The Washington herald., 1917-10-26
$4,000 PLANES
IN U. S. IN 1918
Wright Brothers Work to
Make Nation Great Fac
tor In War.

Should the war continue well Into
the fall of 1913, the Federal govern
ment vfll have ready for co-opera-
tion In the military movements
across the sea, at least 5000 air ma
chimes.
Should the war last stiIl another
year the number of these machines
Twill be doubled and as the govern
ment IL taking no chances, 1t Is not
unlikely that as many air machines
as this will have been constructed
BY mid-year of 1919.
Probably In no other field OF ac-
tivfty, which the governments prep
erations for war represent. has there
been more intense concentration Of
effort than in the various aviation
plants In the United States.
Public Kept In Dark
The public has not been informed
respecting the progress Of the work
which was begun only a few months
ago. The government Is causing 10
be constructed several types OF aero
planes Some will be large, some
especially adapted for fighting or
scouting and as a whole they VIII
reflect the highest achievement IN
aeroplane construction.
In this work the government has
summoned q large group Of highly
competent experts. 1t has also en-
couraged invention and it Is under
stood to be inspecting now certain
newly invented apparatus which. II
It stands the test, will serve greatly
to aid In the flights of these air Ves-
sells
Among the inventions which the gov
ernment has accepted Is an apparatus
(which will make it possible for the
aviator by q simple invention of the
eye to observe at any moment how
to observe at any moment how many
revolutions the engine Is making. This
Is Q wonderfully perfected apparatus
and will be Of great value to the men
who are driving the cars through the
air. Another apparatus will enable the
aviator by a glance OF the eye to learn
exactly how fast the air machine Is
flying. This also is a remarkably
akillful, simple, yet somewhat compli-
Gated, apparatus
Plane Construction Plans.
At the various aviation camps the
experts are now occupied in construct
ing in one aviation field for instance
a certain type Of aeroplane, and in
dIOlncE CdI1p cOAAC OhANA AgPS NA-N
so on.
Considering the short time which
has elapsed since the government un-
dertook to secure an abundant supply
of aeroplanes and since Congress ap-
propriated considerably in excess of
$500, 900. 900 for this work. perfection and
very high efficiency in construction.
together with the marvellous speed
with which the engineers perfected the
new liberty motor. the nations work
as an aviation builder compares IA
vorably with any other of its war
undertaking.
From another point OF view. the
work instituted by the government and
f5w in progress by the aeroplane
makers Is as remarkable as any of Its
war preparations, for IL has been dis
covered how The various parts OF the
air machine can be so standardized
that they may be assembled anywhere
at any time and utilized in the con-
struction of an air machine.
It has already been announced that
the new liberty motor, of which re-
markable results are expected, is so
constructed that the various parts are
standardized, some in one city and
some in another, and can be quickly
assembled.
When It is borne in mind that the
Liberty motor was perfected only two
or three months ago, then the au-
thorized report that late in the fall as
many as three hundred of these mo-
tors will be ready for use and after
that the manufacturers will be able
to build from 1000 to 5000 motors a
month, gives some idea OF the eff
cfency and speed with which this great
government was undertaking is being
carried on.
wright and the Plane.
When the government first began
preparations for establishing various
camps for the construction of air ma
chimes inquiries were made for the
purpose II discovering who stands pre-
eminent among the builders Of this
apparatus.
The government was informed by all
>.Ae experts that OrviIle Wright's pre-
ninence cannot be reasonably ques-