Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-01-24

of the ~high-wheeled bicycle; It Is
seen no more In the air. And In.
stead Of just a~irplanes, we have
bombing machines, reconnaissance machines and
battleplanes. each n specialized type designed for
Z specific duty. Then, in q class by themselves,
there are the hydroplanes, writes Arthur Bening-
ton In the New York World.
Bombing machines are the heavy artillery, the
condors, the Percherons, the bulldogs of the mir.
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 swal-
lows. the th0rOughbreds, the terriers, the wasps,
of the air.
you might as well ask me what kind of horse
I consider the finest" replied an Italian aviator
when asked for his opinion on the finest a~irplane.
1T 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
! personally have encountered We're German ma.
chimes; the swiftest flyer up to date Is the Italian
s. V. A.; and ! think the Austrtans have the most
reliable hydroplanes."
OF course this was merely the ~ayiator's personal
opinion, and 1t Is given here not at all because of
Its value Qs Q judgment on the several makes of
machines, but merely to Illustrate the diversity Of
type and the wisdom of not confusing the differ.
et types In ones mind.
For q bombing machine the primary require
ment Is ability to carry a heavy load. Then, in
order of importance. come: Medium speed $50 to
100 miles an hour) climbing power $4,000 feet);
defensive armament and n radius Of action from
GU to 100 miles. Load-carrying power involves
strength OF construction, great stability, and en-
gines that shall develop tremendous power and
yet be as light as possible. Types of the bomb
Ing machine are the Italian CapronI, the British.
Handley- Palmer. and the German Gotha G III
and Friederchshafen G. III.
The reconnaissance machine must have room
for at least two persons-the pilot and the OBJ
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 100
miles an hOur--nnd ability to carry a machine
gun with which to defend itself If attacked. The
camera installation makes great stability neces.
sary. Types Of this machine are the ltalian
Pomllt0 s. V. A. and Savola- POmilio; the French
Voisin, and the German Brandcnburg, Albatross
G III and Aviatiks G III.
Speed and climbing power are the essentials in
a battleplane. 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 ID I and Albatross Bue-can carry only one
man, who acts as 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, as 1t discharges its bullets
between the blades Of Il propeller revolving so
rapidly that 1t cannot be seen, 1t must be perfect
~ synchronized with the motor, otherwise a bullet
might strike a blade of the propeller. These
!mpcb.lls.aG IRE nothing but flying cannon. They
carry no passenger, no 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,
A~k A. ,~~ .oakt- - nn f~1 nM,nAe khn
speed and stability Of an %airplane.
Some Idea Of the differences may he obtained
from the Dimensions, and these can be given only
approximately except in one or two cases. 1t IL.
Of course, impossible to describe our own Ameri-
can planes, so the comparisons thAt follow are
based on foreign machines.
One Of the smallest of the battleplanes is n
new pomllio which has not yet been tested in
America. American representatives Of the Ansal-
do company Of Genoa, which makes the 8. V. A.
another very small one-declinc to make its d.
mansions public at present, but Capt. Alessandro
Pomilio, designer of the machines that hear his
name, has no objection to 1t being stated Tint the
POmiliO which flew from Fortress Monroe to
Afineola and which scared over New York on Lib
crty Loan day, has n wing spread OF approximate
ly 80 feet. This. however. Is n reconnaissance
machine. The one that Is coming Is Il battleplane
and its wings have n spread of only q traction
over 30 feet. Both these Pomilio machines nave
exactly the same motor, Il @O0hOrse.power lsetth-
Fraschlni. but The greater size of the oHn already
here enables It to carry a passenger and cameras.
while the smaller Cne can carry only one mnr.
The reconnaissance PoMilio makes 1gO miles mn
hour Il scout Is said to have made on tests In
Italy 100 miles IN hour.
SO far az official tests are known. the >. V. A.
holds the record for speed. This ls the machine
TINT MODE the sensational flight from Turin to
Rome, 800 miles, in two hours and hfty minutes,
averaging 1908 miles an hour. The French Nleu'
port machines are unonicinlly reported to hnve
made as high ns 175 miles an hour.
The dimensions Of the German Albntross ID
are known exactly. having been published by the
French military authorities after measurement OF
captured machines. It's wings have n spread or
29.7 feet; Its fuselnge Is 23.8 feet long; Its speed
is 1914 miles nm hour and II can climb to 1880 feet.
It carries two rapid.ire guns. dIscbarging through