Russia's Aeroplane

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 August 1916, Page 3

Russia's Aeroplane

AX AERIAL MONSTER.

At t.;o beginning oi tlw war A. c.ihi- liausonie, in the News) : iic iinstall air serv ice -wa» one oi the youngest in tin- world, rich above others oniill the possession ol a fabulous nioi.bte.i', the Sikorsky biplane, in uuieh y hardly anyone believed. On the .south-western front I ilew in the ordinary Voi»on biplane, and saw specimens of AvatLks, Schneiders anui Albatrosses captured from the Germans and now doing good service tor the .Russians. But more interesting thadi any of fliese was the Sikorsky, the biggest heavier-tiian-air machine in the world, a tlyiilg bus, capable at need of carrying a dozen passengers. 'Here on the south-western front J nad excellent opportunities of seeiiug that this monster had materialized. Only perisistent bad luck with the weather made it impossible for me to fly in one of these giants whose dmings under the .name of llyai Mouromctz (a hero of Russian legend) now are d«iily chronicled iu the despatches. 1 was able to examine seveial of tliein at close quarters, going over them with a bearded young flight commander who was the hero of (in aerial battle between a Mouroinctx and two Fokkers, a battle which ended disastrously for those kestrel who have here too rashly matched themselves against the eagle. The Mourometz is so large and stable that when in action men creep out the wrings and there harass the enemy with special machine giros for which there aire swing rests like rowlocks fixed in all advantageous position. The four motors are fixed on the lower wings, and the steering gear is so powerful that when, during a recent- successful raid, one of the motors broke down, the driver was able to correct with the rudder alone the uneven pull of the three remaining engines and bo brought his machine back safely to its base. When I add that flie Mourometz will carry nearly two thousand pounds of explosive, shells it is enough to pchow how widely ranged and deadly a weapon the Russians | have exclusively at their dtisposal. j W'th a en-go of fuel instead of bombs j the Mourometz is to attempt the crossing of the Atlantic as soon as the war is over.