Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-14
BY FREDERICK r. NELLY.


Faced with an entirely different
problem as to the management of its
aeronautical forces, and acting under
legislation of a different caliber, the
Navy is at work on it's five-year air
craft building program under less
ostentatiouS and extensive circum-
stances than the Army Air Corps.
The Navy is ready to begin spend
ing it's second years allotment under
the authorization bill of June "a, 1926,
whereas the Air Corps just received
funds for its first year under the pro-
gram with the passage of the Army
appropriation bill shortly before the
close of Congress.
Unlike the Army act, which specifies
the number of planes to be on hand
at the end of five years. ,800-With-
out saying how much they shall cost
or in what numbers they should be
bought annually, the Navy legislation
sets forth the planes to be acquired
each year and the funds to be expend-
ed for them. For the entire program
1,614 planes are authorized, at cost
of $85,078,750. Six hundred and four
teen of this number are to be regard
ed as requirements, so that at the end
of the period, June 80, 1881, the Navy
will have 1000 new, modern. efficient
aircraft of all types.
After the fiscal year 1881 the limit
of plane purchase is put at 333. ana
the cost is not to exceed $17.476,250.
Navy Contracts Summarized.
AS a result of appropriations last
year the Navy contracted for and has
received or has on order 283 planes,
7S of which are for the new aircraft
T 20
283 figure is divided as follows: One
patrol plane. 100 fighters, AZ observa-
lions, 81 torpedo and "a training
planes. For the coming fiscal year
contracts for 235 more new planes
will be let, but their distribution as to
types has not yet been determined.
In the field for lighter-than-air craft
the Navy has taken a forward step
by calling for bids for the construc-
ton of two modern rigid airships,
which will be opened May II. Author
ization to make q contract for one of
the rigids was given by the Congress
lust closed, which also appropriated
5000 900 to begin it's construction. The
limit of cost of the one airship was
placed at $4, 500, 900. One experimental
metal-clad airship of 200, 900 cubic feet
capacity. or one-third the size OF the
rigid airships, now is under construc-
ton.
The Navy, again unlike the Ar
Corps, entered upon the program with
no dead horses to buy oats for-or, in
other words, virtually every one Oh
the 400 or so planes in service were
and are of modern design and con-
struction. Requirements, therefore,
will be made for these Comparatively
new planes only as they are washed
ont" nv accidents or storms while
lying at anchor.
Speedy Carriers Under Way.
The two speedy carriers now being
built will each house an air force,
being composed in the main of bomb
Ing and tc,rpedo planes and fighters.
The bonbers and torpedo planes,
whose functions are embodied in one
nlane known as the Martin T-3-M,
would dash off the flying decks of the
carriers with their deadly eggs in
search of opposing battleships or land
accompanied and pro-
tected by pursuit ships, which also
are charged with shooting down en-
emy bombers and clearing the air OF
opposing pursuit planes:
On cruisers there will be improved
observation planes, equipped with
radio to report the effect of the ships
Deriscope, as "A matter of fact, with
almost unlimited vision. Then the
battleships will have battleship fight
ers and observation planes. the former
to ward off enemy bombers and the
latter to direct the ships guns.
In addition to these there will be
long distance scouting planes when
can fly at great distances without re-
fueling and at speeds around 100 miles
an hour.
One thousand craft performing
these and other important duties lifts
the fleet out Of the water and places
it on wings.
Real Work" Outlined.
Planes to perform as just outlined
have yet to be acquired in some IN
stances. and that's where the real
work comes. The market is not so ex-
tensive that naval aviators can go TO
showrooms and pick out just about
what they want, They must call in
the trade, tell them what they want,
hold competitions for designs, select
the winning design and build around
that on competitive bidding.
Like the Army, the Navy is vir-
tually satisfied on it's pursuit ships for
the carriers which ii adopted from
the Army, with the exception of one
feature-air cooled engines. So that
question is disposed of for. few
years.
The torpedo, bombing and scouting
"three-purpose" planes with the scout
ing fleet. huge single-engined fellows
that cost a lot of money, are receiving
a little competition from the school
of thought advocating twin-engined
ships of this variety. So a couple Of
these double-engined jobs now are be-
ing exDerirnented with