Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-08-25

and supporting personnel of 22,29l.
Of the 10,780 planes on hand, how
ever, only about 22OO are in present
shape for service.
Nearly 5000 planes, including
training planes completed on con-
tracts existing at the time of the
aTmistiCc, are in storage. The ma
iorlty Of them probably will never
see service.
Like the wooden ships of-4hn- Ship.
ping Board most of these 5000
planes constitute a liability instead Of
an asset, as they would require thor
ough overhauling or rebuilding be-
fore flying and even then would be
Inefficient, dangerous, sceond-clasa
planes.
Present Strength.
In the main-eXcept for the eX-
perience gained in our efforts at war
time airplane production - our
strength in the air may be rated as
the strength developed since the
armisticc.
In that period congress has pro-
vided $1@5, 1000 for the air
services. And it is from these ap-
propriations in aircraft DESIGNED
and built since 1918, that Uncle
Sans present aviation forces have
beon developed
Of all the varied types Of army
planes attempted during the war
period, only one is retained today as
Of anv value. That is the De Havi-
A L.. 1
cally changed in construction and is
now listed as DH-4B. I'm the navy
the chief strength lies in F-5Ls, 816s,
HSBs, NCc and Martin bombcrs.
OF modern, deDendanble types rat
cd fit for immediate type service the
navy outstrirs the army. The army
has a much greater proportion
planes in storage, in unknown and
questionable condition.
Of the 1000 planes now owned by
the army, more than 1000 are
stored, OF the thousand-0dd planes
in service or ready for service, 2d5
are Of the most modern tynes of
pursuit, scouting. bombing and com
bat planes. Orders are now out
standing for 345 others.
nv navy IiTio a iDJdl bl i4Db an
planes and flying boats, Of some 20
different types
In addition to these hcavier-thau-
Air craft. she has the great $1,000
600 TR-2, Uncle Sans first rigid
dirigibEa. which is ready for her
flight home from England, whore she
was built. A sister ship. the ZR-1, is
under construction at Lakehurst,
N. J.
Against the army's one non-rieid
dirigible. the Roma, the navv has
II uin-dirigibles. % free balloons
and so observation balloons. The ar
my has 10 non-rigid blimrs.
Marines Planes.
SuppIementing these air forces is
the Marine Corps flying force, with
map, with II planes in Guam, Is in
San Domingo, IA in Haiti, Is in the
Philippines. and the remaining 56,
including the larger number Of train
ing planes, in the United States,
mostly at Quantico Va.
And back of these, as a cOmmuni-
cations aid in time Of trouble, are the
220 planes of the air-mail service,
of which, however, only 65 are in
commissiin.
Summarized, Uncle SAINTS air
force shows a total of 10,781 planes;
1868 flying Officers and pilots and
20,923 non-flying enlisted and civil
ian personnel.
England and France both maintain
Stronger air forces than ours.
E,oIaud,s possessionss~ however
are SO scattered that the fayce she
could muster at one time in one
place would be greatly RESTRICTED Of
her % service sduadrons, for i'm
stance, six are maintained inrEgyot,
/ five in Mesepotamia, eight in India:
one on the Rhine. one at Malta and
three have been kept in Ireland.
F1mce leads all nations in tlre
number of skilled aviators, having
no less than $4,000 licensed pilots