The Sentinel=record., 1918-02-01
AIRPLANE PLANS CHANGED TO MEET
 FIGHTING TACTICS
HAS THROWN THE AMERICAN AIR CRAFT PROGRAM TWO
 MONTHS BEHIND SCHEDULE
Tendency Is Toward Machines of Greater Power and That Valuable Lesson Had Been Learned in Recent 5attes-Committee to Learn Mum Der of Machines Sent to France.

Washington, Jan, 31-COnstant al tering of plans to meet rapid changes in air fighting tactics in Europe, combined with delays in getting ma terial and scarcity of skilled labor has put Americas great aircraft program two months behind schedule, though 1t is now moving forward smoothly In disclosing this today to the senate military committee Colonel Deeds, as sistant to Major Gen. Squier, chief signal officer of the army. said that not a single machine of the exact type planned when congress appro- priated $G40,OO0,000 for an air fleet will see service in France.
 Col. Deeds told the committee that the tendency was toward machines of greater power and that valuable lessons in this respect had been learn ed at the last battles about Verdun. He believed that the machine now being manufactured and sent to France not only would meet present requirements, but would excel any thing the enemy may produce in some time to come.
 Testimony on how many machines have been sent over, the equipment going with them, the number of ayia- tors in France or expected to go was left to an executive session of the committee and will be continued to- morrow, but Col. Deeds said at the public hearing that 1t looks as though we will keep the program of moving men and equipment to France well balanced
 He promised to give to the commit tee in confidence full information on types of bombs decided upon and progress of production
 Col. Deeds said four types of ma chimes were being manufactured, ele- mentary training, advanced training, combat and bombing Contracts have been let for 5,350 of the elementary type, 2,153 have been completed and contracts had been awarded for l,400 of the advanced training. lnforma . tion about the combat and bombing craft was withheld,
 Contracts for the aviation service however. exceed in the aggregate the $640 100000 provided by congress and are distributed as follows: $194 ,000,- GOO on fixed prices contracts; $2S5,- 100000 for those on cost plus per centag basis, and $255,000,0o0 in for eign contracts with France and Italy
 The foreign contracts, Col. Deeds said. were arranged as between gov ernments through an allied commis B. sion, thereby escaping payments of large royalties demanded by some pateuteers 1t had been found that the training machines could be built for 25 per cent less than at first planned but these for active service cost more than planned because or greater horsepower
 The committee was told that con- tracts had been awarded to sixty five firms and that four hundred sub- contractors were working
 To emphasize rapidity of manufac- ture in spite of delays and usual con ditions. the colonel said the Hanley Page. an English machine, was be- ing manufactured now in the United States, although final drawings for it were received only four weeks ago Two weeks ago specifications for a Capron model were received and work already is progressing on that he said
 The very large Caproni triplane ex- perimented with here some months ago was not prac ica5le in he opin- ion of signal corps officers and smaller model is being made
 Col. Deeds stated that the signal corps was disoursius about S2000,000 daily. but that the organization had been so perfected that no invoice re- mained in he offices more than 2l