l82 



NATURE 



[April 27, 19 16 



FOREIGN WAR-PLANES. 



AN article with the above title appears in La 

 ■^~^ Nature of March 4, and is particularly 

 interesting- at the present time when British 

 aeronautics is attracting so much attention. The 

 article appears to have been written in fear of 

 the Censor, and parts of it correspond more 

 nearly with the end of last summer than the early 

 part of the present year. The author refers to 

 the belief, prevalent in France some little time 



Fig. I. — The Morane Saulir.er. 



ago, that British aviation was well ahead of their 

 own, a belief widely held until, during the course 

 of a single day, French aviators and gunners 

 brought down seven battle-planes and a Zeppelin. 



Putting aside political manoeuvres as of no 

 importance, the author attempts to state the 

 problems of aviation as they affect the engineer 

 and constructor. Quite early in the course of 

 his statement he concludes that the difficulties of 

 flight would disappear, in peace-time, with the 

 coming of a trustworthy light engine, 

 but that for war purposes the problem 

 is not so simple. A good war-plane 

 must be strong and trustworthy ; the 

 observer must have a good field of 

 view, particularly downwards, to assist 

 reconnaissance and to make possible 

 photography and bombing. In order 

 to fight an enemy under favourable con- 

 ditions, the zone of fire of the machine- 

 gun must be as great as possible, and 

 this implies a special shape of body. 

 Finally, a convenient place must be 

 found for bombs, and taken tog^ether 

 the requirements are not easily satisfied. 



As to speed, authorities differ, and 

 there is again necessity for compromise, 

 in this case between speed and weight-carrying. 

 In France aeroplanes have mixed duties, whilst 

 in England types differ more, are faster on the 

 average than the French, but carry fewer bombs. 

 The superiority of the Germans on speed is more 

 apparent than real, their most recent and speedy 

 aeroplane, the Fokker, being merely a copy of 

 the Morane Sauliner. .The similarity can be seen 

 by a comparison of the two accompanying figures. 



NO. 2426, VOL. 97] 



The similarity is said to be complete almost 

 in detail, and immediately after the Morane had 

 been fitted with a safety device for firing through 

 the propeller, the Fokker followed suit. 



German aeroplanes are built in three distinct 

 classes. To the first belong the scouts, mostly 

 Albatross biplanes, which have largely supplanted 

 the Taubes; fitted with Mercedes motors of 100 

 to 150 horse-power, these aeroplanes fly at from 

 70 to 90 miles per hour. 



The second group of aeroplanes, fighters, are 

 designed for attack and defence in 

 the air. A new biplane (probably that 

 known to British soldiers as " Fritz " 

 or " Billy-two-bodies ") with two bodies 

 and central car for the machine-gun 

 belongs to this group. Its two engines 

 each develop 250 horse-power. The 

 Fokker, capable of 60 to 100 miles per 

 hour, is also one of the fighter-type 

 aeroplanes. 



The third group of German aero- 

 planes is intended for reconnaissance. 

 The machines all carry wirelessi 

 apparatus, and act as spotters foii 

 artillery. ' 



Following a very brief and unsati 

 factory survey of British, Americai 

 Italian aeroplanes ' is a discussion 



aviation \yit! 

 latter as ai 

 instance of an art based on scientific know 

 ledge, whilst it is said that until an aero 

 plane has been made and tested it is no 

 possible to form any trustworthy estimate of ii 

 speed, stability, or sensitiveness to controls. Th 

 defect is more important, as aviation has not an 

 traditions ; its development has been left t 



and 



French aviation. Contrasting 



gunnery, the author cites the 



Fig. 2. — The German Fokker. 



private enterprise, and up to the present withol 

 any indication of the end to be attained. T 

 result has been to stimulate competition betwc 

 constructors without collaboration. If su 

 a picture of the position of French aerr 

 nautics is even approximately true, it is . di:;- 

 cult to believe that Britain has yet lost ^ 

 superiority in the domain of design and cc; 

 struction. , 



