Evening star., 1941-04-06
U. S. Planes Shape
Wars Course
BIZ OtCen L. Scott.

|
! out of factories in large numbers.
Some of the airplanes Britain uses
| to strike at key detectives in Germany
| are American made. In Africa, it is the
| American aircraft that smashed the
| Italians. Arrival of larger numbers OF
| American-made bombers at Singapore
| accompanied by concentration Of long
range bombers in the Philippines-helped
| to cool the ardor of Japan for south
| ward thrust. The Chinese are busy
building airports to handle big American
bombers in operations against Japan.
Everywhere that war touches, the
American bomber is in demand.
Yet the myth persists that this Ma
| tons aircraft are not the equal of air
craft built by other nations. They are
| reported falling down in combat and
that the British are finding them of lit
tie help in their work.
Actually American made warplanes
are proving the peer of any in the world
| FOR the jobs that are cut out for them.
The American bombers outrange, carry
| bigger bomb loads, are more heavily
| armored and are faster-type for type
than the ships of any other nation. In
| quality there are no superiors. In guam
| tity there still is a lag, but finally it is
| showing signs of being overcome.
These are conclusions of men in pos
session of Just about all the information
there is on the subject. A first-hand
view of some of the American aircraft
certainly seems to the layman to bear
out the expert conclusions.
American-made bombers are flying to
Britain in one hop from Newfoundland
in about six hours. These bombers have
| 2,000-h horsepower rnotors-rlore power
full than the motors of any other ma
ton. Their bomb load is 5000 pounds,
or twice that of any other comparable
bombers. Their speed, fully loaded, is
near $50 miles an hour, or not far from
the fastest pursuit ships They carry
more guns and have more fire power
than the ships they are likely to meet.
American-made craft of other types
are showing superiority over anything
yet brought out by any other nation.
The Navy boasts of the fastest and most
powerful Of carrier-borne pursuit ships.
American dive bombers are far ahead
Of others. American flying boats, vital
in long distance work over water, are
without match. American fighter and
interceptor ships-a type that was not
highly developed by this country before
the war-are beginning now to rank with
the best.
The stories about shortcomings Of
American airplanes usually concern the
small fighter types. These types were
behind the times and did not show much
in action. The reason is that they never
were an American speciality and were
not regarded as so vital in this country's
air problem as were the larger craft
But If this country did fall behind in
one type Of plane that was not Of major
importance in the light Of the American
defense problem, it was not the only
one.
The experts point out that Germany
supposedly the infallible nation in air
craft development-developed a motor to
be used in this war that had to be dis
carded at crucial time. The Germans
had expected to depend upon Diesel
power. But the Diesel didn't come
through in practice. Germans then
turned to a gasoline burning type, with
a fuel injector that did away with
carburetor. This motor was not the
equal Of the British motors and in the
two greatest air battles of all time
over Dunkerque and over London-the
German Air Force was badly beaten.
American aircraft designers and max
ers are not at all awed by anything Ger
many is showing. They say this coun-
try has been fed propaganda by some
individuals whose sympathies are with
the Germans and who want to frighten
the United States into inaction.
Given time, say these men, the United
States will show its heels to every other
warplane builder.
But it takes time to get large-scale
production from an industry that had
produced fewer than $4,000 airplanes in
all Of its history, before this crisis Now
the goal is to create capacity that can
produce $4,000 planes each year That
goal Is in sight. but still months away
Once reached the United States will
have an industry that then will be
capable of further expansion on short
notice and will be geared to quick
change-over of models
The American speciality is bombers.
These are big and powerful ships for use
in offensive work Five fighter ships
can be built in the same time and with
the same effort it takes to build one
bomber. And five bombers can be built
in the same time and with the same ef-
fort that it takes to build big flying
boat That is why figures on monthly
production of aircraft are misleading A
production of 1000 bombers In a month
would be the same as production of 5000
pursuit ships.
With the emphasis upon bomber and
large warplane construction. the United
States Jagged in development of
smaller craft and In development of
engines to power these craft
This country, until now has depended
upon the air-cooled motor almost ex-
clusively. The air-cooled motor is more
dependable than the water cooled But
it does not lend itself to stream lining
of the type needed to get most speed out
of the small fighting ship. A fighting ship
is designed around the pilot and the goal
is to get the smallest surfaces possible.