Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-12
THOUSANDS OF PLANES
FLYING ABOVE TROOPS
Oder Thousands OF American Mn,
chimes Wul Be Added to Great
Fioct by juno
WORK is PAR ADVANCED
OUTPUT Now So Enormous That
Only Restriction Is In Finding
Sufficient Men 10 Man Thcm--To
Fight I'm Unison With Allies.


WASHINGTON. January I.--Thou-
axpds OF American aiTplancs arc Tying
above Tho American forces in Europe
rp-day: thousands more will ee added TO
tho air nee, by June. and Still moro
thousands will pour across the Atlantic
as fast as the co-ordinatcd factories In
this country can turn them out Battle
planes and bombing planes. as we'll as
trimming planes. will be sent into ear
vice.
Tho 100000 appropriated oJ
Congress last July for the aircraft pro-
duction board is bearing rs fruit n
such an enormous way that tho only
restriction will be in finding sufficient
men to drive the great fleet in baltic
/, Co-ordinated as is tho production the
hghtinr VIII be in perfect unison with
the al!irh air fleets. through a Joint
army aii navy aircraft committee to.
form q direct channel OF contact be-
tween the in;erallicd aviation commit
tee and tho aircraft board in Washing
ton.
OUTLINE OF WORK
GIVEN BY COFFIN
: American impetus has pushed tho
sircraft program further toward real
participation in the war than there
has been indication. This is indicated
in an outline of the work Of tho air
E Coffin. chairman. About half OF the
enormous appropriation. Mr.. Coffin
shows. was provided for the purchase
OF aircraft, aircraft armament and
equipment: the remainder will be for
che building up and maintaining OF an
air service personnel greater than that
OF the entire standing army before
this country entered the war.
At the outset close contact was had
vi no inl ir
strong military, technical and indus
trial mission of more than 100 men
sent to Europe. The policy of the
United States aircraft development
evolved from practical warfare lessons,
was sevenfold as follows:
I. Establish and maintain a great
system of training stations. adequate,
both in ground schools and flying
schools, to provide preliminary train
ing for the personnel schedule.
.. Accomplish International standard
isation in aircraft materials. and
achieve such coordination as would
concentrate the manufacturing facli-
ties Of the various allied countries
upon the minimum number OF types of
these ina chines for which the produc-
ing equipment was best.
B. Construct primary training ma
chimes Of quality approved by the joint
army and navy technical committee.
(. Provide, equip and train personnel
for flyers and mechanics. in accord
ancc with "A schedule recommended by
the committee.
s. Provide raw and scmifniShod ma
tcrials and finished parts, including
motors.
8. Provide for the equipment of tho
American forces in France for the
period of January to juno. 1915, In
large part by purchase OF fighting ma
chimes manufactured in allied countries.
and to supply the machine tools and
raw and semihnished materials.
Z. Provide complete service ma
chimes, including combat and bombing
types. for American need after July l.
and for such shipment OF the finished
product overseas as tonnage might per
init.
Twenty-four great training stations
have been built in accordance with the
schedule, almost 10 a day. Nine ground
stations for the preliminary training OF
flyers in technical matters were planned
at universities. More than half of the
training stations arc in full operation.
The production Of training mach ines
viii he in excess of the needs OF the
program by January 20
Training Of both flyers and mechanics
is progressing in this and tho allied
countries. Thousands Of mechanics are
being put into actual service with the
allied forces. Trained me will he re-
leased as needed in S,+, United states
air service. and THAR sia-cS kept filed
with fresh material. II originally was
intended 10 have the advanced training
overseas adjacent To tho actual mill
tary theater hut SO energetic has been
the work OF the personnel division OF
the signal corrs that the training ia
cilities thus provided have been over
crowded with resultant request that