Swift, Jet-Powered Tanker Planes
Seen by Air Force as Solution
To Refueling High-Flying B-52s
WASHINGTON, —T h e Air.
Force may turn to swift, high fly
ing jet-powered tanker planes to
provide mid-air refueling for the j
new B-52 all-jet heavy bombers of j
the Strategic Air Command.
The B-52s are expected to be- j
gin coming off the production line j
late this year. Each B-52 is being
equipped to replenish its fuel sup
ply in flight to offset rate of fuel
consumption by its eight thirsty
jet engines.
Mid-air refueling for medium
B-47 jet bombers is standard prac
tice. But all tanker planes now
used are piston-engined aircraft,
the KC-97 Boeing Stratofreighter,
with tanks and a “flying boom”
for transfer of fuel to jet bombers
or fighters.
Airmen are highly pleased with
idea of replenishing jet bombers
and fighters in mid-flight. They
point to the recent non-stop flight
of an entire 45-plane wing of B-47
bombers from Louisiana to North
Africa, with the tanks of the
bombers refilled while winging
across the Atlantic. But they also
say that a loss in efficiency, in j
time and in fuel will always exist!
when a jet bomber refuels from 1
a piston-engined tanker. The rea- 1
son:
A jet engine performs best at :
high altitude. where the air is thin. .
A piston-engined aircraft pro
duces more power at lower alti
tudes. The B-47 usually cruises at j
30.000 feet or above. The KC-97,
toting a hefty 6,000 or 7,000 gal
lons of jet fuel in addition to its
own gasoline, has a practical ceil
ing for refueling of about 20,000
feet. To refuel, the bomber must
descend 10,000, then climb back
with the accompanying high fuel
consumption rate for a climb.
What is true of the B-47 medium
will have even greater effect in
refueling of the B-52, a much
bigger and somewhat faster plane.
Observers who have ridden a
tanker plane in a refueling opera
tion with the B-47 bomber note
that the bomber is close to “stall
ing” speed as it nears full fuel
load while throttled down to 300
miles an hour or less to match the
top speed of the tanker plane.
The Air Force disclosed last fall
that it was experimenting with a
B-47 converted to a tanker plane
by the Boeing Airplane Co. The
Boeing Company announced last
week that its new jet transport, a
prototype of which is being built,
can be utilized as a tanker.
Boeing expects to get a cruising
speed of about 550 miles for the
Transport. This would bring the
speed of a tanker up to a satisfac
tory match with a jet bomber—
and a? the same time make it pos
sible to operate the tanker at the
bomber's normal cruising altitude.
Dimensions of the jet transport
are almost as great as that for the
piston-engined tanker.
To give the heavy jet bomber
real “global” range, aerial refuel
ing must be used. In its present
form the B-52 has an official re
ported radius of about 3,000 miles,
with the Air Force hoping im
provements to engines and opera
ting technique can extend that to
5,000. But by refueling, the radius
of action could be extended con
siderably.
The Convair B-36 has the long
est reach of any operational Air
Force aircraft, rated officially as
possessing a 10,000-mile range
and reported to have exceeded
12.000 miles in some flights. This
latter figure would provide an
operating radius of about 4,000
miles. The B-36’s main power
plant is composed of six piston
engine’s, with four jets to provide
extra speed when needed.
First 5,000 Feet Of
Haines-Fairbanks Pipeline
Arrives at Port of Valdez
VALDEZ, OP)—The first pipe for
the Haines-Fairbanks pipeline,
5,000 feet of it, arrived here Mon
day aboard the Norwegian motor
ship Noreness, the first foreign
flag ship to visit this port since
1925.
Trucks immediately started to
haul the eight-inch pipe from here
via the Richardson Highway to
stockpiling points located every
10 miles between Fairbanks and
Haines.
The Noreness left Newport,
England, Jan. 23, making only a
refueling stop at Los Angeles en
route to Valdez. The last foreign
flag vessel to visit this port was
the British cruiser HMS Durban.
Deputy Marshal
CLEVELAND, OHIO—Public enemies Beware! A new gun
toting U.S. Deputy Marshal was sworn in here. Miss Mary Jane
Gale, 28-year-old beauty who recently tried and failed to become an
FBI agent, is shown being finger printed by a federal employe.
French Harassed by I
Red-Led Commando Raids
In North Indochina
HANOI, Indochina, UP!—T h e
French announced still another
Vietminh commando raid in the
vicinity of Haiphong Tuesday and
said paratrooper guards were be
ing strengthened at U.S.-serviced
airfields in the area of the major
north Indochina seaport, 64 miles
east of Hanoi.
