Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-02-08

in the bottom of the fuselage. BY means OF ths
last GIN II can defend itself from enemy ma
chimes attacking it from below and behind d po-
siton I'm which all other machines but the Hotha
are vulnerable.
The Germans have been most ingenious in de-
signing their airplanes for maximum effectiveness
of gun fire. Their single-seated Albatross -.
and u I'LL Fokker ID. Halberstadt Roland ID, ana
Ago ID have two fixed guns firing ahead through
the revolving propeller and these machines are
able to carry 1000 cartridges for each gun 1heir
two-place reconnaissance machines AlpatrosS
Rumpler Aviatik and l.. V. G. have one fixed Tor
ward gun firing through the propeller and sec
ond lighter gun swivel mounted Dehhu tlle
planes and firing to the rear over an augle OF lSo
degrees The French have adopted this system
for the airplanes of similar type
The most ingenious armament however. Is that
of the new Pomo scout plane. 1t Is not au'is-
able to betray the secret of this plane at present.
but il is permissible to say that the single piiol
controls five guns. all shooting ahead simutane-
ously. and that four of these ere 80 perfectly
concealed that even photograph does not snow
where they are situated 1t Is in reality nVe-
barrcled Calling gun wings. This machine IS
now on its way to America, If indeed 1t mas not
already arrived.
Talk % with the Italian aviatOrs now here
about motors. l found them deeply interested IN
the new Liberty motor but none would venture
TO EXPRESS an opinion about 1t.
81 could not Judge Of it's value" said one OF
them until 1 had taken 1t up 5,OOO or looVVo
feet in the air and watched how 1t behaved tnere'
The Fiat company which has been making mo-
TORS ever since these were first invented. needed
two whole years of experimentation before II was
able TO turn out q satisfactory airpane motor
Several times it thought it had 1t; several times
II offered a motor that performed perfectly under
the most exacting laboratory tests, but each time
If failed when tested In the rarehed air OF IVoVt
feet above the earth. After two years OF trla
the Fiat people produced the wonderful motors
now so extensively used. The IsOtta-Fraschin
company had similar experience we all al
mire the perfection of mechanism OF the LiDert!
motor and we all hope that actual hight VII
nroye 1t to be as perfect as 1t looks, but no ont
of us would venture to give yerdct on II unu
no had flown with 1t at all possible attitudes.
These men, all Of whom are youths who hav'
had thrilling experiences in actual warfare, ar
fond Of discussing the probabilities OF a figh
across the Atlantic. Any one Of them would b.
willing to attempt it, but they disagree as to tn
machine most likely to be the first to make IL
Some say the giant CaprOni, which would need q
least "a hours and probably Az, to fly from New
foundand to Ireland (the shortest route), whi
others saw some such machine as the s. V. A, a
if could make the flight easily between sunr1s
and sunset In the case 1t would be ike
giant condor relying on the power OF its wings
sustain 1t a day and night in flight, in the othe
case II would be gull or swallow reiyin
on terrific speed to carry it over by daylight.