The Dolores star., 1918-09-06

This. Of course, could not continue,
and Caproni again packed up his BE-
longings. again received the parental
blessing and crossed the Austro-I italian
frontier. He went to Milan. Italy, and
applied to the military authorities
there for permission to erect a hangar
and experimental laboratories on the
cavalry exercise field near Somma
Lombardo.
Has Designed Nineteen Good Types.
Here at last he was given the oppor-
tunity to build and test his first air
plane. and 1t Is to the credit Of Cap
roni that this first machine was rolled
from the hangar and flew on Its Erst
trial. Others were turned out and still
others, and to date nineteen types have
been designed and built by this man.
and in each instance have flown as
soon as finished.
The worth of these Caproni ma
chimes Is proved by their adoption as
standard bombing planes by the French
government. the letting Of contracts
to the CaprOnis by the United States
government and the purchase Of sew
eral Of the big triplanes by the British
government.
Since the outbreak Of the world war
Capronl airplanes have taken all Of the
aviation records In Italy and have
smashed many Of the International fig.
ures. The inventor has not confined his
activities to any one type, but has d.
verslhed his output. It Is no uncom-
mon sight on Capronl field to see Q
gossamer winged monoplane roll out
Of a. hangar door and under the lower
plane Of a giant Caproni triplane
which has carried more than fifty men
Ms passengers in long nonstop flight.
At the same time the honor Of the
first tank airplane must go to Caproni.
Some weeks ago news dispatches from
the western front announced the use
Of the FIRST aerial tank by Germany.
The Caproni tank alrplane had flown
long before that announcement.
The biggest Of the Caproni machines
recently completed In Italy carried
more than fifty men. 1t 20 far eclipses
any other effort along similar lines that
approximate dimensions are Of more
than passing interest.
Carries Seven Guns.
This leviathan Of the mir has an ap-
proximate wing spread Of 155 feet
from tip to tip. Is about 65 feet long
and SO feet high. Is armed with seven
guns and develops 2.1OO horse power
with three motors.
This machine. of course. can carry
an enormous freight Of high explosives
and dvop them behind the enemy lines,
and Italy would build many Of them II
she could. At present only one Of
these battle cruisers of the air has
been constructed. Italy cannot spare
more raw material for the construc-
ton Of others. But Italy Is depending
on the United States for that raw ma
terial. and believes that she will get
It.
Caproni Is no self-advertiser. In this
he resembles his countrymen. When
something has had to be done in a
military way italian military chiefs
have done 1t without talking. When
1t was necessary for new and vital
things to be done In the air over the
italian front Caproni has done them.
The words Of young italian officer
when asked why 1t was that Italy was
not letting the world know what she
was doing sum the situation up well.
ITALY does not want to talk" he
said. "She wants to fight and to do"
And II the past performance of Gi-
ami Caproni means anything, the
statement by his representative in this
country that the continent to continent
flight will be made may be accepted
at face value.