The Washington herald., 1919-03-21
Vast Difference in Planes.

fered in this respect from the fine d's-
play Of automobiles which was le-
Gently made in New York.
in the main features the aUtomO-
hlles are similar. To the amateur one
looks as another OF different make
does. But collected under the roof OF
the Madison Square Garden and that
OF the armOry were every conceivable
type Of aircraft, some fish shape. some
bIrd-like. some resembling balloons
And 1t was only by a visible demon
stratiOn Of this kind that a fairly
good idea could be obtained not only
OF the advance which has been made
In the construction of OircTaft Of all
Kinds. but also OF the purpose to which
these machines will be put in the near
future The exposition was visited ~
business men, by men who have much
70 do with important financing. by
engineers and by others all Of whom
SPOKE In terms Of wonder Of the reve-
latiOn which was made to them OF
what aircraft construction now is and
what are the uses to which the aD-
paratus Will be put in the days OF
peace which are soon to GENE.
Three Important Purposes.
There appear to be three purposes
which those who have. invested
money in aircraft construction and
those who have put an almost un-
imaginable amount of concentrated
thought upon this work. have in
mind One is the utilization Of Ger
tain types Of aircraft for pleasure
purposes. All of those who are OIL
authority in this new vocation are
frank To say that the aircraft will
never successfully compete with the
N -
machine. even though it be possible
TO reduce the cost Of construction
~ a. to compare favOrabIv with
the recently reduced cost OF the
automobile.
NrpIanc Not PIaythinE.
John Y. WHY'S. vino has achieved
30 greatly in the construction of the
automobile and VIII" is convinced $
other leaders are that the airDIane
is to have a future in its way a.
great rs that of the automobile.
says that he does not look for the
airplana to become the pIaything orl
draft horse of the masses. because
among other things il is more dihi-
cult to operate and to handle than
the automobile Furthermore. great
or skill and knowledge are required
Of its pilots and landing places for
sometime will probably be limited
Mr.. Willys. however. is persuaded
that airplanes will be so constructed
: to sell at much lower prices than
those which are now asked for
them. but never al such lower prices
ss those charged for some of the
popular automobiles.
Nevertheless. there Is no doubt that
aircraft will he constructed very
sOOn At comparatively low cost as
safe as any rapid moving thing can
be. teven the automobile is not al
ways safe) which will accomOdata
two passengers and will make pos
sible a Considerab Bile use OF the ap-r
parstus for pleasure travel
Aircraft for Business.
The recent demonstration in this
city OF the extent to which aircraft
construction has been advanced. sug-
gests that the apparatus may b..
used for passenger service not for
pleasure but for business Already
i'm Europe and Great Britain aircraf II
have been constructed capable OF car
ryiDg as many as fifty passengers
Preliminary surveys are under wavl
now for a real passenger and mail
service between Cairo. Egpt and Aus
tralia-
II was reported at the exposition
that a British dirigible with thirty
passengers aboard remained aIOft for
100 consecutive hours. II it Travelled
only nifty miles an hour it would in
100 hours have been able to cross
the Atlantic twice without making
any landing. One report in Cfrcula-
tiOn al the exhibition, a report that
seemed authoritative. told Of a recent
French invention by means of which
it will be possible to maintain the
maximum. power OF motor no mat
ter what the altitude may be This
would mean a speed of 300 miles an
hour at the higher altitude. II this
almost incredible speed can be OBJ
tanned it would be possible to cross
over the Atlantic in ten hours.
The great authorities in aircraft
construction and use saw that after
all the great value to be found m
the use OF aircraft Is that it will
save time, and be second only to the
telegraph and telephone in that re-
spect.
What Oryille Wright Says.
OTville Wright who is sometimes
called the Pioneer Birdman. regards
with great satisfaction the advances
which have been made in aircraft
construction since he and his brother
were at last able to demonstrate that
a machine could be made which vouId
overcome gravity and which would
maintain itself in the air. CARRYING
at the same time one or two per
sons. Mr.. Wright communicated 70
the aircraft exposition his views upon
some of the most essential and fIIn-
damental requisites for the advance
ment Of civilian flying. He regards
the most important OF these as a de-
velopment of aeroplanes of such de-
sign as to permit of landing in anv
field which may be encountered in
a Cross-country. flight. This, however
entails. Mr.. Wright says, a good deal
Of expense. for in addition to the
preparation Of surface for a reason
abIt fiat ground. the cost of the up
keep would be large and continuous.
business In Five Years.
Mr.. Wright in his communication
20 the exposition speaks of flights that
have been made recently from his
home in Dayton, Ohio, to Washington
and also from Dayton to New York.
Between the moment of leaving Day
ton to that OF landing at Washington
only three hours elapsed. -Four hours
and ten minutes were needed TO make