Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-24
OCTOBER SET FOR TRIAL
Of NEW ARMY PLANES
Lieut.. Milling to Supervise
Tests-MiIitary Aviators'
Badge Handsome.

October has been set for the month, but
no definite date has yet been set for the
trial of the new flying machine that
will be tested for the army at the Wright
factory at Dayton, Ohio. Lieut.. Thomas
Milling will be officially detailed to super
wise the tests. 1t is probable that Gen.
George p. Scriven, chief signal officer
Of the army. and possibly some other
officers of the army also will attend.
There will be three of the new ma
chines-a Burgess, a Wright and a Cur
tiss-all equipped with foreign engines.
The motors will run from 90 to 40 NOM
inal horsepower and will be the most
powerful ever installed in government
machines None of these new machines
will be intrusted to any but the officers
who have qualified for the military
aviator certificate. The older machines
| will be reserved for training.
The army has decided on the design
and obtained one Specimen Of the mill
tary aviator's badge 1t Is considered
the handsomest thing in the way OF
badge that the government has ever
assigned. 1t has plain gold bar with
the words Military Aviator" in black
enamel. Beneath the bar there hangs
an eagle with extended wings carrying
in his claws crossed signal flags In gold
|
Students Ready for Tests.
Several of the student officers in the
Philippines are just ready to try for their
military pilots license. They are Lieuts.
Chapman of the 7th Cavalry. Rich of
the Philippine Scouts and Dargue Of the
Coast Artillery. They have all been
trained as aviators under Lieut.. Frank
Lahm, who was the first Of the army
officers to be trained by Wilbur Wright
at College Park Lieut.. Lahm has not
been flying continuously. but he 10 In
point Of service the Oldest military avl-
ator In the world.
Another of the student aviators who
is about to take his military test Is
Lieut.. E. L. Ellington, at San Diego.
According to present arrangemente,
when the officers have qualified as mill
tary aviators they will be retained at
their posts to act as instructors to
service Some Of the older men probably
will be sent this fall to the main avia-
ton center. at San Antonio. Tex.
Army Signal Book in Demand.
Considerable interest has been aroused
not only among the aviafors but
throughout the army by the issue OF
the new army signal book by the Signal
Corps. This contains the American
Morse and the international Morse. the
flag, lantern, Ardois lights and all the
other systems OF signaling used in the
army. 1t is the essential manual or
army signaling. The revised edition has
been complied by Gen. ScriveE. the
chief signal officer Of the army. One Of
the interesting features OF the rush for
the little book is the general desire Of
the Boy Scouts for copies. The scouts
all over the country seem to be going
in for signaling. judging by the mass
of applications they have filed for the
book.
After the House committee on military
affairs had thoroughly discussed the
aviation problem last week, 1t was pfac-
tically decided to make no change in
the present arrangement in the army.
but to leave the aviation work under
the Signal Corps, where it has hereto
fore been.