The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-02-25

'Dreddnoughts
of the Air

TIME development Of the aircraft during the
II present war is one of the main changes the
the lessons of the fighting nave brought about.
The descriptions OF the latest OF the aerial fight
ing craft emphasizes, too, how very far behind
are we in this arm Of warfare. AS the Germans
led in dirigibles, they seem now to be leading in
heavier than air machines. For size no aero
planes constructed in this country pr BY any Of
the Allied governments, can compare with the
immense war planes made BY the Germans
Greatest of the German machines IS the armor-
ed triplane which carries twenty men, four ma
chine guns and an anti-aircraff gun OF H-milli-
metre calibre. 1t is equipped With eight 100 horse
power Mayback motors. The antiaircraft gun IS
mounted on revolving turret, while the under
body OF the machine, which looks like an inverted
noof, is covered with thick arnaor. s...s s--s
+ The French battleplane is, however, a veritable
dreadnought which measures more than thirty
feet high and 100 feet from tip to tip Of its wings
1t carries crew OF twelve men and mounts two
three-inch guns, one on each tip and mtrailieuse
in the center over the pilot. So
The monoplane apparently has gone to the
scrap heap Germany isno longer building mono
planes of the taube type, but has adopted the BIZ
plane and the tri-plane. mostly tractors Of the
bfplane type The French director of military
Iaeronautics announced recently that he had de-
cided to discontinue not only the further purchase
Of monoplanes, but the use Of those already in
service. This decision meant the retirement Of
over 500 monoplanes, of which 800 were less than
six months old. At the beginning Of the war
Germany had between 700 and 800 taube mono
planes. ?. s = ta-. ill.,. Pc
England has not been slow to develop aerial
dreadnoughts, although 1t was later in getting
started than either Germany or France. Every
plant in the country is turning out improved types
4.
those being constructed either in Germany or
France. The British military authorities recent
ly announced that they had come to the conclusion
that gun-carryng aeroplane is worth three battle
cruisers at a small fraction Of the latterts cost.
The English army has twentyEone large Training
schools for aviators andthe navy nearly as many.
| England air feet has been largely augmented
by the heaviest machines made in America, most
of which have been built by the Curtiss Company
at its new Buffalo plant where the company has
expended nearly $lD0oOo0 in Aenlarging its facir
lities. The United States is shipping as many
aeroplanes to Europe every day as the, whole Uni
ted States army has in commission. T. Recently
the White Star Liner Baltic sailed with a cargo
of 1917 aeroplanes valued at 100000. &. j.. ~ ~
Most of these are of the Canada type which is
an Improvement of the America" type of flying
boat, both of which are built by the Curtss fac
tories. The original America behaved SO we'll in
the war zone that Great Britain ordered 100 more.
They are also taking all the Canadas that .Curtiss
can turn out. The Cahadas carry two men, two
guns and ton of explosives, The guns are either
Maxims Lewis aeroplane guns capable of firing
500 shots minute The Wings are constructed
of selected woods and steel wire all glued together
and reinforced with brass rivets, and can endure
considerable shot and shell. At Paris they have
an aeroplane on exhibition which has over 400
wounds from rife bullets, shrapnel mitraeuse,
balls and splnters of shells, received in FIVE
months service. -
An expenditure of 100000 in the air service
would still leave this country behind Japan, Spain
and the Netherlands in aeronautical equipment
If we spent 81, 100000 we would still be behind
Austria and Italy and an expenditure Of SIS Oo0.-
900 would place the United States fifth among the
nations of the world, England, France, Germany
and Russia remaining at the head Of the list a.
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