Evening star., 1941-04-20
By Joseph S. Edeerton.

10 nVe years, tnere is every PROBABILITY
that this range must be between 5000
and 10000 miles. This requires an air
vessel of tremendous size measured by
our present standards. The largest pro-
duction bombers at the present time do
not exceed $4,000 pounds in weight. The
10000-miler will of necessity be an air.
plane of 100000 pounds, with some as
large as 200 900 pounds"
Must Garry Adequate Loads.
Gen. Arnold and other Air Corps lead-
ers have characterized the heavy bomber
as "the most important of all air force
weapons" The heavy bomber, to be of
maximum usefulness, must be capable of
carrying adequate bomb loads to any
part of the enemy country where mill
tary facilities may be located The Eu-
ropean war already has spread beyond
the range of initial types of bombers de-
veloped by any of the belligerents. That
explains why it has been so necessary for
Britain to obtain from this country the
Boeing and Consolidated four -engined
bombers and why both Britain and Ger
uldIly IlOW are IOQr-enRlned
bombers with frantic haste.
The present four r-engined bomber car
rles a normal crew of nine men-piIot,
co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, aerial
engineer, radio operator and three gun
ners. The larger bomber will carry addi-
tional gunners and, since its range will
be very much greater and its flights may
last as long as 48 hours, it must carry
alternate or replacement crews in suffi-
cient comfort to maintain their eff
cheney
The BIG has tankage for 1900 gall
Ions of gasoline as compared with the
S,OOO-gallon capacity of the standard
railway gasoline tank car. The 1OO-ton
bomber will carry considerably larger
fuel load, probably $4,000 to $4,000
gallons.
Comparison of B0mbers.
The BIG has wing-span of 2l2 feet;
the 100-tonner may have a span of $50
or .260 feet. 1t will be, roughly, about
Is per cent larger than the Bic. 1t
will carry electrical generators capable
of running the elevators and lighting a
large department store It's radio equip
ment would set up medium sized COM
mercial broadcasting station. The Bib
has telephone system with "a stations
and the 100-tonner would have even
more to serve its larger crew. The Bio
carries more armament than any three
military airplanes ever built. There is
central oxygen system with piping to all
combat and rest stations. 1t will provide
sufficient oxygen to sustain a l0-man
crew for 100 hours at 10000 feet. Power
steering apparatus, somewhat similar to
that in an ocean liner, has been de-
veloped and built for these air giants
a necessity unthought of before the Bib
was laid out. The four engines of the
BIG provide 5000 horsepower-the
equivalent of that required to drive
10000-ton ocean liner.
The new bombers have a sound
proofed, heated, ventilated bridge deck
for the commander, pilot, co-pilot, navi-
gator, radio operator and engineer. Grew
accommodations include a galley and
wardroom and cabins with sleeping facil-
tiles for at least eight on full-length,
ree-quarter- width berths. AS a troop
transport, the Bio could carry 125 fully
armed soldiers; the 100-tonner many
more.
Necessity for United States.
The Bio and the larger 100-ton
bomber have become a necessity, par
ticularly for the United States, in these
days of world turmoil, for our own Sc
curity in the opinion of our air defense
leaders. They are the more necessary
because the United States has been
committed to policy of hemisphere de-
fense. This policy has become the con-
trolling factor in our building of air
power, naval power and land power.
1t has become obvious to many Ameri-
cans that our way of life is secure only
so long as powerful, aggressive enemies
/ do not gain foothold In the New World.
and 1t Is the basic principle OF our poll