The Colorado statesman., 1913-06-14

The aeroplane as an du-
junct to military operations has al
ready shown It's value both in Irlpoh
and in Turkey. Besides dropping
bombs upon Turks and Arabs II mas
proved of greater usefulness In re-
connoitring the position OF the enemy
The Bulgarians have gone step fur-
Tiers and have used the aeroplane for
five control purposes, enabling the bat
terry commanders of the field guns 10
train their weapons so as TO MAKE
them tell most effectively against lhe
6ultan's forces. This matter OF hre
control is as vital to navy as to an
army in action, especially when the
guns of a fleet are searching out the
weak spots in the land defences. But
heretofore the aeroplane has been less
available for navy than for army use.
The catapult tested in Washington
is the invention of Captain Chambers
of the navy, and is the outcome or va
rious lessons learned while trying to
adapt the aeroplane to the needs OF
the navy The practicability of send
ing aeroplanes in flight from suit
able platform on board ship was
early demonstrated. but there were
lSarious minor problems to be solved.
|, The launching platforms employed
were both long and cumbersome. They
took up space that would not be avail
able in time of war, and they blocked
the fire of some of the guns.
The long runway or sloping plat
form was therefore prohibitive. with
n short track substituted which could
be easily and quickly put in place
and Just speedily demounted and
stored out of the way, there arose the
question of a means of starting the
aeroplane effectively. For this pur-
pose Captain Chambers devised the
catapult. For years he had spe-
cialized in torpedoes and was familiar
with the devices successfully tried
in getting those weapons overpoard
from a boat The catapult tried at
Annapolis last summer was a sort OF
modified torpedo launching outfit OF
the earlier type. and compressed air
was employed to give the initial push.
The trial mechanism was of necessi-
ty rather crude, but this fact did not
deter Lieutenant Ellyson from sub
1ecting himself in a hydroaeroplane
to the extreme shock of the device in
order to find out the effects of such
a conclusion, not only upon the air
pilot, but likewise upon the motor
attachments and other fittings which
might be wrenched loose or deranged
That test was entirely satisfactory in
its lessons, but the aviator and his
machine got a ducking.
The catapult lately tried at the
Washington navy yard is devised so
that the hydroaeroplane attains Its
launching speed without violence, and
this insures the launching of the ma
chine without fear of deranging any
of the apparatus or dislodging the
aviator from his seat. The runway
or starting track is short and can be
put in position in several places on
a fighting ship without interfering
with the maneuvering of the guns or
Impeding any other operation of i'm
portance.
OF course the demonstration at
Washington over the Potomac river
under fairly ideal weather conditions
is not a counterpart of what may con-
front the naval aviator at sea. but so
far as the actual getting away from
the ship is concerned that function
can be promised under any circum-
stances which on shore would warrant
an aviator in trying to go up in the
air. The other side of the problem
is that of returning to the ship again.
and here success is likely.
Glenn H. Curtiss has devised a form
Hao fOr. hi W q
capable of sustaining the flying ma
chine when waves of considerable size