The Alaska daily empire., 1918-12-05
Manufacturer Says the Life of an AeropIane Is for One Month and
 Many Needed.
DEMAND WILL CONTINUE
Allies Were within 500 of Their Program When the War Ended and
 ArmistiCe Signed.

NEW YORK, Dec. 5.-An a1rplane manufacturer who recently returned to this country after an exhaustive study of airplane conditions on the Western battlefront, says the life of a fighting plane averages just one month There is a 100 per cent. loss of airplanes in constant use every 30 days Last month there were , something over TOGO Allied planes of the battle type in use on the Western front, as compared with a maximum of 5000 up to May 1st. This authority says that England, , France and Italy drew up an air plane program last Spring calling for production of 7,50O fighting planes of various types a month England made it very plain she would expect America to furnish at least half the motors. They used as their basis of manufacture a 100 per cent. loss ] figure a month. Thus the Allies were within 800 planes of the pro- war ended
 England probably had more than l 40 airplane factories at this time," says this manufacturer. "Of these there are three known as National plants, owned by the British Govern ment. The largest covers only lit tie over six acres of ground, not over 9 per cent of the floor space used by the Curtiss Company in Buff faIo, the largest manufacturers of airplanes and parts on this side.
 England has made many types of machines during the war, includ- ing the Rolls-Royce, the Dolphin, the Bristol and the Campbell. It is diff .ficat to say which has proved the most successful. All have done ex cellent work.
 ",The French have concentrated on the nan fracture Of tke famous Spad Probably To per cent. Of the ma cannes made in France have been of this tyna. ttey lave beon equipped with tne AElerican-made Hispano Sul~a nntor The ltailans have made numbor of types but the Iost successful has been the Cap roni. This is bombing plane, equipped with several motors and ca pable of carrying tons of explosives
 ''The Germans make good air planes. They concentrate on one style of motor, the Mercedes. The Germans gave further example of their perfection of detail in making this motor. Practically all types of German planes were equipped with some form of it. When the war started their airplane program per mitted of production at much fast CT rate than was possible by the Al lied forces. The latter, however, caught up and passed them during I the last few months. The difficulty ] which Germany had in securing raw materials undoubtedly raised havoc with her airplane plans.
 q am a great believer in the flu ture of the airplane. l think our Government will require many hun dreds of them, even if they are only i used for coast patrol work. In fact, I understand it has been officially 1 stated that this country will main tain after the war is over, sone thing like ,35O airplane squadrons. There are 12 machines in a squadron and six spares. This would call for the constant maintenance of over 6,300 airpIanes of the fighting type
 'The demand for airplanes for mail purposes is another consider able item. It looks as if we would have a mail service within the next few months between all main cities of the country.
 When peace terms are finally signed, a large number of trained aviators will returns to this country They will all be experts in handling
 the machines. The war has made tbem' experts The war. horrible as
 1t has been in its awful destruction