Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-27

an aerodrome the coast OF the islands, and
good landing place is one of the prime essentials
in the business OF aviation. Its psychological eff
feet on the aviator alone is by no means nsgligi-
BILE. Imagine the nervous strain involved in a
transatlantic flight, the long hours of vigil, the
discomfort of the pilot who must guide his
chine for hours occupying position. The
landing-his destinations always in mind
for he knows that his endurance must
last until then. bad landing, with
its additional strain upon the pilot, is, avia-
tors say, a depressing influence which lasts
throughout the voyage Since the route to the
Azores is favorable in other respects it has been
suggested that hydro-airplanes could be used for
the initial flights-until proper site could be
found for the building of hangers and other equip
ment 1t would not be difficult for hydro-air-
planes to land in the water upon reaching the is
lands.
1t is doubtful if any of the hydro-airplanes
being built could keep up a sustained flight of
nearly 1000 miles, but with ships stationed at in
tervalS-say about every 800 miles-alOng the
route to supply them with fuel, they could easily
make it, it is believed. Small boats such as traw-
lers and schooners could be used for this purpose
That the airplane in it's present stage of de-
velopment is capable of long and sustained flight
has been proven by expenditions that have been
made in this war, most conspicuous of which
the flight made by four British airmen in a BIZ
plane equipped with two 270 horsepower engines
from Hendon, not far from London, to Constanti-
nope-a distance of over 1000 miles. Descents
were made at Paris and Pisa to obtain supplies,
after which the machine flew over the Albanian
machine overhauled, and once more it took UP it's
flight, this time armed with bombing apparatus
Needless to say, no landing made at CONSTANT
nople. The airplane remained long enough. to
drop several bombs the Turkish war Office
playing havoc with its Oriental dignity and man
aged to get back to Saloniki one engine and
with bullet holes in twenty-six different places.
Two of these, having endangered important
mechanism had been cleverly stuffed with good
grade of American chewing gum
In the past year the allies have made rapid
progress in developing their high-power bombing
planes In the early part of the the Germans
claimed and admitted to have had the advan-
tage in the air. The Zeppelins undeniably
of material or false optimism, have remained sat-
isfed with a few standard makes and have allow
ed the allies to get ahead of them. Since the Ger
offensive at Picardy March 81 the allies
have held the advantage in the air. Their ma
chimes are better, their fighters better trained.
This is because they have not stuck to a few mod
els; they have constantly built ones. -, So
rapid has been the development in aeronautics in
the allied countries that type of airplane be-
comes obsolete in single year.
What the allies know about aeronautics they
are teaching Members of the Italian aviation
corps in this country showing American manu-
facturers how to make Italian models plans
of the newest French types have been turned over
to the American government, and new British mo-
tor, which carries machine to altitude of g.
600 feet and gives it speed of l so miles hour
at 5000 feet has just arrived in this country. In
addition to these ready-made facilities our dis
posal Americans applying their inventive
genius to the manufacture OF aircraft In the
next six months hundreds of planes will be ready
for shipment but will there be sufficient shipping
space? There seems to be great deaf IF doubt
concerning this. but apparently very little
ing the feasibility of a transatlantic flight II
the war lasts through another summer may
yet deliver American airplanes in France
their own power.