The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-01-10
MAKES PLANS FOR.
ARMY kER0PlANE
Requirements ATe Based on
Record Breaking Flights
MORE MACHINES NEEDED.

Brissdier General Allen Wants Another
Appropriation Of s125,ooo to Continue
the Work-Wsr Department Now Has
Six Aeropisnes.
Brigadisr General James Allen. chief
signal oficsr, has prepared new speci-
ncations for military aeroplanes to be
hereafter purchased by the war de
partmsnt They are the result OF i'm
provemsnts demonstrated By the aero
plane work Of last summer and MS yet
are tentative in character.
Each aeroplane," it is required,
must carry two persons, with the
seats so arranged as to permit of the
largest possible field Of operation for
both. The control must be capable Of
use by either operator from either seat.
The value Of dual control, it will be
recalled, was established in the flights
Of Lieutenant T. G. Ellyson and John
II. Towers in the navy hydroaeroplane
Triad
THE machine is further required to
be able to ascend at a minimum rate
Of 1900 feet in ten minutes while car
rying a weight Of $50 pounds and fuel
supply suficient for Mt least four hours
Of continuous flight. This requirement
recalls that the American weight car
rying record established by p. o. Par
melee at Chicago last August is 45S
pounds. Claude Grahame- White. car
rying a passenger on Sept 80 at Mas
sau boulevard, rose $3.50 feet in nine
minutes
The engine" it is provided. will
be subject to an endurance test in the
air of two hours continuous flight
The aeroplane must develop a speed
in the air Of at least forty-nve miles
an hour
American duration record for a ma
chine with two persons is hours and
AZ minutes made by G. W. Beatty at
the Chicago meet. The worlds record
however, is 4 hours % minutes. estab-
lished recently by Herr Suvelack near
Berlin.
"In case the weight carrying capaci-
ty is increased to COO pounds the
specifications state, 'the minimum
speed may be reduced to thirty eight
miles per hour and the climbing pow
er diminished to 1900 feet in ten min
utes."
Another requirement is reminiscent
Of the recent French military compe-
tition, in which several machines fail
ed on the same condition as follows:
"The machine must be capable Of
landing or arising from plowed fields. 4"
Other requirements are as follows:
"The. aeroplane must be easily trans
portable by road, rail, etc, and easily
and rapidly assembled and adjusted.
THE starting and landing devices
must be part Of the machine itself.
and it must be able TO start without
outside assistance.
"The engine must be capable OF
throttling to run at reduced speed"
The war department now has six
aeroplanes, four at Augusta, one at
! San Antonio and one on its way to
the Philippines. These include three
Wright, one Burgess Wright and two
Curtiss machines. Another Curtiss ma.
chine has not yet been delivered.
Brigadier General Allen has $4,000
left Of the s125.OO0 appropriated by
the last congress. He will not pur-
chase any more machines for month
or two, as he wishes now to train the
officers with the machines on hand
BY July / the balance of the appro,
priation will have been spent, and II
is expected that there will be availa.
bic another S125,ooo appropriated by
congress at this session.
More aeroplanes are needed by th'
army If the experiments now being
made are to be carried out properly
General Allen said when he appeared
before the house committee on mill
tary affairs.