Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-21
10 BEGIN BUILDING
SINCLE-SEATER PLANE
Rritish Fighting Machine Pre-.
ferrcd by Aces for Often.
sive Work
ADVANTAGE In SPEED
Inability of Allies to Meet Needs
Leads to Production in
America
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
In Toddu's Public Ledger
Washington, June 21

49, Sucn STEADY pfOSreSS Is sDsiIS maui
with the production of airplanes of
the bombing type that plans have
about been completed for the construc-
I fion in this country of the fastest
type of fighting scout machine now
iying in Europe.
Americas aces at the battlefronts in
France and Italy are compelled for
the present to fly French and Italian
machines, and there has been a sort
of tacit understanding with the Allies
that they would continue to furnish
the swift little single.seated planes
\ which do nearly all of the effective
fighting. while the United states would
devote it's resources to the quantity
production of .he heavier and more
easily standardized machines for
bombing and long reconnaissance
work
But it is virtually certain now that
Nthe French and Italian plants will not
be able to turn out the scout machines
fast enough to keep Their own and
the American aviators supplied. The
British have their hands fun supply
ing their own needs, so it has become
apparent that if the United States Is
I to assist the Allies to that mastering
superiority" in the air which is also
sfought for the armies on the ground
lit will be necessary to turn out the
speedy little fighting craft in this
country along with the larger craft
4 used for bombing. for artillery obser-
walton. photography and the remain.
der of the "drudgery' which forms so
\ large a part of the activities of a
well-estahlished flying service.
The fighting plane decided upon for
production here is n late model OF a
British sinsle-seater which made tts
first appearance on the western fs0.r'
Just about this time last yehr T, A
wasplike little bplane W.T. n ic
every air stunt" know {" - b-tg
OF war flying. 1t gave "a II
figh' ers "A decided ddra', q a., che
best of the Gerptau r. hinea .tclud.
ing even the br',!'a' sised wills" of
Captain Bsye '.L-<h'-. .Jfen's IA.
nous ..hyirs = cirg+ls" = I'D climb TO
an altitude si 10 Hi,f ct i'm a little
with S,sb II = filling arrow.
TfRFe spSsti.s e. nave been an entire
fsnisat No. Sion in this country con.
r cerniaf tire ighting scout machine.
Nuisi ser. rs "a general have been car.
f'ied -sawsis in imagination by the so
caAe,i 'battle 5lane" or ''dreadnousht"
~ the air, whereas in the lexicon of
tyfhe flying services abroad there is no
.sslCe term as battle plane" Lately
TT Et mas bttii iiitIil lt4h yer
iI,an flying tanks or armored air
b.anes, which defy the bullets of the
Allied aviators. But these stories lack
Ssboth confirma ton and belief.
" Some American writers who have at
tempted to comment upon the airplane
Mutation here in Washington have
:. .bIandly stated that the single-seated ma
Z. chine zig regarded as antiquaied and all
IL but obsolete" and that all the best au-
- ~thorites agreed that the two and three
seated fighters We're the best. As a mat
r ter of fact pilots of the class of Major
Bishop and most of the other "aces" Of
the Allied services who fy the little
scout ask for nothing better than a
fight with one of the big two or three
eeaters. They can fairly fly rings around
them. jor Bishop always used to
refer to the fat German two-seaters as
!. his particular joy. The real dangerous
opponent is tiny single-seater machine
with fighting ability equal to your
own.
Much of the misrepresentation as to the
little scouts was brought about by the
action OF General pershing in stopping
the proposed construction in this country
of $50 900 worth of the French sim
gie-seater known as the Spad. This
stoppage came about. as matter of
fact. as the result of the agreement en-
IA Allies were to furnish this type of ma
chine. while America concentrated on
the bombers' fleet as already stated