Army headquarters announced
rebel commandos Monday night
attacked a small training center of
Vietnamese mobile guards at
Uongbi Village, 12 miles northeast
of Haiphong.
The French already had de
clared a state of emergency in
Hanoi following a commando raid
Sunday—the third such attack
this month—on Catbi Airfield
near Haiphong, where 44 U.S.
Air Force technicians are sta
tioned to service American planes
supplied the French.
In the Uongbi raid, the rebels
kidnaped “several” non-commis
sioned French army officers who
were stationed there as instruc
tors for the Vietnamese, the
French said. An army stokesman
said there were “some losses” on
both sides.
TOKYO, ijPi—The Communist
Peiping radio said Tuesday night
that Red guerrilla forces in Indo
china destroyed 78 French air
craft in two recent raids on air
fields near Hanoi and Haiphong.
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given of Ordi
nance No. 362 entitled,
"An ordinance of the City of
Nome, Alaska, creating a Utili
ties Board for the City of Nome,
prescribing the qualifications,
and providing for the election,
at the General Municipal Elec
tion of April 6, 1954, of the
members of said board, and for
election of new members to the
said board at succeeding regrular
municipal elections, prescribing
the powers and duties of such
board, and providing for the
operation of the Nome Light
and Power Utilities."
Ordinance No. 362 is posted in
the City Hall. U.S. Post Office,
and U.S. Commissioner's Office
for your further reading.
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that Or
dinance No. 363, entitled,
"An ordinance of the City of
Nome, Alaska, vacating Third
Avenue between West B Street
and Division Street as a public
thoroughfare, and giving unto
said street a block and lot desig
nation,"
shall be submitted for ratification
to the qualified electors at the
forthcoming Nome School Board
and Municipal election to be held
April 6, 1954, in the City Hall.
The portion of Third Avenue to
be vacated for school use is locat
ed north of the school and the
school playgrounds.
Ordinance No. 363 is posted in
the City Hall, U.S. Post Office and
U. S. Commissioner's Office for
your further clarification.
CITY OF NOME
By Carrie M. McLain
City Clerk
Publ. Mar. 13, 20, 27, 1954.
IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR THE
CAPE NOME PRECINCT, SECOND
DIVISION, TERRITORY OF ALASKA.
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF
NELS A. LARSEN, deceased.
No. 979
Notice to Creditors
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Les
ter D. Bronson, of Nome, Alaska, has
been duly appointed the Administrator
of the Estate of Nels A. Larsen, deceased.
All persons having claims against said
estate shall present them, with proper
vouchers attached, to the said Adminis
trator at Nome, Alaska, within six (6)
months of the date of this notice.
DATED this 15th day of February, 1954.
LESTER D. BRONSON,
■ ADMINISTRATOR.
Publ. Feb. 17, 24, Mar. 3, 10, 1954.
Young Housewife Kills
Her Three Children
Because ‘God Told Me’
WATERVIDLE, Maine, UO—A
distraught young housewife who
wrote a message that “God told
me,” Tuesday faced a murder
charge in the bathtub drowning
of her three children.
County -Atty. Joseph B. Camp
bell said Mrs. Constance Fisher,
24, would be arraigned in munici
pal court.
Richard Fisher, 6, his brother,
Daniel, 4, and their sister, Deb
orah, 1, were found dead in their
home Monday by their father,
Carl, 33, who smashed a door to
gain entrance.
Richard’s body lay face down in
the tub. The others were on beds.
Campbell said Mrs. Fisher was
huddled in a blanket under a bed.
He said she swallowed some
liquid shampoo in a suicide at
tempt, but it had no serious effect.
Campbell said Mrs. Fisher wrote
her husband:
“It was so hai'd to do, but God
told me it was the only way I
could save them. They are in
heaven, safe forever from evil.”
NOW! s» Much Valuel
for So Little Money!
11 \’zma
^^^■gynpPIlEBpnnH
Hagen’s
Jewelry Store
MINERS & MERCHANTS
BANK OF ALASKA
NOME ALASKA
..' '■. ■■■ . .
ARCTIC OIL DELIVERY
_ STOVE OIL FURNACE OIL
Ben Young
We Check Your Tank Regularly
WE SERVICE ALL MAKES OF BURNERS
Office Phone: BLACK 76 Residence: MAIN 52
.. . .^
SAMPLE FREIGHT RATES
VIA ALASKA STEAM AND WIEN
FROM SEATTLE TO NOME
per 100 lbs.
GROCERIES: canned goods . 12.55
GROCERIES: bakery goods . 12.90 j
MEAT . 16.31
LIQUORS . 14.76
For further information call
Wien Alaska Airlines