The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-08-23
Government Plan Calls for Huge
Planes for an Army o:
10000 Filters.
cARRYloAD oF8,8oo POUNDS
italian TripIane With Speed Of 100
Miles an Hour, to Be Used as
Model-To Profit by Allies
Experience.

each driven by three 7OO-horse power
engines, capable of carrying mill
tary load Of more than four tons, g.
800 pounds, and with maximum
speed of 100 miles an hour!
A navy of such great battleships of
the air, surrounded and protected by
swarm of even swifter and much
smaller battle planes!
If not the biggest and most impor.
tant, certainly the most spectacular Of
all the present war plans of the Unit
ed States are built around such q WIS.,
ion, writes Henry NJ. Hyde in the Chi
cago Tribune.
With the signing by President Will
son of the bill appropriating $780,
OOO,OOO for building, eQuipping, and
manning IN enormous navy of the air,
these plans took a big step toward
realization.
Huge triplanes Of the power, speed,
and weight carrying capacity described
have been built and now are being
tested in Italy. Triplanes of the same
type, considerably smaller than the
new giants but still of great size and
power, now are in actual use in Italy.
The Italian triplane, driven by 900
horse power Caproni engines, for in
stance, will make military load of
more than three tons to height Of
$500 feet in IS minutes.
Defeat Of U.Boats Seen.
The fact that these great machines
cost $4,000 or more each will not pre-.
vent their being built in large numbers
in the United States, once the neces-
sary jigs, dies and special tools are
completed from the models furnished
by the Italian government.
Many experts see in the creation of
fleet of such big airships, together
with five or six times as many small
fighting planes for their protection, the
only certain. method Of defeating the
submarine peril, of destroying NUM-
ton plants and military and naval
bases, and Of swiftly driving the Ger
man army back behind the Rhine.
"The program for which this vast
appropriation has just been made"
said Howard E. Coffin, chairman Of the
aircraft production board, 'must be
carried out with promptness equal
to that Of congress in passing the bill.
Whatever crimes may later be laid at
our doors, that of slowness in accom-
plishment must not be one of them.
We are ready to go ahead ut once"
AirpIane Samples Coming.
"Within two weeks" went on Mr..
Coffin. samples of many airplanes
now used by our allies on the Euro
pean battle fronts will be on exhibi-
ton In the temporary building erect
ed for the purpose at the rear Of the
Smithsonian institution. There they
may be examined and studied by the
manufacturers of the United States.
"In the matter Of aircraft. us in 9TH
er military matters. we have ceased
to think nationally. Every step will
be taken after conference and in full
cooperation with our allies.
1--WE are in daily conference with
representatives Of the British, French,
and Italian flying corps here in WASH
luSlOu, uuu Il ueClSIol I)ructlCully mas
been reached as to the exact part to
be played by each of the allies in win.
ming the war in the air.
sour factories. of course, will have
the advantage Of copying the latest
and best types of airplane engines
devOlved in France. Italy and Eng
land. Nor have our own inventors
and designers been idle during the past
three years. There now are engines of
entirely American design and inven-
ton which weigh only two pounds to
the horse power.
Three Training Fields Ready
"Whatever may be the difficulty Of
turning out Immediately in the United
States the swift and delicate fighting
planes Of the latest type. we already
are manufacturing in large numbers
planes which are fitted for the train.
ing Of air pilots and observers.
'Three Of the "a big aviation fields
which we shall build for training our
new cir arr alr..,l- are COMPLETED,