The sun., 1918-07-31
U. s. COMBAT PLANE
PLANS AGAIN UPSET
Pershing Urges Rapid Remedy.
ing of Defects in the
De Havilands.
736 SHIPPED TO FRANCE
Wright Plant Must Be
Equipped to Turn Out
New Designs.
Special Despatch to TIE SON.

WASHINGTON. July 30.---Facts which
have been daily coming to light showing
that the only battle plane which this
country has produced In any quantity as
yot-the De Haviland HAS not been
altogether satisfactory from the view
point Of those who have used II In act
ual battle work in France has produced
feeling Of encouragement here on the
part Of some who had hoped that the air
craft programme had begun to get into
Its stride. Quantity production had act
ually been reached with this machine
and the Wright-Dayton plant has just
completed its 1000 planes with 73S al
ready shipped to France.
Concerning the situation respecting the
De Haviland Secretary Baker made this
sta tement to-day:
There are probably no perfect air
planes. Improvement in the best OF them
Is constant and rapid, both as to types
and succeeding numbers Of the same
type. This Is true of the De Haviland. as
OF all others. The latest machines made
Of that type are better than the earlier
ones, and this improvement we hope will
be constant Gen. Persh!ng has requested
a large shipment of De Haviland planes
Ode Haviland ~ Of the present type on
the priority schedule for August
''The purpose OF this is to set at rest
the statement which was made from
some quarters that Gen. Pershing had
directed that no more De Havland
planes be shipped, because he has asked
for a very large shipment Of De Havi-
lands OF the present type"
Pershing's Plea.
Although. Mr.. Baker refused to add
anything to this statement in answer to
many questions put to him, 1t is known
that Gen. Pershing has asked by cable
that the defects in the present De
Havilands be remedied as quickly as
possible. 1t is not known, however,
when the new De Havilands will be
ready for production But 1t appears
that the De Haviland As are already
outstripped by the enemy machines and
those of the Allies.
With the production Of this machine
standardized the plan had been to turn
these out by the thousands. Instead the
experts must now go to work to turn out
plans for a new machine and then
standardize for ii. 1t will be necessary
to send Gen. Pershing the old type
until these designs have been worked
out and the Wright-Dayton plant
equipped for its production on a guam.
tity basis.
Some of the facts regarding the De
Haviland IS we're recounted to the Sen
ate Committee to-day by Major Mullen.
berg. Capt. Schraeder and Lieut.. Foote.
ut 10 "a flvin0 fieli
| Their testimony was hardly encourag-
| ing to the committee. as it revealed the
necessity of changing the De Havilands
at once and meant that America must
| lag behind other countries until the new
machine can be produced.
The disappointment felt over the De
Havilsnds is accentuated by the fact
| that they represented Americas best
achievement so far, and their production
even to the extent Of 1856 planes shipped
| abroad. while far below what was ex-
pected. has been In pleasing contrast
with the progress made with other parts
of the programme.
summary of Programme.
Summarized the programme into
which John d. Ryan has been trying 10
| put greater speed called for the produce
| ton Of:
The De Haviland 4 as Americas day
| bombing plane.
The Bristol, equipped with a Liberty
| ~. as Americas only observation and
two scatter pursuit plane.
The Caproni and Handley Paige ma
chine. equipped with Liberty IFS. as the
big night bombing planes,
Purchases from the Allies Of all sin
| gle seated fast pursuit planes.
The programme above enumerated Is
| outside of all training planes. which
are being turned out here In good guam
| tity, but includes all the machines called
| for on The battlefield in France.
Up to date the results are as follows:
The De Havilands in the last few
months have been turned out at the
Wright plant at an increasing rate. but
| must be supplanted by a new type as
soon as II can be worked out.
The Bristols turned out by the Curtiss
| plant proved defective with the Liberty
| 12s and had to be discarded. Engineers
are now at work on the problem of At
| ting either the Liberty or the Hispano-
| Suiza motor to these planes, but until
this has been done the production OF
observation planes will not be reached.
The construction of the two types OF
| big night bombing planes. the Caproni
and the Handley-Paige is under way
but save for one or two machines pro-
duction has not been reached.
The programme calling for all pur-
suit planes for our army to be made
| abroad has had to be changed, and
| American factories are now TO be called
upon to turn out single scatter pursuit
plane of a new type known as the
S E 5. The plans for this have just been
received and 1t will be some time before
any can be produced.