Evening star., 1939-08-03
bombardment Planes
Establish Superiority
By World Records
u. S. Army Apparently
Not Yet Ready to Test
Ability Of Pursuiters
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON,
Star stan Correspondent.

BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON,
Star Stan Correspondent.
WRIGHT FIELD, Dayton, Ohio,
August 3.-The Army Air Corps to-
day was preparing to 60 into full
swing of its 5000, ,000, 900 expansion
program after a spectacular celebra-1 =
ton yesterday of its 30th anniver-
sary, basing its production orders
for bombardment airplanes on types
which climaxed the celebration with
OF their superiority
to any of the same kind in existence
in the world.
Although the Air Corps has cap
tured six international and is ma
tional aircraft performance records,
virtually all of them with standard
types of bombardment planes, Air
Corps officers. unoficially have
voiced the opinion that still more
records are within the capabilities
of existing combat airplanes.
The anniversary celebration closed
yesterday afternoon before throng
OF 100000, including more than 300
national aviation leaders, without
any Of the Army's new pursuit air.
planes having been entered in the
orgy of record breaking. Whether
efforts will be made to gather any
of the national records known to be
within the powers of the fast pur-
suffers or to attempt international
record flights in suitable categories
has not been announced.
Show Bombardment Superiority.
The results of the demonstrations
show conclusively, on the basis of
world aviation performance trials
conducted under the rigid rules Of
the Federation Aeronautique In
terna tionale, that the United States
Army Air Corps stands ahead Of any
in the world in the quality of its
bombardment airplanes, generally
rated as the backbone of any air
force.
The big four-engined Boeing
flying fortresses and supernying
fortress bombers have smashed
five international marks covering
virtually every performance char
acteristic of military importance in
a bombardment airplane. They have
demonstrated their superiority in
ability to carry bomb loads OF up
to l5i2 tons at greater speeds, over
greater distances and to greater
attitudes than the aircraft Of any
other nation. Their ability in these
respects. obviously, is Of the utmost
Importance from a military stand
point.
The only international record
established aside from the lombard
ment airplane marks during the
Army's spectacular drive for records
was a world speed record for am
phibian airplanes This mark was
set by standard AO-9 airplane of
the type used for over-water recon-
Nuisance.
May Wait for New Pursuiters.
This leaves the vitally important
pursuit and attack airplane fields
untouched insofar as record trials
are concerned. Although the Army
Air Corps has contended all along
that its new bombers are better
than any in existence and has
strlklngly proved its contention, it
has, made no such claim for its
pursuit planes. 1t has not yet ex-
posed any of its existing pursuit
models to the acid test of interna-
tlonal record trials. Nor will the
Army disclose whether such trials
are contemplated for the present
New types of pursuit airplanes are
being ordered for the Air Corps in
connection with the expansion pro-
gram and it is probable, if the Army
does intend to go into the pursuit
competition field as it has done with
the bombers. it may await delivery
OF an improved type before doing So
Germany has claimed speeds in
excess OF 400 miles per hour for
its pursuit airplanes. but has not
yet subjected any of them to pub
lie trials to give concrete proof Of
its claims. One of the new type
twin n-engined pursuit airplanes de-
livered to the Army Air CORPS for
experimental purposes in this coun-
try has attained a speed of 420
miles per hour during q trans
continental trial flight. This figure,
however. is in no sense Official and
Is not regarded as a true indication
of performance.
Pursuit Inferiority Held Probable.
So far as there is any basis for
international mparison, the
American bombers may be con-
sidered without peer in the world
today. European countries, how
ever. are generally considered to
have decided edge in pursuit air
plane performance and probably in
attack airplane performance.
Whether the new type American
pursuiters now in the. design stage
will equal those coming out abroad
cannot now be foretold. The only
safe lessen to be drawn, in the
opinion Of aviation leaders, Is that
until the United States can prove
clearly that all types of its military
aircraft are superior to those abroad
and can guarantee that it can main
tain such superiority in the face of
foreign progress, our national safety
against air attack is. based upon
expansion of our aeronautical re-