New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-06
HOrSen1en Make Best
FAerS, Says Expert
British Editor Sees United States Supreme in Air. because
of Her Unlimited Supply of the Finest
Horsemen in the World"

stoned officers in the hope that they
might turn out to be good flyers.
10 win be many years before il will
be possible TO standardize military
aeroplanes even to the extent that ar
tillery is standardized.
The French have always done their
best 10 encourage the production OF
new types by independent manufact-
urers. Soon after the beginnirr Of he
war the French army fixed on the four
or five machine guns which had proved
most useful. and ordered them 70 be
made in huge quantities, at the same
time leaving manufacturers free 70
produce samples OF something better
If they could. After some months the
French authorities actually organized
a competition open 70 manufacturers
new types and have obtained very fine
results from that competition.
English Designs Poor.
The English authorities, on the other
hand. have practically put the lid on
all private enterprise by sending out
orders broadcast for aerOplanes made
according 20 the plans Of the govern
ment's civilian designers. Most Of the
designs turned out by these alleged
experts nave been failures and have
killed more pilots than the products OF
any other designers. Now that practi-
cally every aeroplane factory in E g
land is under government control and
is only permitted 20 make what the gov
ernment's experts" approve, all these
government types are being beaten by
the new French machines. Yet, given
a free hand, the British manufacturers
could regain the lead they held over
the rest of the world a couple Of years
ago.
Here. then. Is something FOR America
10 note. Let her see that her aero
planes are strong enough not to break
in the air. Let the government inspect
rigidlv every detail of workmanship as
IL comes through the shops. This, by
the way, is the only thing in which the
British army system excels, and where
apparently American manufacturers
most need supervision. Military. AVA
tors must have machines winch are
safe TO fy. but the strength Of an aero
plane should be the strength Of a nsh-
ing rod and not the strength or Ium-
Der wagon
German anti-aircraft guns burst their
shells up 10 a height of 10000 feet, and
their shooting is good up 70 10000 feet,
so that to be of any military value an
aeroplane must be able to reach l2'OOO
feet at least. carrying its full military
load of petrol, oil, pilot, passenger and
anything il has TO carry in the way OF
machine guns. ammunition or bombs.
Reliable Motor q Necessity.
TIE military aeroplane must. in par
ticular, have a thoroughly reliable
motor. More of the Allies aviators
have been lost in the war through de-
fective motors than from the enemy's
fire The German engines, on the other
hand, have proved astonishingly reli-
able. and. so far as | know, there has
never been q case of a German aero
plane being brought down in the allied
territory through its engine gong on
strike.
America can 90 right ahead on Euro
mean experience and build big multiple
enoinad aeroplanes without troubling
about the vested interests Of officials
in older types or government orders;
And Americas big, new aeroplane and
aero-engine factories are beng punt
up with European money derived from
European war orders!
All America needs is a good landing
ground for aeroplanes every ten or
twenty miles, preferably along railroad
lines. and then she can take mails and
passengers by air at 80 or 100 miles
an hour.
If the American railroad bosses are
acute they will start in on the aero
plane mail and passenger proposition
themselves. and use the airlines as
feeders for their own companies, Just
as some English railways actually had
the sense to run motor omnibuses as
feeders TO their lines.
If this were done it would develop
American aviation enormously and pro-
vide the United States Army with
plentv of sources Of supply for war
aeroplanes. By her physical nature,
as we'll as by her size and importance
America should become before long the
leader Of the world in the common use
of aeroplanes.