The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-22
TO FLY AMERICAN
PLANES OVERSEE
TO BATTLEF|ELDS
First Of Huge Craft Is
Being Prepared to
Cross Atlantic.
SWARMS WILL FLY
Expect to Make New Re-
cord for Continuous
Overseas Flight in
September.
SWARMS WILL FLY

Washington. June 2i.--British
and American aeronantical. ex-
perfs believe swarTns Of Ameri-
can made airplanes will he flown
across tho Atlantic to the battle
fields of France next year.
The first of the huge seaplanes
Is being prepared for the initial
test flight. II IL hoped to make
the new record for continuous
overseas flight I'm September of
this year The first official an
nouncenfcnt Of the uudera king
was made today by Major General
William Eranckcr, comptroller
general of the equipment division
81 ths British royal flying forces,
who recently arrived In this
country TO consult with the
American aircraft producers.
Secretary Of War Baker has
conferred with Major General
Prencker on the plan, and to-day
said:
1T Is very daring and tempt
ing speculation. and anything the
war department can do In help
n,atertailxe IT, viii be dome"
Major General William l.. Ken
ley, chief OF the aeronautics d.
VISION of The L. :. army. confirm =.
ed the statement that the pro-
p posed fight viii be undertaken. ,
he said:
II believe the psychological eff
feet upon the enemy and upon
our own pcaplc. which might
follow "a successful flight by an
army or navy plane asroSs the
Atlantic. would be lar greater If
the announcement OF the sucSess-
fai Accomplishment Of the under
taking came a. IA surprise.
lit Il true that we are plan
ming such test, but / hope that
our efforts will receive little, III
any, comment until the feat H. an
accomplished fact There are
many difficulties In the path and
IL Is unfair tn the public to- arouse
their hopes falsely"
Three Important Problems.
Ma or- G eneral Brancker said
There are three problems Of para
mount importance IN accomplishing
hight across the Atlantic. First. "
must have a strong machine equip
ped with an engine which can be de
pended upon to run continuously 70
forty hours, The machine must b
capable of carrying four men and tn
necessary fuel, In the second place
NE must have good weather. In III
bird place. we must be able TO pre-
lict with considerable certainty til
sind OF weather that we will meet.
After talking with the America,
federal experts. I am convinced tina
we will be able TO meet the necessit
II correct weather forecasts. Oh
are being taken and con
iitions studied now. AS far as tn
machine capable OF such feat |
our estimates lead us I
,eel confident that the machine wi
pc Produced
The ohjett OF the fight is no
merely to gain an effect II Is TO b
he forerunner. the proof positive,
iou may please, that the idea OF fly
ng our airplanes across the Atlanti
S feasible. Such q method of trans
port would be of great value; IL woul
relieve much tonnage. II is no secre
that If we must depend upon tn
in sight for 1919. the Ameri
IAN factories will not be called upo
20 produce their fun capacity OF air
craft, for the reason that the aircrai
cannot be at once shipping abroad
and by the time it did reach tn
front it would be out of date,
The fact is, however. that we ar
Eoing forward in planning the outpt
Df 1919 with the view of flying tn
craft across the Atlantic. If ou
aviators cannot fly the machines ovel
we will have wasted much in over
But we believe We ar
making safe gamble"
Praises Liberty Motor.
General Brancker spoke in CLOWN
terms of the performances of tn
Liberty motor on British testing field
He said it was positive that the Lib
erty motor might be brought to
point OF development where 1t woul
Be possible 10 use one in the trans
atlantic fight to be tried this FALL. TIL
present plans call for the use Of
Rolls. Royce engine. which has a.
ready proved itself one Of the mos
consistent performers Of the thirty Q
more types OF engines produced
Britian factories.
According to the present indics
lions, = huge seaplane, carrying sey
eral tons OF gasoline and carrying on
American ana one British mechanic
ma q British and an American pilo
viii ny from Newfoundland for tn
Axores. Tho landing conditions 70
: Land. plane are not good in tn
Asores. but tTe harbors present .,
cellsnt places for alighting. IT
manned to equip the machine wit
tWo Rolls Royce engines. each car
able Of developing about 375 horss
power. It II believed that with