“Mighty sweet,” replied Hunter. “I haven’t had her up for I knew you would want the first flight. However, I gave her a thorough test on the blocks and she never missed a stroke. Boy, you’ve got some plane with that new 250 horsepower radial motor. You’ll do 200 miles an hour and have plenty of power to spare.”
They hastened to the plane where Tim and Ralph made a quick but thorough inspection. The biplane had been overhauled and re-rigged during the winter with a new, more powerful motor. The Good News would be fifty miles an hour faster.
The flying reporters climbed into their cockpits. Ralph, who was to handle the camera, took the forward cockpit and Tim handled the controls in the rear one.
Tim opened the throttle and listened attentively as he ran the motor up and down the scale. There was never a second’s hesitation.
Hunter came close and shouted in Tim’s ear.
“Don’t get too close to the fire,” he cried. “The heat will raise the dickens with the air and it will be pretty rocky.”
Tim nodded and motioned for the blocks to be cleared away.
The Good News rolled easily out of the hangar, flipped its tail saucily at the few mechanics left at the field, and roared over the soggy ground and into the air.
Tim thrilled to the touch of the controls and the Good News answered even to the slightest movement of the stick.
The new motor settled to its work in a manner that warmed Tim’s heart. He felt that he had reserve power for any emergency as he swung the biplane around and headed for the burning oil tanks.