Evening star., 1922-09-16
NAVAL RADIO WORK
BIC AIRCRAFT AID
Places America in Fore of
Aviation and Aerial
r TeIegraphy.
FLYERS DISCARD PHONES
Transmitters on Planes Capable of
Sending Message More Than
400 Miles.

The Navy's development of radio
apparatus and equipment for use in
service aircraft has been one of the
greatest contributions to the progress
of radio communication in the air,
advancing the art of flying itself.
Both of these facts. experts in radio
and aviation believe. are gradually
placing the naval aircraft of this
country in the very fore of flight and
aerial telegraphy.
Today the Navy's planes rely solely
on radio telegraphy for Communicat-
ing with other planes and land sta
tions or ships, the radio telephone
having been practically discarded by
naval pilots, although still used in
the Army air service. The marine
pilots found that telephone sets We're
Impractical. They were too heavy
and had inferior ranges, besides being
inaccurate and causing much inter-
ference. Formerly. they admit, ra-
diophone communication was con-
venlent for pilots who We're not teic-
graph operators, but today, as all
naval aviatorS are code operators,
this advantage is lost. The contin-
uous wave system, known to require
skilled operators, was recently re-
Quested by the operating units of
the Pacific fleet air squadrons to the
exclusion of all other methods.
Better Sets Available.
All naval scouting planes are
equipped with radio transmitters
capable of sending messages 400
miles, either while in the air or on
the sea. While the Navy is not say
ing much about them, it is known
that better and more powerful radio
sets are available. held in reserve.
while, for economy, the Older stock is
being used. Spotting planes. however.
are equipped with the latest designed
continuouS-wave sets. which have
given satisfactory communication
when large numbers of planes in the
air were transmitting simultaneously
Recently developed radio apparatus
today permits disabled seapiane on
the water to transmit up to 800
miles Compass bearings sent from
"A distance of 400 miles have been
picked up by planes resting on the
surface of the sea.
Pioneer experiments in radio for
naval aircraft began as early as
1911 and by 1916 the naval experts
succeeded in Interesting CONNER
cial wireless manufacturers to the
extent that four out of seven bidders
built sample airplane sets which
would transmit about 100 miles while
in flight and weighed less than 100
pounds The first step in the de-
velopInent of long-distance radio for
aircraft resulted in the ordering of
seventy-tive sets divided among the
four pioneer bidders.
SOund-Proof Receivers.
The same year the successful de-
velopment of Sound-proof head re-
ceivers. enabling the pilot to hear
code signals despite the roar of the
engine, propeller and wind. Tests
were also made with the radio COM
pass mounted in an airplane and
number of aerial radio compasses
were ordered. When more funds for
research We're made available during
the war some of the larger naval
planes were radio equipped. and due
to Improvements made by the naval
eXperimenters planes now communl-
cate with ships 400 miles distant and
with other planes up to $50 miles
away.
Most of the radio development
work in the Navy has been done in a
small but highly efficient radio labor
atory at the AnacoStia naval air
station. near Washington and close
to NOE There advanced designs for
transmitters and receivers are avail,
able when new apparatus is required
for service uses. Among the prob
lens now receiving attention is the
design and test of radio compass
equipment for aircraft capable of
receiving bearings up to 1000 miles
y
big airship field at Lakehurst was
recently designed and is now being
installed at the future home of the
great ZR ships. Some of the work
under way is confidential and is re-
served for military use only.
Life-SavinE Value.
Almost all the development work is
also of benefit to commercial build
ers and operators of aircraft. The
kite antenna and radio equipment for
seaplanes forced down. for example
has great commercial life-saving
values.
The landing field indicator and
pilnting cable for aircraft is appli
cable to intercity air lines and trans
continental air routes. 1t gives out
an audible signal, making it possible
for the pilot to keep on route IN
darkness or fog, and will have prac-
teal application as soon as long
distance aerial routes are establish
ed. A short while ago the aircraft
teletype was successfully demon
strated between a seaplane and the
Anacostia laboratory. This scheme
has been offered to the world Tor
commercial application
Such are a few of the radio de-
yelopments. which. it is believed. are
establishing the naval aircraft of the
United States as the best in the world.