New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-17
Says European War VIII
Solve Many Problems
of Flying.
PLANES MAY BE USED
FOR BOMB DROPPING
Aviator Expects Demonstration
Of Actual Usefulness OF
DirigibleS.

a
bilities Of the aeroplans, the hydro
aeroplane and the dirigiblo In the
European war was given by Glenn H..
Curtiss i'm a talk at the Aero Club yes
terday. The aviator asserted that the
utilization Of the flying machine to
the best advantage will be the great
problem Of the conflict.
Mr.. Curtiss said the aeroplane had
already proved its worth IN warfare
nd cited the expenditure Of approx
mately slOO,OOOOOO By European gov
ernments for military aviation.
Only England and France, he said
have given the world any good idea
Of their aerial forces. Germany long
ago ceased TO give out such informa-
ton, while Russia has never been com
municative on the subject.
Suggests War Problems.
Suppose, for example Mr.. Curtlss
continued. "a German army advancing
on A French position. The German
commander sends his aerial scouts
ahead 20 find the lay of the land, the
number and disposition OF the DEFEND
ing forces. If he alone had flying ma
chimes the result would be simple;
few hours would give him accurate
first hand information regarding al
most every detail OF the French align
ment.
"But the French, too, have air scouts
and they not only object TO the recon
naissance Of their arrangements put
also want information regarding the
forces advancing against them. 20 tney
send out their aerial observers.
"What comes next? Shall we see
whole fleets Of aeroplanes engaged IN
aerial battles? viii there be single
handed aerial duels? VIII the small
very fast machines manage TO eIuGe
the armored air cruisers, obtain inc
information desired and slip back IN
side their own lines? Or VIII the
slower craft, armed with rapid-hre ma
chine guns, sweep the speed scouts
from the sky or push them back so TAI
or so high they cannot secure the IN
formation they seek? ,-.
"Wiil the skirmishes IN the SKY con
tinue until ore fleet is driven from inc
field, leaving the victors 20 their uh
molested explorations Or VIII potI
fleets i'm the air avoid each oI"C'
gather the information they need aho
safely return with their reports
somewhere you have seen u sus
gested that it is q simple matter y
conceal troops from air scouts, TO Neei
cavalry under cover or WOODS OF ia
fantry under green tarpauIihs. Oh'
thing is certain: Just so long az troops
ere concealed in this way they are 90
ing 10 harm, and if an aeroplane soar
inc overhead will drive troop I'
cover. and keep II there, II seems aI
Inexpensive and Dloodless system o
warfare.
Bomb Tears Great Hole.
"To read some reports, one mlgn
easily gather the idea that lOO-pou"I
bomb would bounce from a ships dect
like dried pea. Recently an aerla
bomb carving but six pounds OF eN
plosives was fired at rest on lh'
ground; / am told II tore hole tofIy
feet deep, and broke ground for ZOO
feet in all directions.
both France and Germany have
scores, If not hundreds, of machines
capable Of carrying three to four nun
dred pounds of load apiece, in addition
to the pilot and enough tuel tor
fight of sixty miles. Bomb dropping
may not be INDUCED in, but its posi-
bllities are greatly underestimated.
"DiriQibles are Of such enormous
bulk" Mr.. Curtiss continued, that they
offer easy targets to gunners, either on
the ground or in the air. Their gun
decks afford their sharps shooters
steady firing place, but an aeroplanc
/ travelling at from 90 to 100 miles an
hour is a difficult target at best, espe-
ciallv so at 5000 10 1000 yards.
ION the other hand, the aeroplane Is
steady enough TO make the shooting OF
wild ducks from flying boat conf
parstively simple matter. SO, perhaps
one of the most important things, from
an aeronautical standpoint, TO be de-
tcrmined by the war is the ability o.
the big war balloons TO defend them
selves against the faster aeroplanes.
NAVAL operations probably will show
what actual service is 70 demand o.
the hydro-aeroplane and the flying boat
/ There will be little opportunity, how
ever. unless the war is long continued
10 try many Of the things planned Tor
the future. such as launching the ma
chimes from battleships either by cata-
pult. from platforms or from cables.
There also remains 10 be proved
under service conditions the practlca-
bilitv Of launching hydro-aeroplanes
alongside the battleships, in even mod
crate weather. in mid-ocean. Can the
machine live through and arise from
ocean waves? Can it leave the trans
mort. make an extensive scouting flight,
and safely find its way back 70 the
mother ship? There is practically no
end 10 the aeronautical questions that
NAV be answered by the European war,
except the one to which we alread:
know the answer-that flying machines
are practically invaluable Tor scouting
purposes