He laid before Ned and Mr. Damon a sketch of a large and powerful plane and also a sort of coach on wheels. The two were shown separately and in combination.
“You see,” went on Tom, pointing out the different features, “the passengers would take their places in this coach—a sort of glorified automobile—at the first landing field, on Long Island. There this car, which will hold half a dozen or more, will be fastened to the aeroplane by clamps. The aeroplane will take off, and make an airline for Chicago, which will be the first of two stops to be made between New York and the Pacific coast. Landing on the Chicago field, the autocar will be detached and rolled, under its own power, to the second aeroplane which will be in waiting. It will be clamped fast to the chassis, and if the passengers happen to be asleep they will not be awakened, any more than they would when a Pullman sleeper is taken off one train and put on another.
“As soon as the car is clamped to the second plane that one starts and flies to Denver. There it descends, the car is rolled to the third plane, in waiting, and that sets off, landing in San Francisco about sixteen hours from the time the start was made—a daylight trip across the continent.”
“Can it be done?” asked Mr. Damon.
“I think so,” Tom answered. “I plan now on making one trip each way every week. There will be three laps of approximately one thousand miles each. Figure five hours to a lap, that would mean a flying rate of two hundred miles an hour—not at all impossible. We’ll charge a fare of one thousand dollars each way. There’ll be money in it, Mr. Damon. Do you want to go in with us?”
Instead of answering Mr. Damon rose and tiptoed his way softly to the door, where he stood intently listening.
CHAPTER XV
A TRIAL FLIGHT
Tom Swift and Ned Newton watched the odd man curiously. Afterward Ned said he thought Mr. Damon had gone to the door to ascertain if his wife might be eavesdropping, since she did not altogether approve of many of the things he did in connection with the young inventor.
“I thought maybe he was going to get his checkbook,” Tom said later. He was always a very hopeful individual.
But when Mr. Damon returned to his seat after his tiptoeing visit to the closed door he remarked in a low voice: