The Douglas world cruiser Chicago, flagship of the Army Air Service world flight, which has been sitting in a hangar at McCook Field. Dayton, Ohio, since last November, awaiting final disposition, will be placed in the aircraft building of the Smithsonian Institution in a short time, it was announced today by the War Department.
The decision to bring the Chicago here was made final by Acting Secretary of War Dwight F. Davis, who wrote Dr. Charles D. Walcott, secretary of the institution, yesterday that he had instructed the chief of Air Service “to take the necessary steps to have the Chicago brought to Washington and turned over to you. for the purpose of placing it in the exhibit of the Smithsonian Institution.”
At the Army Air Service it was said the Supply Division already had received instructions to prepare the Chicago for shipment to Washington by rail. The suggestion had been made that Capt. Lowell H. Smith, leader of the flight and pilot of the plane, fly it to Washington, but the Air Service did not wish to take the risk with such a historic and famous plane. Its exposure to all sorts of weather and salt water on the globe flight may have caused a structural weakness in some isolated place, which, it was argued, might fall when the plane was off the ground.
Mr. Davis’ decision apparently puts an end to the three-cornered fight which waged for a time for possession of the plane. The city of Chicago made vigorous pleas for the plane for the Field Museum, and the sesquicentennial at Philadelphia also sought it for exhibition there. In addition, the Smithsonian here had applied for it.
Mr. Davis, a few weeks ago, intimated that the plane could not be given to the City of Chicago without congressional approval, and inasmuch as it was of national historic value, it should be housed in the Capital.
No announcement was made by the department as to the final disposition of the New Orleans, the second plane to make a complete circuit of the globe. It is understood recommendations have been made by the Air Service that it be housed in the McCook Field Museum, where experts of the engineering division can make deterioration studies of it. Undoubtedly the New Orleans also would be brought here if space were available.
Will Replace Exhibit.
The Chicago will he placed in the aircraft building, adjoining the Smithsonian Institution. In order to accommodate it, however, a “Le Pere’’ biplane, of the type used by Lieut. John A. Macready on his world altitude flight, will be removed and stored at Bolling Field until accommodations can be found for it later. This plane, of French design, was developed during the closing days of the war and is an excellent example of a two-place observation and fighting plane which, in the opinion of Air Service officials, would have revolutionized aircraft fighting on the western front if it could have been brought into use.
An interesting feature of the Chicago is that no one but Capt. Smith ever has landed the plane or taken it off ground or water. When the matter of having the plane flown to Washington from Dayton was discussed, Capt. Smith is quoted as saying: “I would like to fly the faithful old Chicago to Washington. I don’t think it would be fair to let any one else do it, because no one has ever even taken it off or landed It once. It would break my heart to see something happen to it.”
Evening Star, Washington, DC, August 1, 1925