Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-30


IL sounds paradoxical We building aeropanes
to use in time OF war and Will continue to build them
Tor war. We think OF and we think Of aeroplanes
Later on. perhaps shall think OF aeroplanes in
connection with the wisdom Of keeping out Of war
The aeropane will prevent war by making II too
expensive too slow, too difficult long gdrawn-out
In brief by making the cost prohibitive"
The man who makes these statements about the
seroplane Is orvtlle Wright of the brothers who
Invented IT,
Did you ever stop to think" inquiries Wright
that there is definite reason why the present
war In Europe has dragged along for a year with
neither Side gaining much advantage the other?
Ihe reason as figure it out. is seropsnes In con-
sequence OF the scouting work done by the flying
machines each side knows exactly what opposing
forces are doing
There is little chance for any one army to take
another by surprise. Napoleon won his wars by
massng his troops at unexpected places The aero
plane has made that impossible II has eaualzed In
formation. Each side has such complete knowledge
OF the others movements that both sides Obliged
to crawl into trenches and fight by means OF slow
tedious routine rather than by quick, spectacular
dashes
MY impression is that before the present war
started the army experts expected II to be matter
OF few weeks or, at most few months Today II
looks as though II might into years before ono
side can dictate terms. Now, a nation that may be
willing 10 undertake war lasting few months may
well hesitate about engaging In that will occupy
years. The daily cost of great is, of course.
stupendous When this rims on for years, the
total s likely TO be great that the side which wins
nevertheless loses War will become prohibuvey ex-
pensve And the scouting work In flying machines
will be the predominating factor. II seems TO me.
In bringing this about like to think anyhow"
what In your opinion, has the present war dem.
onstrated regarding the relative advantages
planes and Zeppelin airships?" the inventor
asked.
THE aeroplane seems to have been OF the more
practical USE" replied Wright I'm the first place.
di1gbie airships the Zeppelin type expensive
to build. costing somewhere around half million
dollars each that IL Is distinctly disadvantageou TO
the nation operating them to have destroyed The
financial risk every time Zeppelin is shot at is
too great But what is important is the fact
that the Zeppelin is large that It furnishes
ceent target unless It sails considerably higher than
IL comparatively safe for aeroplane And when the
Zeppelin ia at a safe height it Is too far above the
ground for your scout 10 make accurate observations
Similarly when the Zeppelin is used for dropping
bombs II must be too high for the bomb thrower 10
show much accuracy"
HAS the war use OF the seroplane been up to the
expectations and your brother formed at the time
OF It's nventionT'
Yes beyond our expectations About the first
thing thought OF after found that we could fly
possibilities for scouting but hal
little idea that the year 1915 would see so many aero
planes In army use
ASIDE from the OF the machine for pur-
poses the will give great boost to aviation
generally 1t has led more to learn to fly. and
awakened people TO aviation possibilities
apart from war what will be the future of the
aeropiane?"
''Just like the automobile Il will become more ana
more fool-proof easier TO handle. and safer There is
why II should not take the place OF special
trains where there IL urgent need Of great speed
Maybe you paused to think that already the
aeroplane ts safer than the automobile II you
going at high rate of speed7 II you want to ride
sixty miles an hour. as men occasionally do. you are
about ten times safer doing II In aeropane grant
ing of course, that the at the wheel has learned
his business.
The aeroplane has never really come into It's
sporting proposition OF late years the tendency
has been TO develop high rate Of speed rather than
TO build machines that may be operated successfully
at comparatively low speed. The low-speed machine
s necessary before the aeroplane fill the place
should in the world OF sport You see. machine
adapted 70 make from seventy 10 one hundred miles
cannot at all except at pretty rapid clip
and this difficulty In getting down. One must
have q good, smooth piece of ground to land and
plenty of H. When get an aeroplane that will fly
along at twenty miles hour land almost any
place-on a roof II necessary-and then people will
begin to take interest in owning aeroplane for
the enjoyment OF flying. Az II Is now. the who
buys a flying machine for sport, usually takes trip
or two show his friends that he do g. and then
Is reconcied let the machine remain good deal Of
the time in the shed
The problem Of finding landing place, in
ones motor TO work is OF many interesting
angles II you are Just mile up In the air at the
moment OF beginning enforced descent, you have
your choice OF nearly 200 square miles OF territory
which to Aight You circle about and strike
point Immediately below you or, IL YOU prefer It Is
possible down at angle that will bring
TO A point eight miles from there.
Now, when you have 800 square miles 20 pick
from, Il looks II you ought to be able to find
smooth place doesn't ~ But the trouble is you
probably are not familiar with the territory. and II
Il impossible 10 tell from where you about the
conformation OF the ground. The aviator soon learns
TO distinguish the shades OF that indicate the
various growing crops. but when only q few hundred
feet In the air he cannot tell whether the ground
hniy or level. When he gets down to a point where
he can see Just what he is coming TO- It ls then
late TO have much choice In the matter"
shall you ny in the futuref'
II want TO fly and then for the sport Of II as
long as live But do not TO do It business.
would like 10 be clear out OF any actual business
"As II Is now. I am manufacturer OF aeroplanes.
Many another man handle such a manufacturing
enterprise much more capably than !. What / woul1
like TO DO s rig up another air funnel and so ahead
experimenting more in the laboratory There Is
still lots 70 be done"