The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-10-12
Germany Lost War in Air, So
Inventor of FOkker Declares

bungled along with the manufacture
ut the planes for many months. and
when they had finally turned out
a few machines they found that they
could not be depended upon. In the
summer Of 1918, three months boz
fore the nrmistice they came to me
and gave me "A huge order for the
wireless steered airpianea. | had Just
got ready to manufacture them In
wholesale quantities when the end
OF the war came. Those airplanes
would have worked havoc wherever
/ they were used. IL would have been
like shooting huge shells hundreds
or miles with a range that was alb
solutely accurate.
\ sporting" Airplanc.
what will be the uirpJane OF the
next war; / asked.
The winged wireless -steered bomb
and great uirplanes that Will carry
hundreds of men.
How fast viii they go? what
Is the speed limit OF an airplane"?
The only speed limit ~ your
pocketbook. Give me plenty Of
money and | can make an airplnne
that win go as fast as you can imag-
inc"
Fokker showed me a photo OF an
airplane without an engine. This
is my very latest idea he said
proudly. 1T is secret az yet. 50
you cannot publish the photo. This
II an airplanc that can he tUwed be-
hind another plane.
Did you intend to use II In war
fare"2 l asked.
The war is over now, he said
smiling. My idea now Is to put
II out as a sporting idea IL costs
very little TO make "A motorless air
plane. Sporting contests with such
machines would be very much Ike
coastlng contests on the winter runs
In the Alps An air coaster could
be towed by an airpiane to "A height
OF 5000 feet or more, and then they
could cut loose and come down. lie
could make record of staying In
the air longer than some other con
testant. He might try to make more
spirals downward than other com
petitors. or he might try for speed
In coming down There are dozens
of different contests that might be
made with those air coasters, They
are Just az safe as airplanes, and |
thing the day will come when air
coastlng without engines will be a
great sport,
Fokker would tell me little OF his
further plan to tow "A series OF these
coasters as locomotive tows a string
OF cars lie has such a plan, how
ever. 1T would not be impossible to
set out with line of towed coast
ers'', he said. and have each coast
er cut loose when 1t reached the
town where the passengers in the
particular coaster wished 10 alight'.
When I'asked him whether the GER
mans had planned TO move troops
during the war by means OF such
coasters he gave me a smile for an
answer. / asked him whether he
had done any airplane fighting in the
war. Not n Bit, he said. Il have
never fired n shot at the allies. |
was neutral expert and manufac-
turer. and that part was the only
part ] played. What is more, | have
too much Imagination to be AN air
fighter. | could see too clearly In
my mind what might happen to me
IL | were hit. II takes n youth with
not bit OF Imagination in his make
up to be an ace.
whatever one may think OF FOX %
ker and the part he played In the
great war which was not small
one by any means, az the graves OF
Thousands OF allied flying men bear
testimony, he is one OF the world Is
greatest and most imaginative air
dreamers He told me that he want
ed to go 10 the United states soon.
Holland is too small he explained.
and Germany is through,