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


seen no more in the air And in
stead of just arpanes, we have
bonbing machines. reconnaissance machines ana
battleplancs. each specialized type designed Tor
a specific duty. Then. in class 10y themselves.
there are the hydropanes, writes Arthur Bening-
ton In the New York World
Bombing machines the heavy artillery, the
condors the Percherons the bulldogs Of the air.
Reconnaissance machines are the intelligence
service the carrier pigeons, the hunters, the
pointers. of the air
Battleplanes which combine the duties of light
cavalry and machine-gun squads. are the swat
lows. the thoroughbreds the terriers, the wisps'
of the air.
you might as well ask me what kind of horse
/ consider the finest" replied an Italian aviator
when asked for his opinion on the finest airplane
at all depends upon what service you want your
plane for. For dropping bombs on cities there Is
nothing like our own Caproni: the finest climbers
I personally have encountered We're German ma
chimes the swiftest flyer up date is the Italian
S. V. A.; and think the Austrians have the most
reliable hydropanes."
OF course this merely the aviator's personal
opnion and ii is given here not ut all because of
its value as q judgment on the several makes or
machines but merely to illustrate the diversity of
type and the wisdom of not confusing the differ
ent types In ones mind.
For a bombing machine the primary require
ment Is ability to carry n heavy load. Then, IN
100 miles an hour) climbing power N'o~ feeD;
defensive armament and radius of action from
60 to 100 miles. Load-carryng power involves
strength of construction, great stability, and en-
gines that shall develop tremendous power ana
yet be rs light possible. Types of the bomb
ing machine the Italian Caproni, the British
Handey- Palmer, and the German Gotha Ill
and Friederchshafen G.. H.
The reconnaissance machine must have room
for at least two persons-the pilot and the Oh
server; installation for wireless apparatus and
cameras for taking both still and moving pictures
fuel capacity sufficient for three or four hours Of
flight; fairly high speed-say from 115 to 12O
miles an hOur-and ability to carry machine
gun with which to defend itself II attacked. The
camera installation makes great stability neces-
sary. Types Of this machine are the Italian
Porilio s. V. A, and Savoa-Pomo; the French
VOisin, and the German BrandenDurS, AlDatrOSS
C. III and Aviatiks c III.
Speed and climbing power are the essentials in
n battlepane The latest types of this sOrt-the
Italian S. V. A. and a new model of Pomilio; the
French Newport and Spad. and the German AL
batross and Albatross Bue-can carry only one
man, who acts pilot, observer and gunner.
Most of them have only one gun. which is not
mounted on a swivel, but is an integral part of
the engine itself, for. 1t discharges its bullets
between the blades Of propeller revolving so
RAPIDLY that 1t cannot be seen, 1t must be perfect
ly synchronzed with the motor otherwise bullet
might strike blade Of the propeller. These
machines are nothing but flying cannon They
carry no passenger cameras. no bombs. moth
ing except a single operator and the ammunition
for the gun.
The difference between reconnaissance and bat
tleplanes appear slight when set down In figures,
but then every fraction of an inch affects the
speed and stability of an airplane.
Some idea Of the differences may be obtained
from the dimensions. and these can be given only
approximately except In one or two cases. IL Is,
of course, impossible to describe our own Ameri-
can planes so the comparisons that follow are
based on fpreign machines.
One of thu smallest Of the battleplanes is a
new Pomillo which has not yet been tested in
America American representatives Of the Ansal
do company OF Genoa. which makes the y V. A
another very email one-decline to make ITS Ill
mansions public at present. but Capt. Alessandro
Pomilio designer of the machines that bear his
name has no objection to il being stated that the
Pomilio which flew from Fortress Monroe to
Mineoa and wnich scared over New York on Lib
erty Loan day has a wing spread of approximate
ly SO feet This, however. is II reconnaissance
machine. The that is coming is battlepane
and its wings have a spread of only fraction
over 80 feet. Both these Pomilio machines have
exactly the 81 ne motor. Il 2o0horse-power Isetta
Fraschini b,!t the greater size of the one already
here enables Il 70 carry a passenger and cameras
while the sLIaller carry only one man
The reconnaissance Pomilio makes 100 miles al
hour; a scout is said To have made on tests II
Italy 100 mites an hour.
So far as official tests are known. the :. V. a
holds the ru.ord for speed. This is the machine
that made tte sensational flight from Turin Il
Rome. 800 n.cs in two hours end tfty minutes
averaging .TbS miles an hour The French Neu
port mach mes unotlicially reported To have
made as h. gh as 115 miles an hour.
The din euSionS of the German AlhatroSS ID
nre knowI exactly. having been published by III
French mir tary authorities after measurement o
captured achincS It's wings have Il spread "
oo1 feet; is fuScage is 23.6 feet long; its siee
Is 1o4 mile, an hour and il can climb In $3.50 feet
II carries Two rapid-tre guns dScharging through