Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-14

ing type of air craft is the heavy BATTLE plane,
which is as stable as horse and buggy, carries
several men, and is easily controlled as
limousine. Our Haviland plane is of this type.
These great airships in squadrons of eighteen to
twenty are fighting the war in the air today
and their development means the development or
stable plane, which will carry several passengers
the kind of a plane will use in peace time.
The experts say that the thing really needed
20 make civilian flying safe is system Of land
ing fields. Most of the accidents landing acct
dents, and many of them are due to the fact that
the aviator has good place to land OF course,
there is also danger of falling if the engine goes
wrong, just there is danger of going into the
ditch If the steering gear of and automobile goes
wrong but that danger is small in both cases. III
1T is somewhat greater in the airplane that is
offset by the fact that there is nothing to collide
with up in the air-no telegraph poles, pedes-
TRANS nor curves.
In the future, it is confidently predicted,
the map of the country will be dotted with land
ing fields Every municipality will probably be
compelled to maintain one, and there Will doubt
less be many others in connection with private
and commercial hangers. These will go a long
way toward making mail and passenger traffic
in the air as safe the land. The only other
step necessary to bring it into its is the re-
duction of the expense of flying, and that is sure
to come. Materials being standardized, and
fuel improved every day. There is no reason why
the expense of the production and operation of
airplanes should not be reduced as rapidly as it
was in the of automobiles.
The place of the airplane in national life
is further assured by the number of industries
which growing up around it, Nearly all of
these will, after the war, find other for their
products, but they will also try in every way
to encourage the use of airplanes. A large amount
of money and brains is now engaged in these in
dustries, and money and. brains always get re-
suits.
One of these industries is the making of cot
ton colth for the planes. Before entered the
war; the allies using nothing but linen for
the purpose. We could not possibly get enough
of that material for own needs. Accordingly
the bureau of standards put to work upon the
problem, and it devised cotton cloth made from
long staple cotton which seemed to answer the
purpose Perceiving that this cloth it's best
several millions in the long staple cotton and set
mills to work making the cloth. 1t proved a
great success, and now supplying al
lies we'll ourselves.
The castor oil industry is another. Castor
oil is the only lubricant that be relied upon
for in airpanes. When started out build
ing airplanes, large drug firm was commissioned
to supply the need for castor oil. 1t could not
get fraction of the necessary amount. Accord
ingly the board sent to India for a shipload of
castor bean seed, farmers were ENCOURAGED to
plant it by the offer of a fixed price for all they
could raise, and there are 1000 acres of
the beans growing in three states. Millions have
been invested in the plants for the extraction of
the oil.
Much the same might be told of the celIuIose-
acetate with which the wings of the planes are
impregnated to make them drum head tight"
and of the spruce which is used for the wooden
frame work. In each case a industry will
find other markets for its products when the
is over, but will nevertheless remain force be-
hind the development of the airplane and its use
for civilian purposes. The war has brought on
the Flying Age.