The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-05-10

N'lUpdI dlNt'N 1tN persons rear
ihe, | suppose, that fireworks almost
Identical with those We used TO set
of on the Fourth OF july are util-
ikod In aerial warfare and form "A
valuable ana often vital asset for the
aviator. Most of these aerial
pyrOt,chn resemble In their ct
tcCts tho oolorod lights and the
Roman candles OF our childhood and
are used Tot signalling from the air
plane u the ground and vice versa,
or from ohC plane To others in the
air at the same time For this pur-
pose every active service airplAhc
carries one or more SignatlinR pistols,
depending upon the number OF the
crew. These rather formidable ap'
pearing Weapons arc similar to the
very pistols used I'm the rcncheH,
their ammunition consists or car
ridges very similar to shotgun shells,
hut larger containing stars uf various
colors, like those IN Roman candles
and tho necessary powder charge to
eject the stars Three colors, red,
green and white. are furnished. by
different combinations of these col
ora an a,most endless variety OF sig
mails can Le conveyed.
one Of Ne Htrangest and most faH
Clnatlng L.ght sights on tho western
front was to see these countless stars,
scarlet. yellow, emerald, shot from
Invisible uIrpAues. drifting across
he purple velvet OF tho sky. The
stars are clearly visible In the day
time and were used for many pur-
poses such as indicating the posi-
tion " urmy troops. the presence .
OF hostile aircraft requests for as
slstance from othcr planes ana aS n
means ~ transmitiing orders from
tho leadrr or a squadron To other Tn"-
chimes In formation Al night the six o
mailing piftul Is Of exceptional value
IN aiding the aviator to effect saie
IAnding. When approaching HIS home
field tho li,ot fires i light OF pro
arranger color and, II answered by u
light OF proper color from tho
ground. ne knows that the field ~
clcar of distractions and other ma
chimes Ird safe to land on. Fnots
have also used their signalling pistols
for firing into their gasoline tanks
and thus setting fire to their ma
chimes when forced to land In enemy
territory. There are also n few case"
on record OF the pilot being able to
hold enemy soldiers at bay with his
signalling pistol long enough to pre-
vent them from cxtinguishlng the
fire
Pcrils OF Night Flying.
The development and production
of pyrotechnics for the American
forces In France In described IN
"America's Munitions 19l1.ls" the
report In which Henedlct Grower w.
tho assistant secretary Of war. ac-
counts to the public IN easily under
stood form for the expenditure OF the
billions assembled through Liberty
loans. war savings stampB ana war
taxation
Night fyinE is one OF the most
hazardous duties ot the aviator. the
chief danger being In the difflcuIty
OF making "A safe landing Night
landing fields are, az rule, wclI IL
Illuminated by flood lights, hut near
the front this was not always auNis-
able or safe, and owing 10 the dltti-
Guilty Of Judging the distance of the
machine above the ground In the
darkness. accidents were by no
means uncommon In order to MINI.
mlzo this danger there was developed
the wing tip flare" which consists
OF small cylinder OF magnesium ~
material Ia a metallic holder, one OF
which IL fitted under each lower
wing OF the plane. The flares are
ignited py AN electric current and are
controlled by push buttons, one for
each flare, In tho pilots cockpit. IN
making a night landing, when the
pilot Judges tho plane to he but a
few feet above the ground, ne
presses one OF the buttons The flare
instantly ignitcs and for about ho
seconds burns With light or ap-
pro.imately 10000 candle power.
which. reflected on the ground ny
tho under surface Of the wing, on
able, the pilot to Judge his distance
and effect his landing without
trouble.
Lights IN the Iandscapc.
The reouirements OF night bombing
have led to the development or y
new and very interesting form or
pyrotcchnic known as the 'airphnq
flare" This flare. which weighs 30
pounds. Is contained In a cylindricai
case OF sheet iron about four feet
long and five inches I'm diameter. Tho
flare consists OF an Illuminating
charge, capable Of giving $4,000
candle power for approximately 10
minutes. which is attached to "a SIN
parachute 20 feet In diameter. The
cylinder ~ attached to the airplane
by a light release mechanism similar
IN those used for holding bombs. ON
the end NJ the cylinder In n small pin
wheel which. revolved nv the rush
or air az the released cylinder hurtles
downward Isnites the Illuminating
charge and al the same time
detonatcs small hlaNk powder
charge sufficient to eject the flare
and it's tightly rolled parachute from
the case The parachute Immediately
OPENS and the burning flare de-
scends very slowly. Illuminating a
large area or territory underneath
almost "a brightly as though II were
day. These flares were used particu-
larlv for night bombing raids the
pilots thus being enabled to illum,-
nate the ohlectives so that they could
accufatSl" drop their bombs on sev-
eral occasions when raiding airplanes
were me; by heavy fire from the
enemy's nnti-alrcraft batteries 4,
was found that the light from these
flares was 40 dazzling as 10 make II
impossible for the gunners to take
accurate aim go Wide IL the radius
Illuminated hv those flares and So In
tense their light that Il has been
found possible bv their aid 10 obtain
aero phUtcsra Of excellent detail
even on the darkest nights. / can
personally vouCh tor the amazing
hrillinncv Of these flares, for | saw
ono dropred by the Germans during
one W their air raids on Paris In
the summer OF 1918 II anaprently
A a