NEW AIR AGE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10304, 13 January 1927, Page 5

NEW AIR AGE

WORLD OF HUGE PLANES AND GIANT BOMBERS EACH FLYING AT ITS OWN T/BTVET, FRENCH HAVE MOST POWERFUL SEARCHLIGHTS IN WORLD WIRELESS-CONTROLLED MACHINES (United Px-ess Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, Jan. 11. “In this age of super things the trend of aerial research indicates that we ax - e approaching a new world of most surprising developments in which huge planes, aerial post offices, giant battle planes and bombers will crowd the sides, each flying at its own level to avoid collisions. They will also carry searchlights of 100,000,000 candle-power for sweeping the' 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 installed it at Mont Afrique Dijon, at an altitude of 1900 ft. It is of 1,000,000,000 candlepower, and has eight optical lenses and prisms. It px-ojects two rays successfully, sweeping the horizon every. ten seconds, and is visible for 40 miles. The searchlight is primarily intended to light aerial routes, hut such a development is certain to drive hostile aeroplanes to an immense altitude, where, for the purpose of resisting low temperature and rarified atmosphere, pilots wear electrically-heated suits. They are also enclosed in the machines as completely as a crew in a submarine. “Night bombers will have a speed of 200 miles an hour, and will be able to sweep on their prey at 300 miles an hour, and climb 1000 ft a second. Moreover there will be a ghost-like fleet using almost silent engines and invisible paint, but Amei'ica is carrying out sound-ranging experiments and 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-cont'olied planes in which television will enable a View of the machines throughout, even when bombs are dropped 500 miles from the base. Already aerial torpedoes travel three miles for every 3000 ft. of altitude ; therefore, at a height of 20,000 ft they can be launched 21 miles from the target” —Sun.