The sun., 1919-06-29
SEES TRANSOCEAN :
AIR TRIPS COMMON
81
Marconi Expert Says Radio
Compass Will Make Air
Navigation Exact.
ITS PERFECTION Is SURE
Pictures wireless Lanes" In
Which Planes VIII Fly
Straight to 0bjectives.
IT'S PERFECTION Is SURE

Transocean air trips will be common
in the near future and aerial navigation
win be as exact. or even moro exact,
than that which now guides ships un-
erringiy thousands Of miles about the
world, according to Roy A. Weasant'
chief engineer Of the Marconi Wireless
Telegraph Company Of America
Mr.. weaEant bases his belief upon the
direction finder or radio compass of the
present. which, he says, viii be developed
soon into q wonderfully accurate and
delicate instrument BY means Of this
device, the exact position Of wireless sta
tons hundreds and even thousands OF
miles away from the soaring plane can
be determined. Mr.. .weagant draws a
picture of wireless lanes" between con-
tinents, In which airplanes. guided by
wireless, will fly straight to their desti-
nations, despite fogs, cross winds and
other present day buEbeare-
"In the two aerial flights made thus
far there has been no opportunity to de-
termine the full value Of the detective
system Of wireless" the radio expert
said yesterday. THE American NJ
flying boats employed the device, but
flight commanders expected to remain
within easy receiving distance Of the line
of destroyers- Had long range receiv-
ers been installed the craft would not
have had to depend upon these ships Tor
bearings. The same Is true Of the Vimy
airplane, and It will be interesting from
q scientific point Of view 20 compare re-
suits when in some future flight full ad-
vantage Is taken Of the obvious value OF
the long distance receiving apparatus"
Concerning the future Of wireless d.
rection, Mr.. Weagant says:
"In the speculation regarding the
eventual establishment Of regular
ocean crossings by airplane account
! should be taken of the entire feasi-
| bility Of setting up a wireless path or
lane which will enable aircraft to remain
| on q course in weather when astronomi-
cal observation is impossible. To main
| tain such @ path would require merely
that three high power wireless stations
transmit signals regularly at Frequent
intervals and that wide angle be ar
forded by their geographical position
l thus ono station In America. one In Eu-
rope and one in Africa would be sum-
Client to guide aircraft on their courses
1 both ways across the Atlantic. q.
"MalnSHnafce OF these wireless sta
hone FOR that exclusive purpose would
perhaps be prohibited by the expense
but In the not far distant day. when
transatlantic aircraft will be making
daily fiiRhts across the sea, the expense
equitablv distributed among the all
Transportation companies, would be negli-
gibie- Up to that point, however, 1t ID
reasonable to suppose that arrangements
could be made 90 that the three wireless
stations could r-suspend other messags
traffic operations ON the sailing day.
and maintain their paths of signals dur
ing the hours when the flying crafts ar'
crossing the ocean,"
After pointing out that the instru
ments used at present are comparativel,
crude and undeveloped. Mr.. Weagan
describes the Bellini-Tosi directive sys
tenn, or. as 1t is sometimes called, tn
EonIorneter. direction finder. or radio
compass:
The operation of this device Is yer!
simple 1t Is comprised essentially OF tw'
coils hxed at right angles and anothe
coil which Is rotated within the fxe'
coils. This exploring coil u connecte'
to the wireless receiver and is move,
through the arc OF q graduated scale
when the signals are heard strongest Il
the operators head telephones. the NOV
able pointer indicates the direction o
The incoming signal The geographical
direction is then secured by a glance q
the compass.
ut may readily be seen. therefore
that II tho signals can be heard from
two wireless stations offering a wide an
gle, say, Clifden. Ireland, and Lyoni
France, the aircraft operator fiyin
across the ocean has merely to make
simple triangulation to get his exac
bearings"