The Twin City star., 1918-01-12

aXN pigeons and swallows. "
Ny The monoplane has gone the way
of the highwheeled bicycle; 1t Is
seen no more in the air. And in
stead of Just airplanes we have
bombing machines reconnaissance machines and
battleplanes each q specialized type designed for
q specific duty. Then, in 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 air.
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 machinegun squads, are the swal-
lows, the thoroughbreds the terriers the wasps,
Of the air.
"You might as well ask me what kind of horse
consider the finest" replied an italian aviator
when asked for his opinion on the finest airplane.
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 were German ma
chimes the swiftes flyer up to date is the Italian
8. V. A.; and think the Austrians have the most
reliable hydroplanes"
OF course this was merely the aviator's personal
opinion, and it Is given here not at all because Of
Its value as q judgment on the several makes OF
machines but merely to illustrate the diversity Of
type and the wisdom Of not confusing the differ
ent 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 q.
100 miles hour) climbing power $4,000 feet);
defensive armament and a radius of action from
60 to 100 miles. Load d-carrying power involves
strength Of construction, great stability, and en-
g1nes 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 Friederichshafen G. 81. .... ,.... ..
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 AMI moving pictures;
fuel capacity sufficient for three or four hours of
dight; fairly high speed-say from 115 to 12O
miles an hour-and ability to GARY q machine
gun with which to defend itself If attacked. The
camera installation makes great stability neces-
sary Types Of this machine ere the Italian
Pomilio s. V. A. and Savoia-Foanilio the French
Voisn, and the German Brsndenburg, Albatross
G III and Aviatiks G ILL.,
Speed and climbing pow er are the essentials in
a battleplane. The latest types of this sort-the
Italian s. v. A. and a new model of Pomo: the
French Newport and Spad, and the German AL
batross D and Albatrose Bue-can carry only one
man, who acts as pilot, observer and gunner.
Most of them have only one gun, which is not
mounted a swivel but is an integral part of
the engine itself, for, 1t discharges it's bullets
between the blades Of propeller revolving so
rapidly that 1t cannot be seen, it must be perfect
ly synchronzed with the motor, otherwise bullet
might strike blade Of the propeller. These
machines are nothing but flying cannon. They
carry passenger no cameras, no bombs, moth
ing except single operator and the ammunition
Tor the gun
The difference between reconnaissance and bat
teplanes appear slight when set down in figures,
but then every fraction Of inch affects the
speed and stability Of an airplane.
Some idea of the differences may be obtained
from the dimensions, and these can be given only
approximately except in one or two cases. It is,
Of course, impossible to describe Ameri-
can planes, the comparisons that follow
based on foreign machines.
One Of the SMALLEST Of the batteplanes is a
new Pomilio which has not yet been tested in
America. American representatives Of the Ansal-
do company of Genoa which makes the s. V. A
another very small one-decne to make its d.
mensions public at present, but Capt. Alessandro
Pomilio designer of the machines that bear shis
name has no objection to 1t being stated that the
| Pomllio which flew from Fortress Monroe to
Mineola and which scared over New York on Lib
erty Loan day, has wing spread Of approximate
| y 38 feet. This, however, is reconnaissance
machine The that is coming is a battleplane
and its wings have q spread of only fraction
over 30 feet. Both these POmiliO machines have
exactly the same motor, 200hOrse-power Isetta-
Fraschni, but the greater size of the one already
here enables it to carry passenger and cameras,
while the smaller one can carry only one man.
| The reconnaissance Pomiio makes 120 miles an
hour; scout is said to have made on tests in
italy 100 miles an hour.
| So far as official tests known, the 8. " A.
| holds the record for speed. This Is the machine
| that made the sensational flight from Turin to
Rome 800 miles, in two hours and fifty minutes,
averaging 1908 miles an hour. The French Nieu-
| port machines are unoficially reported to have
made as high as IT'S miles an hour.
The dimensions of the German Abatross D
are known exactly having been published by the
French military authorities after measurement OF
captured machines. Its wings have a spread Of
297 feet its fuselage is 236 feet long; it's speed
Is 124 miles an hour and 1t climb to 1880 feet.
Il car-ias twn rapid-fre guns dischargtng through