The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-11-30
OUR AEROS UNFIT FOR ARMY
War Experts Say American Makers
Have Not Developed Planes


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
nautic 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
ayiators. 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.
1T is submitted that the type which
all constructors have attempted to
build In this country, the so-called two
place reconnaissance tractor biplnne
with one motor, is false develop
ment," the army memorandum emphat-
ically declares. 1t is good only for
training purposes, 1t is asserted, cam
not defend itself from attack and has
been built exclusively only because it
was easier to build up by increasing
the scale of the first training machines
than to design anew.
The types needed, and those for
which the $13,00OOO0 appropriation
will be largely spent, are two-the fast
little pursuit" machine, carrying one
man and machine gun, and the
heavier, more powerful two or three
man machine that can haul great
weights Of bombs. and fuel for long
flight and attack.
In the event Of war this country
would require that q per cent of its
entire aerial force should be composed
Of the pursuit" machine and fully 2S
per cent of the heavier type. About 20
per cent would have to he advance
school machines, possibly of small
wing spread, for service as tactical or
strategical scouts over mountains or
forests, where their design would en-
able them to make safe landings.
About 6 per cent would be machines
of special design for reconnaissance
and gun carrying. The rest, % per
cent, would be primary training school
machines. This. is the only type we
have now, and even these, the article
asserts, would be untitled because they
could not be used for field, artillery
fire control, Their yulnerability to
attack would preclude this. Vs.. -.
The pursuit" machine, for short
radius flights for fire control, scouting
or attack, is imperative because of its
contrOllability in lodging and Outma-
neuvering the enemy while maintain
ing an effective fire with its machine
gun and presenting a small target.
for reconnaissance but to drive off in
yading hydrOaeroplanes from an enc
my fleet. 1t would require 10 horse
power motor, carry a military load Of
200 pounds with $50 pounds of fuel,
have a 315-mile flight radius and a
speed of 115 miles an hour high and
So low. A climbing speed of 5000 feet
In ten minutes is required.
The heavier machine would require
a 260-hOrse-pOwer motor. Since no
practical single motor of this power
has been built, two 130-horse-power
engines would be used. 1t would
carry a military load of LOO pounds
with 600 pounds Of fuel If large sup
ply of. bombs were desirable, or $50
pounds of military load with 1,150
pounds Of fuel for sustained flights.
This would give 1t flight radius of
$50 or 900 miles In either case, with
a high speed of 90 miles.