The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-09-19
BRITAIN REVEALS
its AIR SECRETS
America Given Results Of Ex'
periments Carried on for
Several Years. i!
Big FLEET PLAN OPPOSED
Turning Out Of 10000 Craft Deemed
Unwise, in View Of Continual
Changes Made Necessary by
War Experience.

Lcndon.-If the United States pro-
duces airplanes on large scale and
they prove successful In the fighting on
the western front it will be due in no
small measure to the great aid rem
dered America by the British govern
mel in aeronautics. Britain is to.
day supplying American aero factories
with concrete results developed by eX.
periments carried on for several years,
Il few o. which are outlined in recent
report by the advisory committee for
terOnautics.
TIE work of the advisory committee
has grown to such an extent in the last
year that subcommittee have been a)-
pointed for special work along certain
lines. One subcommittee is experiment.
ing on internal combustion engines,
while another is dealing exclusively
with light alloys. AS a result Of ex-
perience gained in actual warfare
changes are made in construction al.
most daily and it Is this fact that
makes the plans of the United States
for the immediate construction Of 3d.
900 airplanes seem inadvisable.
Perhaps the greatest advance In air.
plane construction has come through
the work of the committee on aero
dynamcs, which has tested models OF
every type Of aircraft now employed.
Important tests have been made Of
various shapes to discover which Of
fered the least resistance and which
best distributed air pressure.
Airship Stability.
Along this line 4 vast amount Of ex-
perimental work has been carried out
along the theory of airship stability.
A complete series of tests have been
completed relating to air propellers
with view to increasing the accuracy
of prediction of performance, thus ia.
cilitating the design Of propellers for
special types Of aircraft.
Extreme care has been devoted to
the study Of design to secure adequate
strength in high-speed fighting ma
chimes. These machines which the
United States already is at work upon
require high power, while the weight
must be kept to the minimum, and the
best compromise between these two
opposed conditions does not admit Of
precise determination. Special atten-
ton has been paid to the manner in
which strength varies with dimensions.
Machines have been placed upon test
tables which allow of accurate Obser-
vations Of the effects of vibration.
Every wire, brace and stay has been
put to severe tests.
The use of light alloys has become
of paramount importance, and the i'm
provements made in the last year
along this line are goin.- to have tre-
mendOus effect on future development.
The national physical laboratory has
been conducting experiments In light
alloys for many years, and during the
last two or three months results OF
special interest have been achieved.
To carry out the manufacture Of the
newest type metal the subcommittee
on light alloys hopes y coordinate the
work being done in various centers and
of placing the information. gained by
experimental work at the disposal OF
manufacturers.
Fabrics ant. Varnishes.
This information. in part, has been
sent to- the United States and will take
its big share in the final achievement
Of tremendous output.
Collaborating with the. military air
department., the advisory committee
for acronautics has taken up several
questions dealing with the use OF fab
RIGS and varnishes ant protective coat
;ngs. These materials have been test
I'D for use in the tropics and for use In
he cold high attitudes and in the vim
er months on the western front. Con-
Illusions Of Importance have been
cached in this line and changes nave
,een made in the materials and coat
ngs for wings with regard for the
'hanges worked by sunlight, rain and
,ther atmospheric conditions.
Aviation schools have aided greatly
the work of perfecting bombs to be
'arred by airplanes and the same
:chools have also supplied valuable in
.orma!ion REGARDING the use Of aerial