The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-09-28
Britain Sends Us Plans for
Giants Of Air to Be
Built Here.
WILL PARALYZE THE ENEMY
Great Number Of These Craft to Make
Impossible Reinforcement Of Ger
man lines-EnQines Very
Powerful.

models and blueprints OF aero motors
developed by England and France dur
ing three years of warfare. The Unit
ed States airplane factories have re-
ceiyed gratis the secrets of new alloys
and improvements In construction
which previous to Americas entry into
the war could not be bought at any
Drfce-secrets that were guarded with
mems lives and were never mentioned
beyond the doors of certain offices.
Personal messengers have left England
by every departing steamship; mail
bags have been filed with priceless
blueprints and cable lines have been
damned with messages. all bearing on
the development of the American air
squadron.
The governments Of France and
Great Britain know that upon the eff
forts made on the other side Of the At
tantlc within the next six months de-
ponds the fate Of the armies afell.
Important above everything else in the
struggle for victory is the airplane,
thich must be produced in myriads,
and the task now falls squarely to
Uncle Sam.
Doubters Are in Minority.
There are doubling ThOmases on
thte side OF the water who sheer at the
grendiose statements coming from New
York and Washington and who assert
that even If the United States organ
in for the aerial construction pro-
gram the product will be so inferior
that It will be useless for actual fight
Ing. Fortunately these doubters are
IL the minority. Officials and men In
a position to know what already has
teen done are highly optimistic. They
believe that American methods applied
10 the manufacture Of air craft will re-
suit in just as good q product as is
now coming from factories organized
here shortly after the var started.
Despite all the lurid prophecies re-
garding the great fleet Of airplanes
that eventually will lay waste the prin-
cipal German cities. the experienced
nlrmen on this side only hope for
thousands of machines with which to
fight the German armies in the field.
The success which Americas efforts
are to insure will come only when the
allied armies In France have sufficient
airplanes to retain mastery Of the air
and to patrol every mile of the terri
tory Immediately behind the German
lines. When the day finally arrives,
Germany will not be able to move a
train back of the lines and to
reserves will be impossible. She will
be unable to feed the men who are in
the first lines. Her heavy artillery
VIII be silenced and in the end her en-
tire fighting forces made useless. The
way will her become one Of move-
ment. with the chances for victory al
together on the side Of the allies.
There are various types of airplanes
which will be manufactured in Ameri-
ca that are already being used in
France. Engines Of unbelievable pow
er are being put into the newest type
of plane. The average American is
more or less familiar With automobile
engines and has some idea Of what
weight of engine will develop 100
horsepower. II this average American
were to look ut some of the newest air
motors he probably would judge them
to be ten or 15-horsepower. In fact,
he could lift some of the engines I'M
aided and would probably be astound-
ed to learn that such a machine was
capable of developing not 100, but 100
horsepower.
Every newspaper reader in the Unit
ed States has been we'll informed of
the plans for building airplanes. but it
Is doubtful II M in a thousand can
that eventually will be loaded on trans
ports Mt the Atlantic piers. The cor
respondent has had an opportunity in
the last few weeks Of inspecting the
newest type of aircraft; the type that
will be turned out In vast numbers by
America, and 1t Is bigger In every way
and more powerful than laymen i'm
aglne.
To begin with, the body Of the new
machine resembles in many ways a big
motor launch. Its under part is
rounded and beautifully constructed
of finely grained wood. It Is SO big
that to enter It n must Chamber up a
ladder and 60 down through a hatch
way as big as the cabin door OF a
motor yacht. It is of the biplane type
and from tip to tip Of each wing there
Is room enough for a dozen men to lie
out full length. Its two motors will
develop 600 horsepower and their COM
bined weight Is so little compared to
the power that the actual figures would
look untruthful in print. Where the
old types could carry hundredweights,
this machine carries tons.
Can Carry Nineteen Men.
This new plane is manned BY q pilot,
two or three observers, a forward gun
ner, a bomb-dropper, a mechanic and,
II necessary, a dozen passengers. 1t
has an electrical-lighted passageway
leading from one compartment to IN
other. The flooring Of m cOmpart-