The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-06
'Claude Grahame-whi,e, in London

'Niduds LraFGame-Nhite, in London
AnS"'ers.)
Seeing that ] was tun enough
u be connected with the earliest pf,as-
es of aviation in England. and having
regard to the fact THAI, have piloted
hipianes and m~onoplanes of various
= pes of construction, l now find my
self asked-generally by visitors TO
my Hendon aerodrome-two questions
"hlch seem particularly to interest
those people who view flying. not as
experts, bur as ordinary observers.
For the sake of brevity, and to
maxi tn" scope Of my subject quite
clear 70 the reader. ] set our these Two
question:. below, They are:
!. What military and social prob
lens ar" likely To arise as aerial navi-
cation c"a>es 10 be experimental. and
gradually becomes An everyday meth
ca Of transport
VIA, MAJ be called the aerial age
have upon the attitude Of great coun-
tIi"s toward each other, and will it
despite Its Significance in warfare
ttnd eventually toward peace and the
creation of a better understanding be
tween mon Of different nationali-ieso
Dawn of the Practical.
AZ d practical %airlnan, and also a
constructor Of aeroplanes. it is my
49,. "'4 b!'bs hFto SlLlS l!!N
problenls OF flight. and may say tina,
the future is full Of remarkable posi-
hilities.
The ~aeroplane il. in fact. in the pro
cess Of emerging from the expert
mental into ,he practical.
Hitherto we have flown on construc-
tons Of wood and wire, and have
caused 4 sensation merely b. our
ability 10 leave the ground. Bur nov
t;ae frall, wind-huteted aaroplane Is
% become 4 thing If the past.
Hood is steadily being replaced BY
steel. Instead If being flown By ore
man. the naodern-type aeroplane car
!l"s is regular crew" consisting in
some cases Of an engineer, TO look aft
ct inc motor. A pilot, who has moth
ing &c do hut steer, and a passenger.
IF fishr. or, il he is a military OBJ
s"rver. 70 write his notes and use his
'leld glasses as the machine whirs
through the air.
Aa-oa!anes Of 1912 are installed
Nth engines of 100 and 40 horse
p""er. These machines, carrying two
ana three men through the air at
Trains. ara able to make light Of winds
which would have chained ,he early
airman 70 the ground.
AZ first men flew only in dead Gains.
Ih@n they were able 20 combat Is and
20 Mills an hour winds. In April.
1910. when Paulhan and I engaged in
OUT historic aerial contes, from Lon
don u Manchester. flight in 3 wind Of
% miles an hour vas considered a
most daring achievement.
m Weapons of War Now.
To-Day flights are made in IS and 40
n7ilss an hour winds. In my aerial
display AZ Hendon at Easter I made
several short fights with passengers
in a "!nd which approached 50 miles
an hour in velocity, and although my
h!rlane was eventually overturned
Nhen I was circling near the ground.
II demonstrated what astonishing
progress has been made in wind Az
ing.
Its ability to e. In bad weather adds
Immensely TO the p~racttcability Of the
~aeroplane. For instance, II has now
been proved that a f~ast-hying machine
could ascend upon SO per cent Of the
lays Of the year. How importan, this
Is when the commercial possibilities Of
point out.
Although l believe that. in it's evo-
luton as an infinitely rapid and o
hrnical means of transport, both for
Passengers and merchandise. the aero
plane will eventually bring all nations
together in friendly UNDERSTANDING.
there IS no doubt that. for the time be
ing, il possesses an overwhelming i'm
phrtance as 4 weapon Of war.
In the next great war, instead Of
fumhling, more or less, in the dark.
and relying upon tardy and often in
accurate reports from scouts sent out
On horseback and on foot, the COM
mahders-in-chief will find that their
aerial onn%oissance will convert a
great battle into a game Of chess, with
the pieces represented by men and
guns.
Through the coming Of the aero
plane What is known as I fog Of
AR will exist no longer.
Every move will be noted-the po-
sition OF each body Of troops accurate
II set down. In fact, in the words Of
one of the greatest authorities upon
the military use of aeroplanes. War
will become an intellectual process"
In his regard my readers will. no
doubt, have noted the campaign
which have recently Instituted in the
hope Of compelling our authorities
by the weight Of public o~pinion-to
formulate an aerial program worthy
Of this great country
Destructive Powers OF Aeros.
The british government has now
authorized the purchase Of so aero
Piaii"s, anu, DIS soon as a sufficient
number of army and navy airmen
have been trained. the orders Will be
increased to a total of 100 machines.
Even with these the British aeronauti-
cal service will still be greatly Inferior
to the French service, and some con
siderable distance behind the German
service.
a question upon which ] find there
is now much speculation concerns the
destructive possibilities of aeroplanes.
Here. ! venture to think, I may have
been of service in stimulating public
interest. AT Blackpool. in 1910, and
at Hendon, in 1911-this time before
an audience Of most DISTINGUISHED
people, dropped mimic bombs from
a biplane, and showed that practice
only, was needed to enable a man tc
aim accurately from a machine in
flight.
So far. however. nations have been
eager to develop the work of the air
scout; and they have neglected the de.
structive aspect of military airman.
ship. But the increase in the weight.
carrying powers of modern machines
and the use of them. not in tens. bu,
in hundreds, make offensive opera.
lions. with an aerial squadron Of suf.
icient size, A very interesting question
One or two aeroplanes for destruc.
tive work would, I quite realize, have