The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-19

in the bottom of the fuselage. By means Of this
last gun 1t can defend itself from enemy ma
chimes attacking it from below and behind, pO-
sition in which all other machines but the Gotha
vulnerable.
The Germans have been most ingenious in de-
signing their airplanes for maximum effectiveness
of gun fire Their single-seated Albatross D.
and D III, FOkker d, HalberSta1 1t Roland u anu
Ago D have two fixed guns fri ahead through
the revolving propeller, and these machines are
able carry 1000. cartridges for each gun Their
twoplace reconnaissance machines Aibatross'
Rumpler, Aviatik and l. V G. have one fixed Tor
ward gun firing through the propeller and sec
ond lighter gun swivel mounted behind the
planes and firing to the over an angle OF lSo
degrees The French have adopted this system
for the airplanes of similar type
The most ingenious armament however. Is that
of the POmiliO scout plane. 1t Is not auNlS-
able to betray the secret of this plane at present
but it is permissible to say that the single pilot
controls five guns, all shooting ahead simultane-
ousIy and that four of these are so perfectly
concealed that a photograph does not snow
where they are situated It is in reality nVe-
barreIed Calling gun wings. This machine Is
now on its way to America if indeed 1t has not
already arrived.
Talk q with the Italian aviators now here
about motors, 1 found them deeply interested In
the new Liberty motor but none would venture
to express opinion about 1t.
al cOuld not Judge of its value" said one OF
them, until 1 had taken it up 5000 or 1OOOOo
feet in the air and watched how it behaved there
The Fiat company which has been making mo-
tors ever since these were first invented needed
two whole years of experimentation before 1t was
able to turn satisfactory airplane motor
Several times it thought it had it; several times
if offered motor that performed perfectly under
the most exacting laboratory tests but each time
if failed when tested in the rareed air Of 1O,OOO
feet above the earth. After two years OF trial
the Fiat people produced the wonderful motors
now so extensively used. The Isotta-Fraschini
company had a similar experience We all ad-
mire the perfection of mechanism of the Liberty
motor and we all hope that actual flight will
T)roye It to be perfect as il looks, but no one
of us would venture to give verdict on 1t until
he had flown with it at all possible attitudes
These men, all of whom youths who have
had thrilling experiences in actual warfare, are
fond of discussing the probabilities Of a flight
across the Atlantic. Any one of them would be
willing to attempt it, but they disagree to the
machine most likely to be the first to make it.
Some say the giant CaprOni, which would need al
least "a hours and probably 40, to fly from New
foundland to Ireland (the shortest rOute), while
others say some such machine the S V. A, as
it could make the fight easily between sunrise
and sunset In the case it would be like
giant condor relying the power OF its wings 70
sustain it a day and night in flight, in the Other
case it would be a gull swallow relying
on terrific speed to carry it over by daylight