Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-26
WORLDS FASTEST FIGHTING
PLANE is DESCRIBED
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON, April 26.-Ameri-
cans who have been alarmed by the
progress made in a~eronautics by Eu-
opean countries, particularly France
may be somewhat treasured when
thew are reminded that this country
now holds practically every record
In aviation. If France takes the
high-speed record one week we TAX
1t back the next, and now u x
pc Is have won new laurels by de-
veloping the fastest fighting plane
the world has ever known, which
also has the greatest maneuverlng
ability ever attained by a fully equip
ped and loaded fighting ship.
In official tests this plane showed
a speed of I'LL miles an hour which
exceeds by more than rs miles the
best that our fastest previous ma
chimes could show and by more than
10 miles the record of the fastest
European pursuit plane.
In a mock battle with a navy plane
capable of a speed of 135 miles an
hour the new machine demonstrated
It's superiority in every phase OF
air fighting. At each stage of the
combat 1t maintained its position
above and back of the navy plane
and gradually forced its opponent to
the ground. 1t registered 46 theo-
retical hits while the navy plane
registered but three.
A comparatively few such mach
ines would have made a different
story Of the air fighting of the World
War.
The new craft is a product of the
Curtiss Company, but 1t was design
ed and manufactured under the clos
est observation, consultation and CO.
operation, especially as far as de-
sign is concerned, of the United
States army's air service. Briga-
der General William Mitchell of the
air service, who himself established
a speed record of PA miles an hour
last October at Detroit, was present
at the tests which were conducted
at Mitchell Field, near New York
City. Lieutenant Eugene II. Barks-
dale plloted the new pursuit plane,
which had done 169 miles in priv
ate tests, and he says that he would
have bettered his record OF 171.7
miles II the air had not been so
"bumpy.'
This military pursuit plane is
much larger than the racing ma
chimes in which the high-speed rec.
ords are made. and must carry a load
of over half a ton in pilot, fuel, oil
armament and ammunition. 1t is
equipped with two rapid fire guns.
and is built entirely of steel and
aluminium alloy, except for the la
minated wood covering of the mul.
tisparred cellular wings. The latl
ter are so constructed that holes can
be shot in them without doing vital
damage, and their arrangement in
what is described as a much stag
| gered" position gives a surface broad
enough to enable the pilot to spin
the plane on heel while flying at top
speed.
Gets on In RECORD Time
1t is also claimed for this world
beater that through recently devised
methods it can get off the ground
in zero weather IN less than five
minutes. Just what this means Is
seen when it is recalled that the
best ships developed during the wal
sometimes took four times that lone
to get into the air.
The new plane, as described tech
nically by the builder, is a direc'
development of the ship in which
General Mitchell made his record a
the Detroit races. 1t has all the fea.
lures Of the Detroit race winner
adapted to military use.
II will fly, fully equipped with th'
load OF gasoline. oil, machine guns
ammunition, Photographic sppara
tusJ and SO forth, which the Unite'
States regulations demand for a pur
suit ship. and still Guido pursui
ships of the United States by som
20 per cent. 1t is the fastest mill
tary pursuit plane in the world. Blu
in addition, it has other qualitie
than speed-qualities absolutely es
sential in a pursuit ship.
Under actual var conditions puf
suit ships are used at the front !
emergenc work. They must b
lined UP on the field ready for in
slant flight. When the wireless
brings news OF an attacking bomb
i ing squadron, the safety of a cit
depends Upon the instant departur
of the pursuit squadron. The shir
must fly. fly fast, and be ready 70
instant action. These qualification
are met by the new pursuit plan
During the war. the Sopwttl
Camels, best OF the British pursu
ships, took according to the temper
lature, up to twenty minutes to leay
the ground.