AIRCRAFT OF THE NATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 76, 19 August 1914, Page 2

AIRCRAFT OF THE NATIONS.

M. CUILLAI'X'S VIEWS. Chatting on tho_subjeet of the, aeroplane in war prior to his accident, M. tluillaux. the well-known airman, expressed the. view that aerial machines would prove perhaps the greatest factor in the present struggle. '•Austria," he added, "is probably the most poorly eqiiippcd of all the European nations, compared with its size, and has only about ten military These are chiefly Etric'lr monoplane*, which are 1 very fast; but there are also a few biplanes. It was one of these machines that Eiou'tenant JJlai-h, at the Vienna meeting, the day after his wedding, two years ago, ascended with his wife to a height of .iOOO metres, which was then a-world's altitude record. The Austrian airmen are skilful and intrepid, but at the Vicuna meeting all the big prizes, amounting to £SIIOO, were won by Erance. The greatest number of the Etrich monoplanes manufactured in" Austria were sold to d'ermany. ] ".Sci-via depends upon Erance for the supply of her aircraft," M. (iuillaux continued, "and she has, I believe, about twelve Ulci'iot monoplanes. Her air,llloll were trained at the lileriot schools in Erance, and white they cannot be clas.-ed as lirst-elass airmen, tliev certainly can lly, and fly well. "lint it is not be judging the rival strengths of the two aerial forces that wo eau guage the extent to which aircraft will be used. Airmen will crowd to tins theatre of the war from all quarters of the earth, and there will be some thrilling incidents. In the night time the dirigible, balloon will rise for reconnoitring purposes. JJnt if perchance one is sighted be the enemy's aeroplanes it will quickly be destroyed. The engines of the military aircraft, of course, will be silenced, just as in the manner of a motor car engine. The whistling of llio wind over the planes will be"the only indication of their headlong progress through the night. The nlunes in such circumstances will prove i'o be impossible targets for the gunners beneath, while their trews, unobserved, can ■wreak vengeance with explosives on the crowded trenches, or on the bulky ami almost helpless airships. '•(icrmany lays great forte in her dirigible airships, and possesses more of the r'gul and semi-rigid j.vpes than a'.iv I other nation. The Herman planes .ay':' heavy and slow." T.he airmen of Erance according to ,\f. Ouillaux, are equipped with quick-rising 'planes, which are also very last. "With on. of the latest t>'pc " ■.\r,<luiilaux remarked, "I could locate n'n army, within •>(!() miles from niv base 1 firmly -believe, without the cnen'iv knowing. To lode themselves from the eves ol the airman they must be under cover of a- r«i<il'.<.'reat as is Ceyniaii, V, stren-th »' dirigibles, she would not remain"in ."'<' held long against these fast-living, planes. While, the heavy Herman biplanes were rising :j(MMI feet, a En'ndi squadron could have risen (Jtlin) feet and then," .\|. (luillaux added si-uilieaiU'v '•"'ere would be the bombs "'' ll'iss.a is I lie "dark horse" of the aerial ;""'. lrs <" ?■•"■»}*■ Nhc- is en-dilcd with ' Having spent more money in i|,at particular branch of her military forces than iinv other nation, llussia also possesses the largest practical living machine and the most heavily armed' aeroplanes' in existence.