Evening star., 1941-01-11
New Combat Planes
Built for Modern War,
Says Gen. Arnold
Tells Geographic Society
Bases Permit Rapid
Air-Power Concentration

improvements into our new combat
planes" Maj Gen. Henry H. Arnold
Air Corps, declared last night in a
lecture before the National Geo.
graphic Society in Constitution
Hall.
"Our fighting planes will compare
favorably in quality with any in the
world" he said At the same time
he revealed that through proper
location of operating bases, I'VE can
concentrate our aerial fighting force
on either coast within "a hours"
During his illustrated lecture he
pointed out that the primary mis-
sion of our Air Corps is to provide
air defense" Gen. Arnold then
added that I'VE must be able to
prevent the establishment of foreign
air forces in the Western Hemi-
sphere; to do that successfully, we
must be able to reach out with
our bomberS to any places where
enemy bases might be established.
Changes Handicap Time Cuts.
He gave an optimistic view on the
plane production program, though
admitting that the task which we
have set out to do will tax to the
utmost the capacity of the manu-
facturers in this country He
pointed out that a double burden
has been placed on American
producers through local orders and
orders from Great Britain.
Changes for modern improvements
have not permitted a reduction in
plane production schedules, he said.
I'VE of the Air Corps thought that
this time might be cut down some
what by building in larger quanti-
ties, but found that modernization
with self-sealing tanks, increased
fire power, and armor, gave the in
dustry little opportunity to cut down
on the time required for produc-
ton
A life trustee of the National Geo.
graphic Society, Gen. Arnold also
presented an historical review of
aviation. In approaching modern
conditions he stated that the plan
for 2,400 pilots year has been in
creased to 10000 year in keeping
with modern trends of warfare.
Had to Train Force.
In order to operate this expanded
air force, it became necessary to
increase tremendously the number
OF our enlisted personnel from about
$4,000 to about $4,000 men" he
said. "Of course, it was impossible
to go out into the street and enlist
10000 or 10000 men-Skilled as air.
plane and engine mechanics, radio
operators and armament experts.
They simply were not available;
they did not exist, and there was
only one way to get them-we had to
train them.
Hence, we built and increased in
size the great technical school at
Chanute Field, Rantoul, Ill; at Scott
Field, Belleville, Ill, and at Lowry
Field, Denver Colo. To train a to-
tai OF 2,4OO new pilots within a year,
we revised our whole system of pilot
training. Fortunately We were able
to create on short notice an efficient
system for pilot training that could
be very greatly expanded by using
certain available civilian flying
schools.
I'VE selected nine of them to give
primary training to flying cadets.
am happy to say that this system
has worked out so well that our
plan for an output of 2,40O pilots
IN year has since been changed to
one OF 10000 a year, with very little
Commotlon and practically no hold
up in our present pilot production.
We now carry on all of our primary
training Of flying cadets at civilian
schools and the basic and advanced
training at our own training centers." !"
Spurs Commercial Aviation.
Skill and research needed for
military aircraft provided a great
spur to commercial aviation" Gen.
Arnold said. Most of the great
transport planes and their essential
accessories which have made them
so reliable today are the result of
engineering development carried out
to make military airplanes more
efficient"
AS the emergency became more
critical, he said, greater expansion
became necessary and a much larger
Air Corps was needed IF we were to
provide security against aerial
attack for ourselves and our neigh
borS in the Western Hemisphere. >
Though the $500 plane program
was large, he said, it since has been
tripled so the Army now expects to
have 54 groups instead of "a for
merly planned.
"The major mission of our air
forces will be to play its part in
guaranteeing the freedom and in
tegrity of our peoples and of our
neighbors in the Western Hemis-
phere. need not point out to you
the significance of air power in
modern war. The devastation that
is being visited upon London, Ber-
lin, Hamburg, Bremen, Liverpool
anu SONSllOlg 10 olllE'4C CNlOCIICC VI
the destruction that air power NAV
bring to modern cities. Naturally,
our first concern as Air Corps Off
GERS is to prevent such things from
happening to cities on this side of
the world.
1.-The primary mission of our Air
Corps is to provide air defense
Fortunately for us, our problem is
preventive one. We must prevent
the establishment of bases for foreign
air forces in the Western Hem
isphere. And, if we are to do that
successfully, we must be able to
reach out with our bombers to any
places where enemy bases might be
established. In this connection, it
is well to note the sphere of in
f1uence of our heavy bomberS ope-
ratating from air bases within our
territorial limits"
City News in Brief
TODAv