ARMY AIRMEN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 926, 20 September 1910, Page 5

ARMY AIRMEN.

.-WAR OFFICE'FLEET OF AERO- .. \~;.'-','v;<- '::.:'■';; PLANES.: ■'. '■-.■.-./; ■■■■'.■ •- ''-'■ The i .War 1 Office has' definitely -formed an , Aeroplane ' Corps (says tho "Daily Mail Overseas Edition" of August. 13). , The-member's at present'-. are .officers who have, volunteered for, this special duty. Tho Government 'provides them with sheds: on 'Salisbury ;Plain; they.furnish their own .aeroplanes. ./ '•■■■• . The idea at the moment is that these Government . airmei' should,' fxperiment with all types of craft and endeavour- to find one that most nearly meets the requirements laid;down by the War Office ■When, it has been- found, the Government will' 'acquire the successful, aero-' plane for.: its pilot and begin' to. manulacturea' 1 fleet in the. airship factory': at' Farnborodgh. :;, 'The first two practical experimenters'at Salisbury are Captain Maitfand and Lieutenant Fullertnn. The ; former has set himself the task ..of evolving a biplane for Army, conditions. .-Mr.', •' Howard Wright built him .a'special biplane.comprising the salient features, of'the;" Farman and Sommer machines. The other day., C-iptain Maitland was injured in - an accident while testing this biplane/ but' he .'will .be able, to resume experiments in ,'a few weeks, Lieutenant Fullerton is devoti'jg himself exclusively" to monV plane-tests; at present ho has a Bleriot .machine. ' '. "Portability is. one of tho chief reels that ■ the'. War. - Office emphasises," .; explained Lieutenant Gibbs. -'He .took a prominent part in the tests made'for the! War -Office in Scotland with, a self-bal-ancing aeroplane, and has now'offered to teach a.certain number of officers to fly. "Another essential," lie.' added, "is high i speed. . Tho aeroplane must also be ableto attain: a.great, height quickly, which means very efficient engine power. The machine,must carry an observer for'-ie.-. oonnoitring work,. in,, ] , addition to the pilot." '■■'.■'■'■'■' '■','- The Government Aeroplane Corps is to be added to rapidly. : , . ■■-■: "BOMBS" FROM THE Alß.■'.•' For the, first time j on any aerodrome practical tests. were made at' Lanark to illustrate the possibility of' bomb-drop-ping from aeroplaies. A :spaco marked out'upon the flying track represented a target, but instead of using bombs each airman was handed' three oranges. His height in the air at the moment of releasing his "bomb" was specified to be that of the grand . stands—about fifty or Sixty feet. ' . Mr. Cecil Grace began the competition.. He "put his three oranges in./a tin box fixed" by the side of. his driving seat and then ' rose. about 'a hundred feet in a gusty wind. Some distance before lie passed over the target" he stretched out his hand and let fall his first "bomb." But instead- lof _ hitting the target, .'as it appeared certain to do, the orange was swept for. a considerable distance, beyond its intended landing point. This first effort pro fed the difficulty of good markmanship in' an aeroplane. Baffled, the airman flew back over the target. The second orange, however, fell harmlessly a great deal short of tho mark. His third. attempt was the best of the day. The orange struck the ground within ' 23ft. lOih. of the target. Mr. Ogilvie; with two oranges, did not approach nearer than 62ft.