AERIAL WARFARE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 141, 4 February 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

AERIAL WARFARE.

WHAT BRITAIN IS DOING. VISIT TO FACTORIES. R EMA RK A BLE 11ACHIN ES. The "Aftenposten." Norway's leading journal, publishes the following interesting dispatch from its London correspondent:— Your representative received through tile British Foreign Office .in invitation to visit, ill company with a small party of American and French journalii-tn, representing leading New York and Parisian newspapers, some of the most important aeroplane factories and training camps for military aviation in London and the ne ghbourhood. In the course of a whole day v : sits were paid to Northolt trailing can.)), Napier and Sons' big aeroplane work;, and The. Aircraft Manufacturing Company's extensive works at Hendon.

"The most interesting part of the visit was that to the Royal Aircraft Factory at Fnrnhorough, where we were received by the bend manager, Mr. O'Gorman. whilst Colonel Connaok, of the \eronautical Department of the War Office, with great affability, gave us much valuable information throughout our visits to various camps and factories. These v sits left us with the strongest impressions of the extraordinary energy and resourcefulness with which Great Britain is working to create a military air service which will probably prove to be not only the most efficient, but also the most extensive of all the belligerent nations. Colonel Cormnek informed us that since the outbreak of war the number of aeroplanes used by the British armies had been increased sevenfold, and it is hoped the existing large number of aeroplanes will be again doubled within the next few months.

"There are at present at the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough, close to the British Headquarters at Aldershot, over ;ii)i)o workmen engaged clay and night and all clay Sunday. Farnborough Aircraft Factory, which, like most similar institutions, i.s under the control of the new Munit'ons Department, is more particularly an experimental factory, where England's best and most resourceful engineers are continually making experiments with the newest and best military aeroplanes in order to perfect them, while six other large aeroplane factories are build'ng new machines within the shortest possible time and m the greatest possible numbers.

'BOMBING .MACHINES

"Our small party —only seven journalists in ail—were taken through all the different departments at Farnborough, where we admired in particular the enormous 'bombing machines.' as they are called. Provided with engines up to 200 horse-power, and capable of tremendous speed, these great aeroplanes are provided with bombs. \Ye were a'so sho'wn some wonderful aeroplanes constructed for attacking Zeppelin-. Some oi these machines are able to rise to ail altitude of 8000 ft. within about 20 minutes. A new sort of arrow or dart has also been invented,. shap"d somewhat like an umbre'hi. and capable of piercing the strongest Zeppelin, and we were told that .1 a dozen such darts were thrown from an

aeroplane flying over a Zeppelin they would be suffic ent to cover and pierce the entire surface of the airship and so destroy it.

"Another interesting exhibit shown to us at Farnborough was a large German Albatross, recently captured by the British during fighting in France. The wings of the machine were entirely smashed, and it is now being retailed and improved upon, the British engineers having no great admirat on for the Gorman work, as they have themselves long since succeeded in building aeroplanes of greater stability than the German machines. Aeroplanes are now being constructed provided with two engines each of 100 horsepower, and some with three such engines have been planned. "Most of these fighting machines which we saw were fitted with remarkable guns, capable of firing in all directions with the greatest ease. The work of training new military aviators is proceeding with great speed at trailing caiujis in various parts of Great Britain, and a similar number of training camps exists for naval airmen, while in addition the British Navy has taken over all the British airships."