The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-11-17
Device May Make Aeroplane
Deadly Machine.
II Has Been Predicted That II Wou'o
Make tho Mightiest Destructive
Force Known to Modern
Warfare.

New 1OrK.-EFeT SIuCo tA0 oe'S
plane has been developed into prac'
tical flying machine 1t has been pre-
dicted that 1t would be the mightless
destructive force known to modern
warfare. But not until a practical
gun for use on aeroplanes had been
built, it was realized, would the power
OF the aeroplane as an aggressive lac'
tor in war be recognized.
This gun has now been invented
and is at present being tested by its
designer, Lieut.. Riley 2. Scott, 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 a flying machine they began TO
practice, throwing imitation bombs at
objects hundreds of feet below them
on earth Batleships, drawn to the ex'
,ct scale of a dreadnaught. have been
whitewashed on aviation fields and
the ayiators have thrown oranges at
these targets to see how nearly they
could come to hitting the make De-
lieve warships In vital spot.
Glenn H. Curtiss, in July year ago.
made some OF the first bomb throwing
tests. A floating target in the shape
OF battleship was constructed on
Lake Keuka, Hammondsport, N. I. IN
the presence Of number OF army ana
navy officers who had been assigned
to watch the experiment. MT Curtlss
few his biplane 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 SCOTS new aerial
gun, the shooting Of highly explosive
projectiles from the heavens on to
cities. forts or warships at sea. be-
comes simple matter The accuracy
a gunner acquires in the navy or
army can now also be put into opera
ton 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 a strong wind current
To obviate these difficulties. Lieu
tenant Scott has constructed his aero
plane gun In such 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 resemble:
somewhat ships compass
The aviator must first sight the OBJ
1ect at which he intends to tir'
through a telescope that is attached
to the gun In orde" 70 attain the nee
sary accuracy when dropping tn,
bombs It Is OF first Importance for tn
gunner to know the speed at which h
is travelling and the height from tn
ground. The speed Is determined b.
the use of stop watch attached L
the gun In conjunction with the teie
scope. In addition tables have beel
prepared to be used by the aviator II
making his measurements
The gun Is to be tested from rio
monoplane," which has been built b.
AIfred Moisant. brother Of the lat
John Moisant The monoplane viii
have room for passenger and tn
gun. One OF the interesting feature
of the gun Is that no conclusion vii
be felt by the shooting OF the projee
tile. It Is simply dropped at tn
proper instant and finds It's way t
earth by Itself.