PLANES OF THE FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 138, 7 December 1929, Page 20

PLANES OF THE FUTURE

750 MILES PER HOUR

(Copyright:)

Aviation is evolving towards a science..that might well.'be termed pro-jectile-craft, The engineers are striving increasingly to attain ever greater ; speeds, and they will, ultimately construct.aeroplanes."that will, no more re- . sembie the present-day '■. machines than the latter resemble—the very first ef- ' forts in aviation! . ,In .fact, the resemblance r will' be'even -more remote. , ->- Aiimen-of' "the .future: will fly at' the rate of 750,miles.pe'r. libur. :■ Thero will ;lie.nothing .surprising in such a speed. Not a great.many years ago 40 miles per bbur. was.looked-upon with amazement. To-day we reach 375-miles. ■-In-twenty years the speed has been multiplied nearly by ten.:. .In .;ten more years it could well be doubled. . ■ - . one niay well ask how one should attain such speeds without landing facilities? Airmen must not be discouraged by apparent obstacles that seem to arise. The most reasonable recent suggestion is the idea or' a huge parachute that would carry the craft itself down to safety. [ ..The" .Americans have already experimented with; that new idea with some success." . . . Aeroplanes of the future will have tremendous -horse power. Prior to landing, the pilot will shut off his engine and: then, the craft becoming nothing more or less than an inert piece of machinery sinking according to the laws-pi, gravity, he will release the : parachute; and under the latter's con- ; trol, the 'piano will alight-"on land ■ without .damage. The .:prq.sp^ct"..;:6i .increased, speed raisGS ; 'iivfinitely curious": problems. At a rate of 750 miles per-hour, for in-, stance, an aeroplane would" travel quicker than sound; it would precede the ,very, noise that at the present day .heralds:/its approach!"• It needs little. imagin,atlb;n• to' realise, what al', forinid:abTe;ei]giiie;;of -iyar future aircraft will .constitute..'.. :.;■;.■ .'; v :': -'.■■'■'*-■ ''Aviation' is still in. the preliminary stages of .-progress.. It is: still in the making." On the other "hand,/safety in the air. has reached a. very high level juid at. the present time disasters.in the air are proportionately less, numerous than those on land.—It is'common talk thai the: aeroplane 'WiU : .be the; next -iwar's . most terrible weapon. However, "all right-thinking persons •hope that such an eventuality will not occur. But even should wars break put in the future, it is idle to mako sweeping statements that tremendous aerial" speed will ."he. devoted mainly to.the service of destruction^.' . •■-.. v^Hwu'an -culture •■arwl. fcivilisation' are 'd'evfeloping "iii- pfbpofi^oil AVithsthe progress in means of „,trSHSp"ort.>"* ■ When the ■ democratisation of the' air takes place, that is to say aircraft will be available -in large enough numbers to render service to. all classes of society, speed- and -tho- simplifying . of means ■6f'l^codimiinication,::Mu]li eonsti-;'tut6:,c-';peiHitfp^^ t4io';-^nlostJ ::imp.ortant steps tow-arils.."that, complete develop-; meM an"3' un3roßtaiidirLg;.::tbat.■■ will cn■cbnipass '-friendship i-ibrotherhooil among the peoples of tbo earth.'