The Washington times., 1921-06-14
RADIO Controlled
SHIP CHIEF TARGET
|NBOMB|NG TESTS
Feeling Tense as Time Set, June
n, Approaches for Joint
Army-Navy Maneuvers.
by HARRY l.. ROGERS.
Interna tionaI News Service.

of the joint army and navy bombing
tests, approaches. = interest among
partisans in the aitplane Va. battle
ship controversy, which has ragged
among officers. here for the past year,
is growing more tense. While some
army fliers express DISSATISFACTION
with the conditions of the tests.
majority of them believe that, even
with the latitude allowed. they Will
be able TO demonstrate their ability
ito blow battleship out OF the
water" with aerial pombs
The first tests will be held against
the former German submarine U-ll7.
Greatest interest centers, however, in
the experiments to be conducted
against the radio-controlled battleship
Iowa on June 2S. These tests are ex
pected more nearly than any OF the
others to approximate actual battle
conditions.
With not even "a midshipmite"
aboard this vessel will maneuver at
practically full speed. while aviators
attempt to drop bombs upon her. Her
boilers, pumps. engines, stering gear
every piece OF machinery on the old
warship will be controlled automat-
ically by wireless impulses sent out
from the control ship" Ohio.
WILL STEER IOWA.
The apparatus for controlling the
Iowa consists OF a standard radio
transmitter aboard the mother ship,
q receiving aerial on the Iowa. with
special radio receivers, amplifers
and relays for converting the radio
signals into such form that they will
operate other electrical devices COM
with the steering gear
and throttles OF the main engines.
To At the Iowa for use as a NOV
ing target, extensive changes in
power plant were necessary. as the
propelling machinery must be cap
able of running for considerable
time without attention. The boilers
were changed to oil burners instead
of coal, and automatic devices for
feeding the fuel and supplying wa
ter to the boilers had to be pro-
vided.
The officer in charge OF sending
out the radio signals from the con-
troll ship has absolute control Of the
starting OF the Iowa and can steer
her in any direction desired. When
everything on board the Iowa Is
ready the main engines are started
and left running slowly. The ship
is then abandoned and the officer
aboard the control ship takes com
mand
The frst radio signal sent out Is
intercepted by the aerial on the Iowa
and passes into the radio receiver
well below deck. 1t Is then ampIified
by means OF special vacuum tube am
plifiers, so that ii is of sufficient
force to operate a very sensitive relay
or switch. which in turn operates a
larger relay. This larger apparatus
closes an electrical circuit which
operates an electrically con-
trolled pneumatic valve. When this
valve opens II admits compressed air
to the throttle control OF the main
engines, causing the throttle to open.
thus bringing the ship up TO full
speed.
BRAIN OF THE IOWA.
The hrst relay also operates de-
vice called a commutator. which Is
special switch having control of the
steering mechanism The steering
gear consists OF standard steam
engine driven rudder gear. the
throttle valve OF the engine being
geared to a small electric motor. The
commutator is connected to the con-
tTOl pdntl OF inns HlOtoT anu 10 'h"S
able to operate the electric motor,
which in turn causes the steam engine
to drive the rudder either to star
board or port as desired
A novel feature Of this installation
il the automatic steering made posi-
BILE by the use of a gy-o-compass- The
compass is electrically connected to
tie control panel OF the electric mo-
tor on the steering gear, so that the
shi can be made to hold any course,
the gyro-compass Immediately cor
r, citing any variations. The control
officer can steer the pattleship either
st&rboard or port or he may put the
syro-compass in control and allow IL
automatically to hold the ahip on
steady course.
CARRIES SAFETY CLOCK.
The commutator might be regarded
as the mechanical brain of the Iowa
1t receives the radio signals and in
terprets them passing them directly
to the electric motor controlling the
steering engine If the order Is either
s'arboard or port or giving the gyro-
compass control II that is the order
received
II the officer in control on the
mother ship desires to stop the Iowa
he sends long signal of about ten
seconds duration. This operates a
special relay which opens the circuit
on an electrically controlled pneu-
matte valve, shutting off the various
fuel oil and feed water pumps thus
shutting down the power plant proper
and stopping the ship.
A special safety valve is provided tn
the form of a time clock, which auto
matically shuts everything down in
case the radio receiving apparatus
should become imperative, or in case
no control signals are received dur
ing certain period OF time.