatly reduced speed, guided: automatically by the radio control.” “Sounds all rights,” Riel answered, “but what pro- vision have-you made for failure of the ship to strike the lower beam?” “We have the ship equipped with a complete installa- tion of ‘manual control equipment, by which the pilot can lower the landing wheels and bring the craft to the emergency landing fields in case the automatic equip- ment fails; and as to missing the-lower beam when coming down, that is almost impossible. For with the cruiser going at a definite speed:and in a definite direc- tion, and the decline started at a‘certain point, it is easy to see that it will-arrive within a reasonable dis- tance of the beam area. Of course, the air currents throw it out some, but-the pilot can easily make the slight adjustments necessary by. the use of the manual controls. For the area in which the-ships strike the lower beam is well marked by day and plainly illumi- nated by night. The liners also carry a special radio beam indicating unit, used when:the weather makes the guiding lights invisible. But: suppose we step out on the platform, our ship should be here by: now.” . The huge cruiser could be seen approaching about two miles west, on a level with the station, and it was scarcely more than two minutes before she entered the runway, sliding in between the guide rails with amaz- ing accuracy, and coming to a quick but smooth stop in the station. To one who had never seen the air liners enter and leave the station, it was indeed an interesting sight to watch the approach of the huge triple-deck cruiser with its monstrous-wings. But once inside the station, only a partial view of it could be seen from one place. Be- cause of the platforms passing close to the sides of the ships, only one deck could be seen from any one plat- form or waiting room. “There is no crew on this ship except one operator,” the official informed ‘his friend, as they stepped into the upper compartment. “We are carrying nothing in the way of baggage, and I left even the kitchen crew be- hind, to be sure that-we would not be disturbed on the trip. But Ihave a lunch here in my hand-bag in case we get hungry ‘before arriving.” “Your precautions were hardly necessary,” smiled the detective, “but nevertheless it is just as well, for we know who is aboard.” Scarcely had they seated themselves, than the.doors of the three decks slid shut, the hydraulic brakes were released with a hiss-and the huge craft was being swiftly pushed down the runway by the powerful cata- pult, gaining speed at an amazing pace. A moment later it was crtising free of the landing station, As the ship left the runway, a pressure contact on the side was released atttomatically, throwing. the altitude con- trol unit into operation in its high setting. Simultane- ously the velocity regulator was automatically thrown into contact, and the motors were soon pulling the monster rapidly up towards the higher altitudes. Ready for a Hold-Up T= oxygen distributing system was already in use throughout the ship, relieving the difficulty of breathing in the thin upper atmosphere. The gradual leveling of the liner indicated ifs approach to the upper magnetic beam, and-as the altitude regulator cut out, the | beam caused the automatic radio control to make con- tact, throwing the velocity regulator into its high speed setting. Under its control the battery of motors began to. increase: speed, until the cruiser was heading east at the amazing speed of four hundred miles an ‘hour. “Did you notice any disturbance on your wrist watch while we were in the station?” Riel asked, as the cruiser gained speed along the beam. “No, for the time being I forgot about it’? was the teply. “Do you expect them to stop us this time?” “Yes, I do.” Riel shook his head. “I expect them to bring us down before we get over. It is an ideal day. for them, dull and cloudy, making it easy for them to get-away.” “I doubt it,” Wallace said, “I’ve got extra police on the job to-day, just hoping they will make a try, and the pilot has been told to sound the radio alarm as soon-as he finds the ship leaving the beam.” “When did you give these instructions, when you ordered the special?” “Yes, I phoned the air-sheds from my office and also gave orders to have the radio alarm inspected care- fully, and the pilot well instructed-as to its use.” “And how many pilots have set off the alarm during a tobbery ?” “Well—” “Quiet,” hissed Riel, as he saw the needle of his watch freeze stiff, “I'll take the papers from my brief case,” he continued in a natural voice, “and hide them under my seat in case we're held up. Can’t run the risk of losing them.” A moment later the needle swung freely, and the men were free to talk, “What was your idea of talking about hiding the comnts an? — er aos books:co PS ete ttt Ca ry = 2s 1 ry aed MD sd Fee