Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-09
ITALIAN AVIATOR FLIES
FROM LONDON TO TURIN
Captain inurcati Makes Remarkable
Trip, Without Stop, in
New Machine.
CApRoNIs RENDER SERVICE
Mark New Era in Acroplanc Build
ing In ltaIy-Powerful Bombing
Machines Escorted by Lighter
NicupOrts and Flats.


ROME. December S.-Captain Lau-
rcatis wonderful feat In dying from
Turin 10 london without "a stop crowns
series OF most remarkable achieve
ments by Italian aviators. The quail
! ity Of the Italian aviator had been
already proved in the days of the
Tripoli war. when heavier than air ma
chimes for the first time acted not only
/ as scouts. but as dying artillery.
/ The beginning Of the present war
, found Italy still experimenting and
choosing between different machines.
all of foreign make. The early Nicu-
bort. Elerot, Farman and Erich mod
els had given way TO the Macchi-
| Parasoi tso-caiicd because the wings
I slightly inclined. resemDlcd sun
shade). and the early Caproni and the
Caudron was taking the place OF the
Bleriot as Il machine specially adapted
for artillery observation But it was
only al the end OF 1915 that the first
biz. Caproni OF 900 horse power made
as peculiar qualities appreciated.
The Caproni bombing acroplane
marked Il new era in the history OF
the Italian aercnlaue industry. The
brothers Caproni born III tha Italia
irredenta, crossed the frontier as soon
as they realized the military import
ancc OF the machine they had devised.
, They submitted their plans to the Itai-
ian authorities and their suggestions
! we're accepted. but some time was to
elapse before the machine could be
perfected. Italy entered the war in
| 1915, and at the end Of the year the
| Caproni was already the most redoubt-
able opponent of the Austrian flyers. al
though in lighting planes tho super
iority was on the side Of the enemy.
| Eut ii was only in the following
year that Italian aviation began TO
assert it's now undisnutcd superiority
over the !\usiriaus. The F.rmans and
the CauLrom gradually disappeared, and
! in their stead TIE Italians adopted the
3 l. and the l'iat--both national
products--for scouting and rcconnais-
sance. and the little Newport for at
,achinG and Tor escoriing the great
Caproni--ncw models Of 450-horse
power--in their bombing expeditions
What the machines OF the Societa
Italian Acroplain G;nown as 5. |. A)
arc now capable of in the hands OF a
daring pilot was shown by the re-
cent flight of Captain Iaurcati to
London. and by tie still longer jour
ncy OF the same airnan from Turin to
Naples and back. withou. a stop. The
distance in both cases being covered
~, an average speed Of almost ninety
miles an hour. But the work done by
the Caproni machines has been no less
remarkable in it's way The last
/ italian push was ushcr,d IN ~ a>
I tenSivc bombardmcnts Of the cncmy's
naval base and railway junction. The
! result OF this attack was felt n few
| days later VIXEN the Italian and Brit
! iSh monitors joined in the lombard
! ment OF the Austrian positions on the
! Iiermada. and not q single uni; or the
/ cncmy's feet daring 10 Interfere 4
similar attack was undertaken against
! Cattaro with equally satisfactory re-
suits u few days ago
] The Italian superiority over the Aus
/ tr:anS is now as unducStionable in
I the air AS il is on land. Aviation de-
| vaiops constantly and rapidly the sur
prSc3 have been sprung by us and
| upon ua: but we may trust Italian in
| vcntors and manufacturers to keen
! pace with anything the enemy may do
| In the rapid strides of the new in
dustry the Italians have shown once
: more in the best sense that hard and
; practical spirit" ~ 1t was called be-
! fore the war; which is in reality the
, necessary ballast Of naturally ardent
people. Ii is the same spirit which led
| Leonardo da Ninci first to inquire into
| the possibilities OF air kites and Volta
to the electric pile.