The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-23

tlOn WORK Is centcTcu, kisco IL SNAo'e>'
Impression OF real efficiency than al
most any other in Washington.
Four Lines Of Progress.
Progress is along four main lines;
Construction of flying fields: training
OF aviators; manufacture of training
planes: and development Of fighting
planes.
Completion OF flying fields has been
delayed by tho diversion of men ana
materials to rush the army canton-
ments; but with the release of can
Torment labor the fields will be COM
pleted almost as soon as originally de-
signed. Twenty-onc are now finished
or under construction.
Aviators' training is proceeding with
speed. Tho ground schools" for re-
cruits' preliminary and technical work
arc located at eight OF the great uni
versities and technical schools. Nearly
1000 graduates leave for the flying
field every month.
Privately Training Many.
In addition. hundreds are constantly
being trained in private aviation
schools sy the airplanc companies.
These numbers will be greatly in
creased before the end Of the year. 1t
is safe to say at least 10000 American
pilots will be ready to receive their
final instruction in France by next
summer.
All the manufacturing facilities read
ily available for airplane building arc
now concentrated on training planes.
essential in producing fighting plane
pilots. but the deliveries are still con-
siderably behind the demand. Within
30 days. however. the output of train
and from that time there should be no
delay in obtaining them.
Production Is Spectacular.
The most spectacular part of the avi-
alton program is the production of the
fighting machines. Here wonderful
progress has been made. An engine
equal to the best Europe has evolved
during three years of war experiment
tation has been produced, and tested
in actual flight
Actual manufacture of these United
States standard motors has not yet be-
gun, but the best engine plants in the
country, including the makers of the
countrys most famous automobile en-
gines. arc now cquipping their shops
with the tools and fixtures necessary
for producing thousands of these en-
gines during the first half of 1918.
The production OF these engines is an
enormous job. as the work on each is
equivalent to the work of a first ella SIS
mechanic for year.
Airplane designers. assisted by the
best British. French and Italian ex-
perts. are now producing designs for
standard American battleplane. en-
bodying all the best foreign features.
As the basis for experiments, the Unit
ed States has imported foreign fight
ing machines. including German planes
brought down and reconstructed.
Famous Pilots Here.
Several of the most famous French
and British battle pilots, including
Navarro. Boyriven and Tabctau of the
French army, are giving the United
States the benefit of their wide expert
cnce.
Extraordinary steps arc being taken
to keep the designs from falling into
the hands of German agents. and littlc
information regarding even the prog
ress of the work is available but it
has been so highly satisfactory as to
insure a standard American battleplane
equal to any.
Work is also being pushed on highly
important auxiliary devices. There H.
for example, a new aerial torpedo which
greatly surpasses in accuracy and de.
structive power the German bombs
which have wrought such havoc ir
England.