ORBETELLO. Italy, April 25.—A
life like that of a bunch of pugil
ists in strict training is led here
by the 100 aviators who will man
24 Italian seaplanes on General
Italo Balbo's group flight to Chi
cago late in May.
Men and machines are being tun
ed to the highest possible point
of efficiency so that both human
and mechanical units may be with
out flaw when the moment comes
from their leader to signal "con
tact.’’
One by one the model 10 Savoia
Marchetti planes, beautiful speci
mens of workmanship, are being
turned over to the pilots, navi
gators, mechanics and wireless op
erators who will form their crews.
The ships embody several late
improvements over the planes usetl
on Balbo's mass flight to Brazil
in 1931. Each is driven by two Isot
ta-Fraschinl motors developing
dem over the single wing. The
front motor drives a three-bladed
propeller and the rear engine a
two-bladed affair.
The maximum speed is 175 miles
an hour., At the cruising rate of
150 m.p.h. each machine can carry
2,200 pounds more than 2,500 miles.
The men selected fbr the trip
are walled off from all distracting
contacts. They ^at at a training
table, may each have just one pint
of wine a day and are limited on
their smoking.
Sports, such as swimming, ten
nis, fencing, water polo and skiing,
are on the daily program, along
with flying and intensive class
room work in aerial subjects, al
ternated with two hours in the air
daily. Visitors are taboo.
Already “in the pink," every man
jack of the expedition is certain
that he soon will be sauntering
through the fair grounds on Chi
1,600 horsepower and erected tan-oagos iaKe ironc.
