Evening star., 1939-02-19
MILITARY POWER IS AIR POWER
American Criticism Has Limited Usefulness of Co.. Lndberah
Reporting Progress of European Aviation Part of
Uncle Sans Aircraft Expansion Program

many men engaged in aeronautical
research as we have in our entire
country. and that is reflected in the
performance of their aircraft.
Il have received within the last
week or 10 days information that
there is foreign airplane that is
capable of flying 420 miles an hour.
That is the fastest military air.
plane in history. A speed of 440
miles an hour was attained at one
time by small racer in Italy, but
that was very small airplane.
equipped with two engines having
a total of $500 horsepower.
DR.. Lewis expressed the belief. on
the basis of recent research develop
ments, that it is possible to con-
struct airplanes that will fly at
speeds in excess of 500 miles per
hour. 1t is claimed that speeds
considerably in excess of 500 miles
per hour have been attained by
new United States Army pursuit
airplane in power dives, but no
exact measurement of the speeds
attained was made, and the matter
is the subject of controversy among
areonautical specialists.
High Speeds Recorded.
Test Pilot H. Lloyd Child of the
Curtiss- Wright Airplane Co. re-
Gently made power dive at Buffalo,
NY, in one of the new pursuit air
planes during which he attained
speed which he estimated at SIS
miles per hour. A speed graph re-
corder went off the chart at 500
miles per hour. it was reported.
A few days later Second 1t. Troy
Keith, Army Air Corps Reserve,
while flying an airplane of the same
type at an altitude of nearly
miles over Barksdale Field, La, ex-
perienced difficulty with his oxygen
supply and lost consciousness. When
he recovered and managed to re-
gain control at an altitude of 5000
feet he found buckled wing and
a speed indicator jammed at 500
miles per hour. Fellow officers
hazarded scientific guess" that
he may have attained a maximum
speed of 670 miles per hour.
Italy has made especially rapid
progress in aviation development,
DR.. Lewis said. The Fascist gov
ernment has built near Rome IAN
aeronautical research center called
Guidonia, a whole city devoted to
research" DR.. Lewis reported. In
addition, Italy is carrying on aero
nautical research work in its uni
versities.
1t has been revealed that much
of the N. A. G. A. information on
aeronauticaul conditions abroad,
particularly in Germany, has been
obtained in secret reports from Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh, member of
the committee.
Lindbergh Halted.
But for the storm of criticism in
the United States against his ac-
tivities in Germany, eliminating in
a speech by Secretary of the In
terror Ickes criticising him for hav-
ing received an award from the
Reich, Col. Lindbergh probably
would have spent the winter in
Berlin, N. A. c. A. associates have
been informed. They describe Ber-
lin as "the world center of aviation
progress" today and said that Col.
Lindbergh could have been of in
estimable value to the United States
there, not as spy but as techni-
cally qualified observer working
openly with German aviation ON
cialS.
Col. Lindbergh has been described
by his associates here as "a loyal
citizen who sought only to serve
his country" His ability to help
the Government, however, has been
definitely limited by continuous
criticism from his fellow country
men.