The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-02
BY DAVID RAMSEY
Science Prepares for War


MILITARY need is the driving
w force behind the important
chronological innovations that are
being introduced in airplane design
and manufacture. Back Of the
greater speeds and economy of
operation is the research work of
the National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics. The N.A.C.A. is
an agency Of the government that
for the past four years has been in
charge Of research for all aeronau-
tical activities. Its researches have
produced millions in profits for
alrplane manufacturers, and have
helped build up the great fleet OF
military and naval planes.
AS a result Of NA.C.A. research
applied by manufacturers, airplanes
IN the last few years have had their
speeds increased by rs miles per
hour without the addition of in
creased power. This was due to
better engine location and reduced
air resistance. Today N.A.C.A. has
brought about the following pos
sibilities:
Autogiros will be capable of fly
ing 200 miles an hour. Until now
these vertical NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
different in design from airplanes, :
were thought useful only for slow
speeds. This opens up new posi-
bilities for bombing operations since
these machines rise and descend in
a straight line and can land on a
Rockefeller dime.
There will be new methods of
lateral control, replacing the all
erons that have been the standard
Tor % years. The most promising
are flaps called spoilers" When
raised lengthwise above the wings
by the pulling of a lever, they al
low shorter take-offs and shorter
safe landings by unskilled FLYERS
This will probably cut the training
period for war pilots in half.
refined design of wings and
tuselage will increase the cruising
speeds of transport planes from 200
to $50 and IT'S miles an hour. and
thus substantially decrease the
Time Tor making a flight from the
Aleutian Islands to Toxic.
AIR sucked in at the tops of air
plane wings through slots will be
used to increase the lifting power
Of planes by $50 per cent without
increasing air resistance. This will
greatly aid in take-offs and land
lngs, allowing planes to get off the
ground more quickly with heavier
loads, and get down safely over
high distractions into smaller land
ing fields. Another boon to the
bombing sections Of the air force
ORNATE research is also doing its
bit for the coming war. Seth
Hart OF Los Angeles has developed
an adjustable and reversible pitch
propeller that stops a plane in flight:
makes it run backward on the
ground; and can fly a plane back
wards if designed for reverse flight.
The propeller has been closely
guarded in its DEVELOPMENT as pri-
mary asset to military defense and
1t has been adopted for army and
naval use.
AT Berkeley California, the So
ciety Of Mechanical Engineers was
told by F. K. Kirksten, professor of
aeronautical engineering at the Uni
verSity of Washington, that the fu-
ture airplane would have neither
wings nor screw propellers. The
essential feature Of the new type of
craft resembles the paddle wheels of
old-fashioned ferryboats. Air instead
of water will be the medium in
which the new cycloidal propellers
will revolve. The noted professor
presented the following conclusion
to the learned body of technicians:
"Cycloidal aircraft offer advan-
tages for military duty in that there
are no wings to obstruct the view or
to interfere with machine guns. The
cycloidal propeller has the important
advantage of being noiseless."
Don't Sell Rubber Short
MILITARY advantage is becoming
IVA the chief talking point in the
sales patter which accompanies an
nouncements of new industrial prod
ucts. Witness the puff recently
sent out by the advertising agency
Of the Dayton Rubber Manufactur-
ing Co. (front-paged by both the
New York Times and Herald Tribune