The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-09-29
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-Ensines Very
Powerful.

Dlblit
facturers are In possession of working
models and blueprlnts of aero motors
developed by England and France dur
ing three years of warfare. The Unit
ed States airplane factories have re-
ceived gratis the secrets of new alloys
and improvements in construction
which previous TO Americas entry into
the war could not be bought at any
price-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 filled 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
lantic within the next six months de-
ponds the fate of the armies afield.
Important above everything else in the
struggle for victory is the airplane.
which must be produced in myriads,
and the task now falls squarely to
Uncle Sam.
Doubters Are in Minority.
There are doubling ThOmases on
this side of the water who sneer at the
grandiose statements coming from New
York and Washington and who assert
that even II the United States organ
ICES for the aerial construction pro-
gram the product will be so inferior
that IL will be useless for actual fight
ing. Fortunately these doubters are
I'm the minority. officials and men in
a position to know what already has
been done are highly optimistic. They
believe that American methods applied
to the manufacture of air craft will re-
suit In just as good a product as is
now coming from factories organized
here shortly after the war started.
Despite all the lurid prophecies re-
garding the great feet of airplanes
that eventually will lay waste the prin-
cipal German cities, the experienced
airmen on this side only hope for
thousands of machines with which to
fight the German armies in the'feld.
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 q
train back Of the lines and to npve
reserves will be impossible. She will
be unable to feed the men who are In
the first lines. Her heavy artillery
will be silenced and In the end her en-
tire fighting forces made useless. The
way will then 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 machine was
capable of developing not 100, but $50
horsepower.
Every newspaper reader In the Unit
ed States has been well informed of
the plans for building airplanes. but It
ss doubtful II one in a thousand can
picture the size of some of the planes
that eventually will be loaded on trans
ports at the Atlantic piers. The cor
respondent has had an opportunity In
the last few weeks of inspecting the
newest type Of aircraft; the type chat
will be turned out In vast numbers by
America. and 1t Is bigger In every way
and more powerful than laynen i'm
agine.
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. II is so big
that to enter II one must Chamber I'M
ladder and 60 down through hatch
say as big as the cabin door of a
motor yacht. II 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 pilot.
two or three observers. forward gun
ner. bomb-dr0pper. a mechanic and.
II necessary. a dozen passengers. 1t
has an archaeological passageway
leading from one compartment to an
other. The flooring Of one compart-
ment Is strongly constructed grating
through which the occupants can view
the earth below. The sides of two of !
the compartments are built to open and |
-