The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-07-10
AMERICA TAGGING
IN PLANE CARRIERS
While Othora Build Swift Ships for
Alrplanss, America Has Only One
Ex.Collier.

WASHINGTON, July 9.-Ihts Is the
statement OF q disgruntled officer N
The matter Of the Langley. Perhaps
you do not remember the Langley, At
one time 1t was collier, but lately has
been converted into a shipplane carr
rier Not long ago some excellent pic
lures OF the Langley were in circula-
lion. The stories written about the
Langley were to the effect that the
ex-collier was about the finest ship
plane carrier that ever.
"Shes got this on the ark" said The
disgruntled officer. Noah and the
boys could push the ark along at about
live knots an hour. The Langley can
make twelve"
Before going deeper into the Lang
ley, the ship plane matter should be
examined. 1t has been determined, II
anything can be determined without
actually trying it out, that the sea-
plane will be Of little value in war.
This is a hard blow to take at the
gallant NCs and the equally gallant
but smaller, F-5-L's and the like. They
are superb structures. Their Liberty
motors pick up their tons of loaded
weight and they fly. Between times
they float, especially when the water
is calm. 1t was an NC that crossed the
Atlantic mad thereby added laurels TO
the wreaths the American sailor now
wears.
but they will be of little value in
war;" is the concession of most of the
naval fliers.
They are too heavy and slow. They
can range along coast and gather IN
formation. Their air-keeping radius is
not sufficient to permit them any ex-
tended voyage in the face of the en-
envy, and In spite Of their weight and
strength they are fragile when ex
posed to the fury OF the sea. They can
alight on fairly calm water, but they
cannot be depended on to negotiate
waves that would not worry an ordi-
nary coastal pleasure launch. They
are armed, of course, but they are so
slow and clumsy that a fight between
an NC of a F-5-L and a fighting
plane would be as unequal as a COM
bat between hawk and gander. Not
long ago Eddie Rickenbacker, the
American ace, was watching one Of
them fly.
Eddie Rickenbacker's Opinion.
what do you think about 1t, Ed
Gie?" asked an officer.
The great boche killers face was
tense. lie eyed that seaplane, as the
officer said. like dog pointing
tuaiL'
Isa't it sim" said Rickenbacker,
80. send men UP against an enemy in
a.s Ike thatg' Then his mood
ed HIS lips began to smile.
ddn& It be pie TO bring that
4owng sold lie. Gee! what
ia a lighting plane could do
use ii was recognized that air.
x would be used a sea in the next
ag tIe naval authorities have practi-
a.. IS given up hope of making the
Se Nos and the slightly less huge
F-5-Ls effective. They might, no
Goubt be used for scouting purposes
along the coast, but as has been said,
they lack air-keeping qualities and
fighting ability Therefore they will
not dare leave the neighborhood Of
base or expose themselves to at
tack by fighting planes.
Ship-Plane the Solution.
Yet aircraft will be a necessity for
every fleet at sea during the next war.
The problem has been solved by The
ship-plane and the plane carrier.
Small, light planes, with or without
flotation bags, will be carried on
board a specially designed ship. The
upper deck of the ship is built to per-
init planes landing on it.
Great Britain and Japan are build
ing superb ships of this sort. They are
to be very fast. Definite information
seems to be lacking as yet as to the
exact character of the later ship plane
carriers in course of construction by
these navies. 1t is known in a general
way that they are to have somewhat
higher speed than the battleships. In
all probability they will be as fast as
the scout cruisers. This will enable
them to keep in touch with the scouts |
ut all times and when desirable launch |
their planes for further reconnaissance
by air. They viii be lightly armed.
The Langley has a sure speed of -
knots and possible speed of is or 16. |
Battleships can do is to 81. That /
means that, If she was to accompany
the American battleship fleet to sea,
she would be- the slowest vessel in the
formation, and, therefore. a drag upon
the others. In any cruise the fleet must
either adapt its speed to her or else
abandon her to the tender mercies of
an enemy, granted there were an en-
envy at hand. 1t is probably true that
her upper deck as transformed win af-
ford very good landing place for the
shipplanes she will carry. But so
would the upper deck of faster ship
similarly transformed.