Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1916-10-12
OUR AER0s UNFIT FOR ARMY
War Experts Say American Makers
Have Not Developed Planes
for Fighting Work.

New York City.--A memorandum on
military aeroplanes prepared in the Of
fee Of the aviation section, Signal
corps, United States army, appears In
Aviation and Aeronautic Engineering, |
which contains both the first hint of
how the United States is going to
spend the $13,2s1 ,666 appropriated for
army aeronautics and startling ar
raignment Of the development Of aero
nautlc construction among the build
ing corporations Of this country.
According to the army aviation ex-
perts who prepared the memorandum,
based on knowledge Of Americas pc
culiar aerial needs and the lessons
taught by the European war, the type
of machines now being almost exclu-
sIvely manufactured In this country Is
absolutely untitled for any military
purpose save primary training for
aviators. Practically nothing has been
done toward designing or building the
type OF machines which experience has
shown can alone handle the problem
of defending the nation from the air.
at is submitted that the type which
all constructors have attempted to
build In this country, the so-called two
| place reconnaissance tractor biplane
with one motor, is false develop
ment," the army memorandum emphat-
ically declares. II Is good only for
training purposes, II is asserted, can
not defend itself from attack and has
been built exclusively only because II
was easier TO build up by increasing
the scale OF the first training machines
than 10 design anew.
The types needed, and those for
which the s13,OO0,0O0 appropriation
will be largely spent. are two-the fast
little pursuit" machine, carrying one
man and q machine gun, and The
heavier. more powerful two or three
man machine that can haul grea
weights Of bog.5s aaa tgel for lonl
flight and attack.
In the event Of war this countr.
would require ihat y =. cc1t of IL
entire aerial force should be compose
Of the pursuit" machine and fully 2
per cent of the heavier type. About 2
per cent would have TO be advanc
school machines. possibly Of smal
wing spread, for service as tactical o
straies!cal scouts over mountains O
forests, where their design would er
able them 10 make sale landing
About per cent would be machine
OF special design for reconnaissance
and gun carrying. The rest. 70 p,
cent. would be primary training scho'
n machines. This is the only type "
have now. and even these, the artlcI
J. asserts, would be untitled because the
y could not be used for field artiller
i hre control. Their vulnerability
. attack would preclude this.
10 The pursuit" machine, for sho
D radius flights for fire control, scoutir
q or attack, is imperative because OF !
l. controllability In lodging and outm
's neuverlng the enemy while maintai
e ing an effective FIRE with It's machii
rs gun and presenting a small iarg'
n, This machine would be used not on
:" for reconnaissance but TO drive OF
" yading hydroaeroplanes from an en-
ne my fleet. II would require a ITO hors
or power motor, carry a military load
200 pounds with 100 pounds Of fu
% have 3l5-mle flight radius and
e speed Of rs miles an hour high a
50 low. A climbing speed OF 5000 Il
In ten minutes is required.
The heavier machine would fequ
Nv n 260-horse-power motor. Since
OF practical single motor Of this pow
= has been built, two l30-horse-pov
nd engines would be used. II wo'
carry n military load OF 1,lOO pour
with COO pounds Of fuel II large 81
n, ply Of bombs were desirable. or
pounds Of military load with L.
ee, pounds OF fuel for sustained higf
ned This would give Il a flight radius
SIS 40 or 600 miles In either case, "