Evening star., 1940-06-02

AL VI uCl w lCCClfc.
The budgeted pay of 86 flight sur
eeons in the Air Corps was cut bv the
House not long ago from 81 ,440 to s72O
year. On May "a the same House
agreed, 1872 to l, to suspend until June
30, 1912, all monetary limitations on
the expansion of Army aviation. BY
slaShlng an item from Navy estimates,
the House proposed to leave our newest
aircraft carrier, the Hornet, without
planes, like battleship without guns.
A few weeks passed, and there was voted
for the Bureau of Aeronautics a 194O-
al appropriation three times its largest
grant in any previous year.
Earlier Appropriations.
For the period between June 80, 1882.
and June 30, 1910, Congress allotted
s3ss,S53642 to the Air Corps and s322,-
554,779 to the Bureau of Aeronautics-a
total of $722 ,4o8, ,42l. Large expenditures
have been required for such projects as
the construction of airfields and sta
tons, and the maintenance, housing and
schooling of pilots and mechanics.
In actual combat strength, the net
result OF this investment of three-ouar-
ters OF billion dollars is that at present
the Army and Navy combined possess
something like 2,707 fighting planes. of
which l,l28 are rated as obsolete or
obSolescent The list includes all pur-
suit craft, all armed reconnaissance
units, all light and medium bombers,
flying fortresses' and flying boats" all
tactical squadronS of Marine Corps and
National Guard and the full air compile
ment of all cruisers, battleships and
carriers.
Nearly three-ffths of the Army's 500
bomoers consist of 300 medium planes
OF the Bis type, which were purchased
three years ago at SOS 900 each, or sl9.-
100000. Maj Gen. H. H. Arnold chief
OF the Air Corps, startled a Senate Ap-
preparations Subcommittee on April 30
by observing that If you take the Bis
today and send it against modern euuip-
ment 1t would be suicide" Already a
decision has been reached to Withdraw
these 300 bombers from the first line
and relegate them to training duty.
Classified as obsolescent are all the
Armys l6S light bombers and $50 of its
$50 pursuit planes.
The pride of the Air Corps is its
fleet of SO heavy bombers, popularly
known as flying fortresses." The flag
ship is the XB-15, an experimental craft
which cost S250,000 and is described as
the worlds most powerful bomber 1t
was the first military plane ever built
with complete living quarters An all
metal snip with wing spread of $50
feet, 1t has four engines of 900 horse
power each. An international record was
set when it lifted 81 $50 pounds-exclud-
Ing its own weight of 80 tons and that
OF its gasoline load-to height of 6.56l
feet. A second distinction was a voyage
10 Santiago, Chile 5000 miles away, in
~ hours and So minutes of flying
Others Cost Sls5, 900 Each.
The 81 other heavy bombers are of the
Bit type, costing S185 900 each. or a total
of S9,435 900. They are all-metal mono
planes with four 1,000-horsepower mo-
tors, Widespread of los feet, weight
OF 22l2 tons and speed excelling
260 miles an hour. In addition to their
own weight and that of gasoline, planes
of this type have raised load of IL .O23
pounds to a height of 34025 feet. carried
an equal load 62l 4 miles at rate of 239
miles hour and borne their crews
without cargo, on 2,450-mile nonstop
flight from Los Angeles to New York
in hours IA minutes and 30 seconds
cf
of the Air Corps contend that its flying
fortresses' excel all bombers in the vital
elements of speed, miles of radius and
lifting power.
Nevertheless, pilots and crews ordered
to battle in any of these heavy bombers
would find themselves at "a distinct
disadvantage if pitted against the latest
developments of war in the air. This
was acknowledged in so many words by
Gen, Arnold. who added by way of en-
phasis; There is no question about
that" The handicap rises from the
fact that they are not equipped with
three up-to-date features-anti-leak
tanks, armored pilot seats and ordnance
firing explosive shells. 1t is a lack
shared at present by every plane in both
Army and Navy, including the latter's
bombing and fighting aircraft and the
formers celebrated pursuit planes, which
have made their mark in actual warfare
particularly with regard to maneuvering
facility.
I'VE got off on the wrong track" Gen
Arnold confessed with plea that Great
Britain and France were equally taken
by surprise. The awakening of the Air
Corps began some months ago when the
DO-17. German bomber. was shot
down in Scotland. To the astonishment
of Allied engineers, the tank had kept its
form instead of being smashed. as would
have happened with a metal container.
Though pierced by 30 bullets. it still held
30 gallons of gasoline.
Leak-Proef Tank Mastered.
Nazi scientists had mastered a task
which the Air Corps undertook several
years ago and then abandoned-the pro-
duction of a leak-proof tank The
framework was stamped out of fiber
board. The walls consisted of a layer
of crude, uncooked rubber between two
layers of cured rubber. with an outside
sheath of rawhide When bullet passed
through, the uncooked rubber expanded
and filled the hole
Members of crews were found alive in
other German bombers after they had
been riddled with bullets and forced to
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