The Washington herald., 1921-08-07
AUTOMOBILE
RADIO CONTROLLED
AUTO DEVELOPED
In AIR SERVICE
Small Electrically Pro-
PEELED Car in Operation
On Dayton Field.

Recent visitors at McCook Field,
the home of the engineering divi-
sion of the Afr Service. at Dayton.
Ohio. have been astonished at the
gyrations OF a brightly painted
three-wheeled vehicle which has
been dashing to and fro between,
the buildings and among the air
planes on the field under no visible
means OF control. 1t is often seen
to approach group OF persons
blowing its horn wildly, and then
when apparently about to strike
them, to stop short with screech-
ing brakes. back up with loudly
Changing blow. make q sharp turn
to the right or left, and to start
off in the opposite direction.
Great mystification has been
shown as to the method OF opera
tion Of this car. some visitors even
wondering If perhaps a combination
of the heat and newly made home
brew may not have had a deleteri-
Gus effect upon their observation
powers. They are oft times coil
siderably relieved to learn that the
car is actually performing as they
have seen II. though the mystery
Is lessened but slightly when they
learn that the movements of the
car are controlled entirely by radio
impulses. which are sent out from
the radio station at the opposite
end of the flying field. The fact
that there Is no aerial or antenna
system visible merely adds to the
mystification
shaped Like Cigar.
The car is of ciGar-shaped con-
struction. about eight feet long. and
runs on three pneumatic-tired
wheels. 1t travels at speed rang
ing from four miles per hour to ten
miles per hour and the controls are
so finely adjusted that IL may be
easily steered along a narrow road
way.
An examination of the interior Of
the car shows an amazing and
confusing collection of batteries.
switches. wires, vacuum tubes. po.
tentiometers. relays. magnetos. etc.
all OF which are. Of course. neces-
sary to the complete control of the
apparatus. The most interesting
part Of the apparatus is the "se-
lector" which is in reality the heart
of the entire control system. Va
rious combinations OF dots and
dashes are sent out by means of
a specially constructed transmitter,
each combination calling for the ac-
complishment Of a certain operation
Of the control apparatus.
1t Is the function Of this selector
to "Decode" these various combina-
tions of dots and dashes which are
sent out. and to close the circuits
TO the desired controls. So delicate1y
is this selector constructed. and so
rapidly will II operate. that IL Is
possible to put into operation any
one OF twelve distinct controls in a
period of less than one second. That
is to say, less than one second
elapses from the time any push
button on the automatic transmitter
at the distant radio station is
pressed until the control on the car
Is in operation. Such speed of con-
troll has never before been accom-
ms CdT mas ONVh
from a ground transmitting station.
The possibilities of radio control
and its application to wartime prob
lens are almost without number.
Radio control can be applied to any
mechanical apparatus that moves.
whether il be in the air. on the
ground. on the surface of the water,
or beneath the water. Huge land
tanks may be constructed and flled
with T. n. T. and driven to any de-
sired point along the enemy's lines
where the explosive can be fired by
reans of radio. or it can be applied
in a similar manner to a boat. sub
marine, torpedo, or even an airplane
and the explosive can be fired when
and where desired. There Is also an
application in the commercial field.
particularly in plants where long
hauls between various parts of the
factory are necessary.