The Washington herald., 1918-03-18
MOTOR
IN U. S. PLANES
HUGE SUCCESS
Liberty Engine Exceeds Ex-
pectations for Speed and
Carrying Capacity.

That Liberty motors are destined
to spell victory in the present war
seems more than likely. is the firm
belief of those best qualified to
pass Judgment upon the situation.
Its just this way" explained an
expert yesterday; "the Curtiss type
Of airplanes in which the new LIB
erty motors have been tested re-
Gently, are small affairs compared
to the immense battleplanes now in
process OF construction by our gov
ernment Even the motors them
selves now in use for experimental
purposes are relatively small, be-
cause the government did not wish
to engage In wholesale manufacture
Of the larger sizes until satisfied
the design would meet expectations.
1e0 Miles An Hour.
NOW 1t is established that they
have exceeded all calculations In a
most impressive manner. 1t was
known that they were wizards in
rising from the ground like q bubble.
without the necessity for the long,
gliding motion common in other ma
chimes, but 1t was never suspected
that they would develop such an
astonishing rate Of speed In their try
outs.
THE best any Of US thought they
would be capable of performing
ranged around the 140-miles-an-hour
mark, which was gratifying as lS7
miles an hour is the maximum speed
OF any German machine.
Much to everybody's astonishment,
the new Liberty motors have been
driving the Curtiss airplanes along at
hurricane rate right of the bat, in
some cases exceeding 100 miles an
hour. which is going some. consider
ing that they are In the infant
class yet.
"The monster battleplanes which
we are going to turn out in such
wholesale fashion will be capable Of
going over 200 miles an hour, with a
carrying capacity OF large quantities
of explosives besides fully twenty-five
men.
Machine Guns.
Suppose each member OF this crew
was armed with a Browning machine
rife OF the type demonstrated re-
Gently at the Congress Heights rife
range? These guns are capable OF ex-
hausting a clip of cartridges every
three seconds, or at the rate of 400
shots per minute. Their accuracy is
wonderful, and members of the gov
ernment school OF training that came
down from Massachusetts especially
to test these guns over the range pro-
nounced them the best in the world
''If needs be, one man, can operate
a Browning machine rifle They only
weigh about fifteen pounds. which is
but slightly in excess OF the weight OF
an ordinary service rifle.
with a flock of these great aerial
| birds in pursuit of prey, and crews
armed as described, the German air
planes would stand about as much
show of getting away as a SNOWFALL
rat would have in escaping from an
asbestos cat in hell"
The other day a young man drifted
into the main recruiting station of the
navy. S06 Ninth street northwest, and
asked Lieut.. Harry T. Middleton, the
! officer in charge, what chance there
would be for his enlistment in the
Aviation section where he might
achieve personal distinction?
Seek Aviation Work.
My parents were wrecked with
the Titanic" he explained. leaving
me an immense fortune. This war
| has inspired every drop of patriotic
blood in my veins, and while /
might enlist in the army, l would
only be one among many-a piece
of machinery. as it were. II !
went in the navy I might be one of
| heroic gun crew, but that's all.
What 1 want is a chance to go
! it alone. Then if / do something
great, I'll get full credit. Perhaps
am selfish in this respect, but
that's the way l feel about it"
| According to the naval officer,
there are thousands OF young men
in the country imbued with the
same spirit. and 1t will be interest
ing to note the records some OF
| them are sure to make when Uncle
Sam gets good and ready to turn
| loose on the Huns with these birds
of the air equipped with the Brown
! ing machine rifles