Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-05
HOW SHALL WE FLY?
By Frederic J. Haskin

ing and gasoline stations at frequent
intervals. Several such stations will
nave to be arranged for to meet the
needs of the aviators who fly in the
contest, and doubtless there will be
competition among the cities on the
route for the honor of being way sta
tions on this historic journey.
When the aeroplane which made the
record breaking flight from New York
10 washington recently was presented
to the New Mexico National Guard for
use in border scouting the pilots offered
TO fly it overland and turn it over to
the Suardsmen in person After some
consideration the scheme had to be
given up because Of the lack of land
ing stations along tho way. The aero
enthusiasts hope to see the time when
an inland town viii have to provide a
level plain suitable for landing pur-
poses, with shelter tor machines, Just
as it has to provide good auto roads
to-day to keep itself on the tourist
map.
All this progress and all these plans,
1t may be noted, arc based on the use
OF the heavier-than-ai machines. Ger
many is, in fact, the only nation which
continues to pin any great portion of
its reliance in air work on the dirigible
balloon, the motor-driven machine
lighter than air, in her case the zeppe-
lin. All the belligerents are using bal
looms for observation purposes. But
even Germany has big and effective
aeroplane fleet on each of her fronts,
particularly the western. What ex-
perience the war has brought seems
to justify the course of those nations
which stick to the aeroplane.
When the war began the relative
efficiency Of the various types of craft
built to navigate the atmosphere was
pretty much matter of theory. Some
people believed that one aeroplane
could dash another to the earth sim
ply by swooping over and in front Of
1t so that the air gust from the pro-
peller of the attacking machine could
catch the enemy and hurl him down.
Nobody believed that an aeroplane
would stand much shell or shrapnel
fire. 1t was pointed out particularly
that the propeller of an aeroplane.
made of wood and revolving as it does
at such tremendous speed as to ap-
pear like nothing but a tremulous
haze, was a particularly vulnerable
point. 1t was predicted that a rife or
shra pnel ball striking the flying pro-
peller would cause II TO fly to pieces.
The aeroplane has proved stable be-
yond all expectations. A rifle ball
striking the propeller does nothing but
make hole in one of the blades. The
machine can weather almost any num-
Der of hits in the wings and body so
long as no vital" spot is struck-such
as the motor the gas tank or the
aviator himself. Moreover, even when
the engine stops as a result of some
shot that finds its mark the pilot can
often succeed in voiplaning back into
his own lines. The high speed of the
aeroplane, the erratic course IL can
take, the rapid shifts of altitude that
are possible when necessary. Combine
to make it poor mark for shell fire
Some of the light scouting planes
make 120 and 1870 miles an hour. None
OF the belligerents has succeeded in
hampering the eneny's air reconais-
sance service seriously.
All this is 10 the credit of the
heaNler-than-alr machine. The dirig-
ible has certain virtues of its own.
however. In a fight with aeroplanes
1t would not stand much chance. It
is much bigger and hence an easier
target, not so easily maneuvered. ex-
cept that 1t can rise more quickly for a
time, and quite deferseless against at
tack from above. 1t is much more at
the mercy of the wind than the aero
plane. But 1t has immensely more
carrying capacity. 1t can be loaded
with great weights of fuel and ammu-
milton, in addition to large crews.
Hence it has greater cruising radius.
The aeroplane stays in the air by virtue
of its speed alone. Stop the engine
and it must descend The dirigible.
on the contrary floats by virtue Of
buoyancy, and hence can stay aloft for
days Moreover, it can by virtue Of
these qualities fly by night as we'll a s
by day. Night flying is dangerous to
the point of impra acticability for an
aeroplane, because in case Of ener-
gency the pilot cannot see where he is
landing.