Evening star., 1918-08-22
Production q Big Task.

motor production mas proved 10 De
a formidable task. magnifed In some
degree by the reluctance of the de-
signers promptly TO accept and act
upon suggestions of imperfection
from competent engineers and critics
and fliers. and make changes in con-
formity with them.
Manufacture of the best foreign
motors cotemporaneously with the de-
velopment Of an American engine
would have been a sounder policy.
That it was partially adopted later
confirmed this conclusion. We are do
ing what should have been done a
pano-Suiza motor in quantity"
After deploring- failure to build the
Rolls Royce English motors and
French motors the committee added:
No fighting plane of American or
other design has been built around
axiom in aeronautics that planes
must be adapted to motors.
Until liberty plane is successfully
built around a liberty motor by COM
petent aeronautic engineers and
thoroughly tested out our air pro-
gram will not be complete"
Interests on Board Criticised.
In suggesting. without attempting
voritism had been shown by the old
aircraft board in placing contracts.
the committee says the presence OF
Dayton interests on the board and
the large contracts given Dayton
companies has provoked, "and we
ment which made the investigation
imperative" The Dayton Wright
and Curtiss companies are declared to
have been given great advantage over
their competitors"
Efficiency Impaired.
Efficiency in administration was
impossible. the committee declares.
with the aircraft production board
exercising authority without re-
Telling in detail of efforts last fall
to adapt the Spad. Bristol and De
Haviland Is to the liberty motor. the
committee states that the Bristol is
with bad construction. the board
was compelled to stop production"
Some of the $6,500.000 spent on this
experiment, 1t says. may be salvaged.
An order given In September. 1917,
scatter Spad planes--'an excellent
French biplane now in use on the
front'-was conceled. 1t Is stated,
because installation of the eight cyl
inder liberty motor, which was soon
discarded. was insisted upon by the
board.
No attempt was made to make sin
gle-seater fighting machines until
last May. the committee stated. when
1000 S.. E. IS were ordered by Mr..
Ryan and probably will be in pro-
duction during the coming autumn"
Enough Training Planes.
''The production of training planes
has been fairly adequate" the report
declares. There is no reason to ap-
prehend the training plane produc-
ticn will fall below the requirements
of the service"
The de Haviland 4-designated as
the only so-calied fiEhting plane now
in actual productionr-was- given
especial attention by the committee.
Contracts have been let for $500. and
on August 1 about 1000 had been
delivered.
Pershing Reported Many Defects.
One June 26. the committee states.
Gen. Pershing reported many de-
fects" in those delivered and stated
they could not be used until corrected
and demanded thorough test and in
Opinion of experts regarding the De
Haviland as to possibility of correcting
defects differed. the committee says.
adding:
But the assertion that the plane is
very unsafe in the condition in which
1t has been up to this time delivered
from the factory was practically
unanimous. Deliveries Of the ma
chimes continued notwithstanding and
many were sent to France in precisely
the condition complained Of In. Gen,
Pershing's cable. On August 2, an or
der was issued. to all the factories
directing that no moro of them be
delivered until the corrections re-
quired were made. We are informed
that production under these new con-
ditions is about to be resumed"
Forty De Haviland Is sent to Long
Island fields last month were tested
and pronounced "structurally weak
and detective" the committee states.
De Havilands Also Defective.
OF 1856 delivered to the Navy. 1t is
said. tests at Miami. Fla. developed
the same defects reported by Gen.
Pershtng. 100 Grated at embarkation
points being returned to the aircraft
board. Admiral Sims reported de-
fects in about so already shipped.
Regarding the De Haviland gener-
ally. the committee says:
Evidence ranging from qualified
approval to severest condemnation
shows that the De Haviland 4 is
poses. That the War. Department and
svidsnesd by The &ank that It 70 - b