The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-06


 straight down through a floor tunnel
 was more than matched, though de-
 tails of how this is done cannot, of course, be given. It is sufficient to say
 that this new type, long and anxiously
 awaited and now a reality, armed for
 combat was formidable as any car ever produced, and in the Judgment of these experts was for more formidable than any of them.
 Climbing into the pilot's seat there was an opportunity to see the workings of this big car--the pioneer of the lighting squadrons soon to come The powerful motor, with all it's pistons
 Jumping, was just ahead with two long eXhausts sweeping back toward the tail. Within the seat were straps to hold the pilot in headlong flight and all the delicacy of mechanism one sees in an utomobile-speed indicator, gas meter, oil pressure. throttles, switches, and much more besides lights for signaling, height meter and com pass, and fire extinguishers to fight blaze
 This is the joy-stick,' said Captain A., as he swung the lever controlling the tail and ailerons for vertical move ment. And he pointed out that the lfootrudder. which controls the horizon tai movement, worked on the same prin- ciple IS the bodsled
 iiuly IL IS wonder, ne said. fOn- ding the mechanism q know them all English, French. Italian-and there is nothing like this for power and speed. Why"
 And then he gave an instance of what had been accomplished in straight rise from the ground, which constitutes record far exceeding any thing before This was made in one of the Liberties recently turned out nf laI ~f the best machines, and the workmen even dubbed it False Alarm But 1t soon proved it's rights It was sent to one of the training fields, and on one of it's first ascents it shot up straight from the ground to the height of 2O,40o feet in S5A minutes. Tt is the fastest time a human be- ing has ever gone up," said the cap- tain, and it gives an idea of what is ahead when these squadrons are in line"
 IT details could be given on the num-
 per Of these planes and the squadrons equlpping for the battle line it would
 cheer those who have grown heart SICK with waiting and charges and in- vestigations and would let them know
 the day of real accomplishment was at hand in the thisck of the fighting. With out giving numbers, it can be said that we saw these machines crowding a vast workshop in such arrays that their wings touched and covering much more than the area of city block. They were not piecemeal cars, but all ready to go forward. They have been pass ing by the score daily into the hands of the aviators, and squadron after squadron was being made ready for the front.
 We saw them in combat formation over the flying fields of Issoudoun Ihls was no longer vague promise of the remote future, it was at hand and we saw these machines in vast num- pers arming and starting for the bat | tic front.
 1 The testing of the engines gave an 1 idea of the tremendous power of the new cars. The cars were anchored by | heavy chains, and workmen gripped | the long body to keep it from plung- Ing as the propeller started and the engines gave out long wall. The men, gripping the chains and rigging, were swept as though in tornado, the grass was flattened and great clouds of dust
 rose like the smoke of batteries There
 IS an awe in the power of this engine l ana US whirling propeller, and dan l ger, too, which the men have learned l Ihe suction of the propeller, while the
 ear IS on the ground, is far greater than
 has ever been known with other cars | the other day. and the great maelstrom I or rushing air sucks in everything com ! Ing Within 10 feet of it's mouth. But this IS merely detail of testing and mas no bearing on the capacity of the car Tor flight Like the power of the engines, the propeller is much larger and heavier than in other cars. This turning out of the new type of American Liberties is only one of the of fI.,s production center located here with huge shops and warehouses, 270O men, 200 officers and 12O0 Chinese laborers All the cars made in America come here in parts, to be assembled, tested, armed and all the other makes of cars are mob- ilized here, preparatory to going into use on the flying fields and the front.
 There is besides the huge work of re- ceiying the wrecked cars as they are shot down and smashed They come here riddled with bullets, their wings torn off, which tells of fierce con- test Such as can be made serviceable again are sent back to the field, while the wreckage of those beyond repair strews an immense field and is ghastly
 reminder of the heroic sacrifice their pilots have made. -t A&
 The process of assembling the cars
 as they come from America was fol-
 lowed through it's various stages, in
 the six huge bays of the workshop,
 each bay having a capacity of IS ma
 chimes or over 100 machines going for
 ward at the same time. Nine huge boxes
 being the different parts. First. the
 fusilage or body is set up the motors
 installed, the landing wheels attached.
 the wings and tail adjusted, the gun
 racks and armament prepared. and soon
 complete car ready for flight grows out of the scattered parts.
 How many are turned out daily can not be stated, but it can be said that the capacity of this big airplane cen-s ter working in eight-hour shifts Is 5o complete airplanes a day. And in these days when the mobilizing of machines follows close on the mobilizing of men, the actual production is not far from | the full capacity.