The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-04-06
SHELL TO SHOOT AEROPLANES
kRuPPS PATENT A DEVICE
FOR WAR IN THE AIR.


Explode upou Contact with the Gas
neg eS . Bsiioon or the Great
Canvas Wings Of Q Flytng Machine.
WARRINGTON. April S.-A new death
dealing device for use in aerial warfare
has been patedted by the Krupps. the well
known German manufacturers. 1t con-
sists Of highly sensitive fuse which
insures the explosion Of q projectile on
impact with the delicate resistance
afforded by the gas bag Of balloon or the
light canvas covering OF an aeroplane.
Up to this time the explosion OF such
pro ojectiles In aerial warfare practice
has been dependent altogether on time
fuses. but the Krupps by their latest
invention have eliminated the large ele-
ments Of uncertainty In this method
and have added a weapon which will
be an important factor in the aerial war
fare OF the future.
Letters patent have just been issued
here for this latest Of modern war devices.
The new fuse. while being susceptible
to the most delicate impact. is safe
guarded by an intricate mechanism
against the resistance offered by the air
in its fight.
The fuse has base plug containing
a pellet OF Illuminated mercury which
when ignited sets OF the explosive charge
Of the projectile. The illuminate is ignited
by needle driven against the pellet by q
spring which is controlled by two levers.
These levers are normally held against
swinging by a movable shaft, which is
made Of wood. for lightness. When the
head OF the projectile strikes surface
a. delicate even as that Of the yielding
silk OF balloon or the most fragile part
OF an aeroplane the levers are released
and swing outward under centrifugal
force. permitting the ignition needle
to be driven by its spring into the full
| inmate.
The mechanism Ia controlled against
the resistance Of the air by another device.
which il. however. susceptible to the
least impact beyond that encountered
from the atmosphere.
| With the development OF the possi-
bilities OF aerial warfare ordnance experts
Of nearly every country have been work.
ing for several years on offensive devices
to destroy aerial craft Inventions along
these lines have developed field guns
having large angles Of elevation. even
upright. and having mounts designed
to permit horizontal training from cir
cular path with the rear Of the carriage
lbs centre
Tho projSbtiles used in thess guns up
to this time have beerf OF two general
types. shrapnel and incendiary. The
shrapnel shells are practically the same
type as are used in land operations. which
when exploded scatter a shower Of small
balls The incendiary shells act on the
principle OF emitting jets OF fire. 90 that
the projectile having penetrated the gas
bag Of a balloon explodes the gas con-
tents. bringing destruction to the balloon
and death to the operator.
Experiments also have been tried by
foreign governments with rapid fire guns.
both stationary and mounted on auto
mobile carriages. The principle on which
these rapid fire guns are worked ia prac-
tically the same a. the man who might
attempt TO hit low flying bird with q
stream from a garden hose With the
gun squirting a steady flow OF bullets
across the aeroplane's path there 10 good
chance of it's connecting with some OF
them.
Incendary shells used in aeroplsne war
also serve another purpose. They mark
the path of the shell and thus assist in
the adjusting of the aim. which is par
tcularly difficult to estimate because
of the absence of surrounding objects
by which to Judge the distance.
In both types Of shell, however, a fuse
is used to detonate the charge in the case
Of the bursting shell, and to ignite the
flame producing material in the incen.
diary projectile. Nearly always the fuse
10 a time fuse. controlled either by mechan-
ical means. such as clockwork. or by a
burning train OF powder. These fuses
however. require extreme accuracy OF
adjustment TO explode the shell at the
precise instant when. travelling upward
at the rate Of 1000 feet second, It reaches
the vicinity OF the target
Moreover. with objects not only NOV
ing rapidly but having a third direction
OF manpuyre instead Of only two hori-
zontal directions, as with objects on land
or water. it becomes extremely difficult
to determine the operation Of the fuse at
the precise moment.
Experiments have shown that pro-
jectiles pass through the gas bags OF
balloons without completely disabling
them unless the explosion of the shell
or the emission OF fire can be assured
simultaneously with the impact. Al
though no aeronaut has yet consented
to make himself target in flying ma
chine. it is apparent that a projectile may
pass through a portion OF an aerial craft
without putting 1t entirely out of COM
mission To obtain a shell which will
insure destruction whenever the target
Is reached was the purpose Of the Krupps
in working out their new invention,
The impact fuse is in common use in
land and water firing. where it is intended
to respond to hard body such as armor
plate or masonry, but when such fuse
encounters the soft and yielding cover
Of balloon bag or the canvas OF an aero
plane the force Of the impact would not
be sufficient to insure ignition The re-
sistancc of the air was the chief difficulty
that the krupps had to encounter in the
invention Of this she'll