The Holbrook news., 1922-09-01
NAVY HAS NEW
 COMBAT PLANE
Meets Every Requirement of Fighting in Connection With
 Fleet Operations.
GAN LAND ON DECK OR WATER
TS Type Tested Out, Winning High Praise From Government Experts- Equals Any Combat Plane
 Now in Use.

Washington.-A shipplane designed 1 to meet every requirement of combat
 and pursuit in connection with fleet
 operations, of navy design and built
 at the naval aircraft factory, Philadel- phia, is undergoing final tests at the
 Anacostia air station here under the supervision of the bureau of aeronau- tics, navy department.
 Another plane of the same type was recently completed by the Curtiss company at Garden City, L. l., and will shortly be flown to Anacostia for further tests.
 The tests on the new plane of navy design, called a ITS, have been uni formly satisfactory, and naval avia- tion experts consider 1t as good con- bat plane as any in use by military services from land bases. In addition to operating from a land base, this plane can be quickly converted into the sea type by substituting pOntoons for the wheel landing gear.
 A statement prepared by the bureau of aeronautics concerning the need for such a plane describes the TS as fol lows:
 Analysis of the Design.
 The function of the combat plane is to protect our own aircraft by destroy ing or dispersing the enemy aircraft. With the development of aircraft car rin fn 1ninr xrhora fhnu recognized as an essential arm of the naval force, ii has been necessary to tackle the problem to be solved in pro- ducing suitable designs of aircraft to operate from the carriers. These prob lens in few words included the fol lowing questions:
 How to evolve aircraft of the yari- ous types and possessing the following qualities: (a) Best performance, (b) greatest radius of action, (c) small est dimensions, (d) best adapted to handling and stowage on board ship, and operating from a ship or airdrOme.
 It must be speedy and have superior qualities of maneuverability and sta bility; it must be lightly constructed but rugged.
 The ITS, which the new plane has been designated, in recent tests, has demonstrated all of the above quali- ties in a manner extremely satisfac- tory to government experts, and it is expected that quantity production on this type will go ahead within the near future.
 The plane is equipped with a Law renee 200 h. p. air-cooled motor, which Is the highest-powered air-cOoled mo- tor built in the country. The construc- tion of the wings is such as to permit of rapid assembly.
 Lands on Deck or Water.
 A standard equipment of two types of landing gear is provided, viz, wheels for landing on the deck of car riers or on land and pontoons for landing on the water. Both types of landing gear will be supplied so that the rapid conversion from landplane to seaplane may be effected. This is one of the most noteworthy features of the craft in that it will double it's usefulness and make possible land operations by combat planes based on the fleet as well as providing a swift fighting seaplane equipped for making landings on the water
 The naval battles of the future will depend largely on gaining and main taining control of the air. Spotting, and observation from air craft will give to that fleet possessing these facilities all advantage that will be practically decisive. The torpedo plane has also entered into naval prob ems within the past two years to an sxtent that places an entirely new on this method of attack But all of these invaluable aids to the outcome of the naval battle ire dependent on the combat plane hat is able to take the air in sufficient and with sufficiently superior fighting qualities to sweep enemy air raft before it.
 The new ITS combat plane gives every prospect of fulfilling these eI- lcting conditions.