CONQUEST OF THE AIR

Evening Star, Issue 19454, 12 January 1927, Page 8

CONQUEST OF THE AIR

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS SURPRISING DEVELOPMENTS GIANT BATTLE PLANES AND BOMBERS. Press Association— By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 1.1. (Received January 12, at 1.5 p.rn.) “ In an age of super-tilings the trend of aerial research indicates that wo arc approaching a new world of most surprising developments, in. which huge planes, aerial post offices, giant hat.tie planes, and bombers will crowd the skies, each flying at its own level to avoid collisions. They will also carry searchlights of 100.000,000 candlepower, sweeping ihc firmament,” says the ‘Standard.’ “The French, realising that the immense height at which planes may fly in the future raises the important question of light, have developed the most powerful searchlight in the world, and have installed it at Mont Afriquc, Dijon, at an altitude of 1,900 ft. It is of 1,000,000,000 candlepower, and has eight optical lenses and prisms. It projects two rays, successively sweeping the horizon every ten seconds, and is visible 400 miles away. Both rays can bo merged jnto one when they penetrate ninety miles. This searchlight is primarily intended to light aerial routes, but such a development is certain to drive hostile aeroplanes to an immense altitude, where for the purpose of resisting tho low temperature and the rarefied atmosphere, pilots will wear electricallyheated suits. They will also be enclosed in the machines as completely as a crew is in a submarine.

Night bombers will have a speed of 200 miles an hour, and will be able to swoop on their prey at 300 miles an hour and climb I,oooft in a second. Moreover, there will be ghostlike fleets, owing to almost silent engines and invisible paint; but America is carrying out sound-ranging experiments and constructing apparatus so highly tuned as to detect the approach of aircraft flying at a height of over 30,000 ft. Great developments are expected in wirelessly-controlled planes, in which television will enable a view of tho machines throughout, even when bombs are dropped. 500 miles from tho base. Already aerial torpedoes travel three miles for every 3,000 ft of altitude. Therefore at a height of 20,000 ft they can be launched at a distance of twenty-one miles from the target.— Sydney ‘ Sun ’ Cable.