MILE-A-MINUTE ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2005, 12 March 1914, Page 6

MILE-A-MINUTE ARMY.

.PIiAN FOR AEROPLANE /TRANSPORT,

._ Several important Doff development in Army and Navy aeronautics have occurred in the last few weeks, says the London "Daily Mail" of January 31. Their result is to pat th© two Services upon a new footing, and it is hoped to increase _the lead in the matter of design which, a-ceording to many expert critics of the recent Paris aeroplane show, British aeroplanes already hold over the best French machines.

. Tho Xavy has now taken over all tho airships built for tho Army at tho Royal Aircraft Factory at FaiflboftfUglj., and will have by the end of tho year n fleet of fourteen airships of the Astra Torres, Fareeval, Forlauini, and British. Army types.

Tfce fact to which many military flying men take objection Is that the Array is thus left without airships af any kind. On tho otter hand, the Army flyers confidently believe that the newest types of Army aeroplanes aire superior to any other machines in existence. The two newest types are the R,E. 2 and F.E. 2.

Tho latest Machines have a maximum speed of 91 miles an how and a mini' mum of 44. They have been built as tho Tcsult of experiments at tho Aircraft Factory, whidi Lave Been.eondusted in secrecy, and without regard to expense. The best tribute to them is that Army officers in general prefer to fly in these machines than in those of an.v outside constructor, although it is admitted that tho British private constructor is now turning out uiackites of first-class merit.

There are sow plans for aft entirely new type of machine destined for a, new purpose—namely, that of transport. It is stated that in nine months' time an aeroplane could ho built to carry a pilot and tcn_ men. The anjwment of Army strategists is that a hundred of these- machines, carrying in all a thousand men and their weapons, would bo of vital importance- in any warlike operations. It- would be possible) to transfer tho thousand men at iim rate of a mile a minute from any point on a battlefield to any more favourable point for attack or defence. Only one obstacle stands in the way of tiro production of such a machine, and th-at is the ever-reftttrritig consideration of finance., Experimental work, as every inventor' knows, costs money. It is not the successes that are costly, but the failures, and the failures ate certain to occur. Tho present hope is that ihv War Office will grant a substantially larger stoi in the coming year to enable this new msans of transport to be developed without undue, delay.