Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-21
Americans in R. AT.
Criticize j. S.PIanes
As Substandard
Landing Gear Is Held
Unsuited for Descent
On Wur-Torn Fields
BY w. l.. WHITE.

LONDON IN This is
little note on what the experts think
of the kind of help we are sending
to Britain in her air war. MY au-
thority is not British but American
flyers who have been for some time
IN the uniform of the royal air force
These Americans say we are going
TO turn out some very good planes
presently but they don't think too
highly of the ones so far received.
American commercial planes are
the best in the world, but when we
start building bombers and fighters
our commercial experience becomes
a handicap. For instance, almost all
the first American planes to arrive
here had inadequate landing gear.
The gear was designed for the long,
broad, smooth concrete runways with
which American landing fields are
provided and was totally inadequate
for the muddy COW pastures pocked
with an occasional bomb crater with
which military pilots over here have
to cope
Military airfelds have to be
eamouf1aged carefully. Concrete is
out OF the question. Sometimes
landing lights can be turned on only
q few seconds before the bomber's
wheels touch the ground Few
British bombers are actually shot
down by German anti-aircraft.
Casualties occur when the plane,
because of weather or other rea-
sons, is unable to find its home field
and make proper landing.
In addition, American designers
Of military planes apparently did
not realize what an unpleasant.
hard-hitting business this air war
would turn out to be. Early Ameri-
can models are under-armored and
weak on fire power
Also the American rating of
planes is little confusing to Euro
peans. When an American manu-
facturer claims his plane will do
400 miles an hour, he means it will
attain this speed when stripped for
a test. The British plane. to OBJ
tain a 400-m. phi. rating. must be
able to chin it with full military
load, complete with crew. bombs.
machine gun belts and all the gaso-
line 1t will hold Such a load cuts
about 70 m.p.h off any planes speed
and the two types of ratings have
caused considerable confusion.
Soft Pedal Eagle Squadron.
Above all. Americans over here
who have been fighting in the blue
uniforms of the r. A. F. wish every
body would take it easy for a while
on the subject of the Eagle Squad
ron. They think the Eagle Squad
ron is a very fine gesture and NAV
turn out to be good squadron, but.
If 1t does, its most difficult lob will
be to live up I'd the advance
ballyhoo.
The Eagle Squadron, which was
recently recruited largely on the
American West Coast, contains some
excellent flyers. It has others who
are not quite so excellent. Some
of these just maybe had the idea
that, after smacking down a couple
Messerschmitts, they would present.
ly drift on back to the Coast and
step into that big Hollywood
contract.
If they have any such theory.
they will find Hollywood has no
contracts big enough to compensate
for the risk YOU take when you raise
your fingers Just back of YOUR ears
and slide the transparent cowling
of the Spitflre forward over your
head.
Life Expectancy Low.
There is reason why these
British fighter pilots will 20 up and
scramble for net salary of about
So day when there is no Hollywood
contract at the end of it, but, in
stead. the unpleasant fact that the
life expectancy of the Spitfire or
Hurricane pilot is little under six
months. You must be very deeply
serious about why you're up there
and what you're fighting for.
While the Eagle Squadron is a
good one, its average personnel
would grade In experience slightly |
under either the R. A. F. or the
regular American air force. Be-
cause of this, the British who have .