The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-11-24
Device May Make AerOpIane
Deadly Machine.
It Has Been Predicted That II Would
Make the Mightiest Destructive
Force Known to Modern
Warfare.

New York.-Iver since the aero
plane has been developed into prac-
tical flying machine it has been pre-
dicted that 1t would be the mightiest
destructive force known to modern
warfare. But not until practical
gun for use on aeroplanes had been
built, it was realized, would the power
OF the aeroplane as an aggressive fac
tor in war be recognized.
This gun has now been invented
and is at present being tested by its
designer, Lieut.. Riley q. Scott, a West
Pointer and expert mathematician
who has spent years Of time in trying
to solve the problems that would pro-
duce a perfectly accurate bomb hurl-
ing apparatus.
AS soon as men learned how to op-
crate flying machine they began to
practice, throwing imitation bombs at
objects hundreds OF feet below them
on earth. Batleships, drawn to the ex-
act scale of a dreadnaught, have been
whitewashed on aviation fields ana
the aviators have thrown oranges at
these targets to see how nearly they
could come to hitting the make be-
lieve warships in a vital spot.
Glenn H. Curtiss, in July year ago.
made some OF the first bomb throwing
tests. A floating target in the shape
OF a battleship was constructed on
Lake Keuka, Hammondsport, n. 7. In
the presence Of a number OF army ana
navy officers who had been assigned
TO watch the experiment, MT. Curtss
few his biDlane over the lake and
more than a score OF times hit the tar
get with small bags Of sand represent
ting bombs The military authorities
present took accurate measurements
and carefully examined the targets
after the tests, with the result that
they proclaimed the test highly sue
cessful
With Lieutenant Scott's new aerial
gun. the shooting OF highly explosive
proiectiles from the heavens on TO
cities, forts or warsh!ps at sea, be-
comes a simple matter. The accuracy
a gunner acquires IN the navy or
army can now also be put into opera
tion from an aeroplane. Heretofore
aviators have been laughed at because
they either aimed BADLY or their aim
was spoiled by the speed at which the
aeroplane was travelling through the
air, or the falling bomb would be de-
fiected by strong wind current.
To obviate these difficulties, Lieu
tenant Scott has constructed his aero
plane gun in such a way that the
speed of the machine, the velocity OF
the wind and the distance from the
earth are all calculated automatically
and with reasonable accuracy. In APP
pearance the Scott gun resembles
somewhat ships compass.
The aviator must first sight the OBJ
iect at which he intends to fire
through a telescope that is attached
to the gun. In orde" to attain the nee
sary accuracy when dropping the
bombs it is of first Importance for the
gunner to know the speed at which he
is travelling and the height from the
ground. The speed is determined by
the use of a stop watch attached to
the gun in conjunction with the tele-
scope. In addition tables have been
prepared to be used by the aviator in
making his measurements.
The gun is to be tested from riot
monoplane," which has been built by
Alfred Moisant. a brother of the late
John Moisant The monoplane will
have roono for a Messenger and the
gun. One OF the interesting features
OF the gun is that no concussion will
be felt by the shooting Of the projec-
tile. 1t is simply dropped at the
proper instant and finds its way to
earth by itself.