The Washington herald., 1918-06-27
H. E. COFFIN lives INSIDE
FACTS ON AIRCRAFT MAKING
Refers to Cartoons of Plane That Cost $780,
100000, as Cartoonists Put 1t in
Their Newspapers.

In MS HIST specCu sluCc tuo Te-
cent reorganization of the Aircraft
Board. Howard e. Comm gives an
encouraging view Of the present
aircraft situation in this country.
Mr.. Cofin's speech was made at the
semi-annual meeting Of the Society
Of Automotive Engineers. held early
this week at Dayton, Ohio. Some
extracts from it are given below:
There Is one phase of aircraft
work Of which nothing has been
seen here today. but to which the
Aircraft Boards advisory relations
were Just the same as to the army's
activities. I refer to that of the
navy. The navy has been building
battleships and destroyers and tell
ing US about how submarines have
been sunk. but We have not heard a
word about aircraft. and yet in
many ways. the navy has done the
most remarkable work along that
line. They are flying every day
aircraft Weighing up to 1000 or
$4,000 pounds. and equipped with
engines of from 400 to 1000 horse
power. and carrying crews of ive
men.
Commander Colburn has just told
me that within the last week two
of these Liberty engines were taken
from stock. put into a stock boat.
flown up and down the river
couple Of times to make sure that
everything was all right. and then
a trip made of some $50 miles, from
Philadelphia to Newport News,
without missing a "shot" on either
engine. have seen them doing this
sort of thing right along. and they
think nothing at all Of 1t. They. are
making almost daily trips from
Newport News to Washington.
what Is the Limltf
When We consider the size Of these
boats and the power being put into
them, We must wonder just what the
limit in aircraft development will be.
OF course, the army Is also at work
on large machines, but the navy, be-
cause Of its work in detection of sub
marines, has started Immediately with
the large sizes.
The new naval aircraft factory at
Philadelphia has . floor space of
about $4,000 feet, and the work being
done there is something that every
one ought to see. All Of US. think.
today have seen enough of an exhib-
ition of flying to know that the
building of fighting machines Is In
good shape.
1t has only been a few weeks since
some OF our friends were talking
about one airplane that had cost
$40. 10000. Part Of the press seized
upon the expression as q headline
ond some of US have seen cartoons
with the $50 O0O. 900 in one-half Of the
scale and one poor little airplane In
tie other half. As a matter Of fact,
only about half OF the appropriation
made for aircraft has actually been
spent.
Every dollar Of that amount has
Eccn accounted for, of course,
through the accounting system Of the
War Department Some 5000 or 5000
training machines have been built
end, couple Of thousand machines
perhaps in Europe. Construction for
Europe has been delayed because of
the unsettled conditions over there,
owing to the drives in Italy, and on
the West front and to the shortage
of materials.
How the Money Was Spent
Some 10000 men are in training IN
the aviation service in this country.
and there are twenty-five or thirty OF
the big training stations In operation.
A laboratory in operation here in
Dayton is one Of the most remark
able developments of the whole air
service; and perhaps most important
of all, the mystery OF aircraft pro-
duction has been thoroughly explod-
ed.
Plants IN this country are produc-
ing. and others will produce aircraft
of standardized interchangeable de-
signs. nearly as freely and easily as
American plants have ever built auto
mobiles Those who visit the Dayton
Wright plant will see a fine example