Tom Swift and his airline express

the long version

The neighborhood is still in the hand-basket headed for Hell. This is another tale of industrial espionage, extortion and theft. In spite of Swift Construction's electric fences, alarms, watchmen and guarded gates, Tom is waylaid, drugged, shackled and beaten by a couple of disgruntled ex-employees in cahoots with the "Hooded Two." These miscreants seem to think that Tom's latest brainchild, The AirLine Express, is their idea and try to prevent Tom's success by various nefarious means. This revolutionary concept will allow travel from coast to coast in a single 16 hour day, using a concept for all purposes similar to the old Pony Express, but with wings. In addition, to criminal human factors, there are the usual hazards of air travel to be overcome: foul weather, mechanical breakdowns, fire and a pair of quarrelsome stewardess-wannabes, Rad and Koku. ( Lost luggage has not yet been invented.)