Evening star., 1952-07-21
The Aerial Revolution

The revolutionary character of postwar
progress in the field of aviation has been
dramatically underscored by an Air Force majors
slip of the tongue at Moffett Field, California.
What the major has inadvertently revealed Is
that man-piloted Navy research plane-the
Douglas Skyrocket-has been flown at speed Of
more than 1900 miles an hour and at a record
breaking altitude Of over $4,000 feet
This history making advance-irst achieved
In test flights over the Mojave Desert last sum-
mer-speaks for itself as measure Of the rapid
and grimly wonderful changes that have been
taking place in aviation. It speaks for itself,
too. as an indication Of how obsolescent yester-
days military planes are becoming and Of how
much more complex and costly air power as a
whole has grown since the days Of the Second
World War.
The Douglas plane that has travelled at twice
the speed of sound-after having been launched
from B-29 bomber-is equipped with turbo-jet
engine and rocket engine. Forty-five feet long,
with swordlike nose and with wings sharply
swept back it has its own refrigerating system
one powerful enough to cool 3,000-seat movie
house. If it did not have this, then the friction
of its supersonic fight would soften its metal
frame and roast the pilot OF course, it is only an
experimental model. As such, however, it very
probably is the forerunner Of fleets Of even more
advanced fighters that will in time be a regular
part Of military aviation-perhaps to be replaced
eventually by pilotless craft
Revelation OF the Skyrocket's performance
serves as specific illustration Of point made
q few months ago by Defense Secretary Lovett-
namely, that 1t IS not quite accurate to describe
the modern fighter as an "airplane." This Is so,
as Mr.. Lovett has said, because the word brings
to mind the World War II fighter. The modern
fighter is no more like the World War II fighter
than modern automobile is like buggy.
We are now flying too far, too fast and too high
for human faculties. So we have to supplement
them by gadgets." That is why one Of todays
Jet aircraft must have, for example, $500
electrical wires totalling 22,916 feet. BY way Of
contrast, our best World War II fighter had only
Sis wires totalling 1,545 feet.
The same spectacular progress, plus the same
spectacular growth of comp1exity and expense,
applies to today's bombers. Thus, according to
Mr. Lovett, our World War II B-17-an excellent
plane that cost $450O00 and had gross weight
of 52,780 pounds on take-of-is completely out
moded. It's successor-the B-47B-has smaller
crew. but it flies 2h times faster, carries 2la
times more bombs has take-oh weight Of
1sl, ,440 pounds and costs $3,476,000.
Imitation and increased labor costs account
in part for such figures as these But by far the
biggest reason for them Is the fact that revolu-
tion-a revolution now moving toward atomic
powered planes-has been transforming the air
world since 1945, particularly since the cold war
became semihot. The progress involved repre-
sents display Of great genius, but it Is genius
Of sort that makes an enduring peace impera-
tive Without that the end-result can be
unimaginably catastrophe for Ill mankind.