The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-12-16

from the U-boat, they follow aloft
until the foe starts to the surface to
take q peep around. Then they swoop
down and, swishing along the surface
of the sea at terrific speed, pass right
over tho U-boat, breaking off it's peri
scope and leaving it helpless.
"One of the marked features of the
seaplanes now is the great strength
with which they are built. We no
longer use the fine silk that was put
favoring metal for the surface of the
planes, much of the framework is OF
metal / am not at liberty to give di"
mansions of the biggest machine yet
turned out, but l can say it is consid'
erably larger than the America and
more than eight times the weight o.
the machine with which l flew down
the Hudson five years ago and won
the Worlds $4,000 prize for the flight
from Albany.
More important than the increase
in size is the increase in reserve en-
CINE power. On the America we had
two motors of 80 horse power each,
but they developed only 80 horse pow
er, or together 100. On similar ma.
chine today we put two 100 horse pow
err motors.
AeropIane That's Safe.
"Were we now building for pea>e
purposes we could build enormously
larger machines than we are tuning
out But in war machines very high
speed is essential rather than size.
1t is absolutely necessary, of course,
that aircraft in war shall be able to
rise very speedily. The perils OF war
are evolving an aeroplane that is as
safe, apart from war perils, as coach
on a paved road.
Among the war flyers of the allies
the mishaps essentially aeronautical-
that is, not due to war conditions
have been fewer, l understand, than
accidents among similar number or
automobiles. Taken altogether, the
losses in the flying corps have been
remarkably light compared with the
amount of flying done and the risks
run.
Records of their work show that
some of the men we trained have been
in the air more than one thousand
hours in less than a year, and one OF
them has recorded 1920 hours aloft,
which means more than four hours
day in the air over the foe without
being hit or having mishap to MS
machine Some of the escapes nave
been miraculous. From one flight a.
man returned with more than nun
dred bullet holes in his planes, but ne
had not been hit. SIS Ae
1.-TWO other Developments illustrate
the inherent reliability of the aero
plane today. The first is that Hight
is now made with safety no matter
how rough wind is blowing. Weather
no longer counts. The other is that
though in peace flight over city was
forbidden because of its danger
cities are now being protected by
aeroplanes and we have not heard OF
any disaster through machine fall
ing.
Expecting Too Much.
81 am often asked why the British
flyers cannot protect London from the
Zeppelins. My answer is that that is
expecting too much. 1t is impossible.
The truth is that they are SO far pro-
tecting London that the Zeppelins dare
not venture near in the daylight and
can make their raids only under cover
of a dark night. Even at night the
raiders have to turn back If the sky
is cloudless.
But even if the aeroplanes were
already lowering high over the city
when the Zeppelins came the chances
would be in favor OF the raiders. 1t
would be possible to fly quite close to
a Zeppelin and not. know it. II you
did happen to see it, the next moment
il would be lost in cloud. If, as must
be the usual case, the defenders have
to wait on the ground until the Zep-
pelin is picked up by searchlight,
the raiders will have done their work
and be fleeing at top speed before an
aeroplane can reach their height.
"The Germans say they make their
raids at an elevation of 5000 feet, but
/ believe 5000 feet is nearer the mark.
That is why they escape the guns.
Londoners will have to bear with the
raids as part of the fortunes of war.