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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 1709.PDF
JUNE 16, 1938. FLIGHT. SERVICE AVIATION (CONTINUED) : FOREIGN NEWS The Afghan Air Force AT the request of the Afghan Government, the Government olIndia has agreed to train thirty Afghan students for the Afghan Air Force. Of these eight will be trained as pilots, eight as observers,twelve as mechanics and, of the remaining two, one as a wireless operator-mechanic and the other as a meteorological officer. French Diesel Fighter A MORANE M.S.278 single-seater fighter parasol monoplane hasbeen fitted experimentally with a fourteen-cylinder Clergetheavy-oil radial. Comment has appeared in the French Press to the effect that such an engine would be more profitably appliedto a long-range bomber, but presumably the Morane has been chosen only as a flying test-bed. Koolhovens for France I IT is reported that in addition to the American material on orderthe French Government is acquiring a number of KoolhovenFK56 machines from Holland. These will be fitted with more power- ful engines than the Cheetah used in the prototype (see Flight ofMarch 10, page 243); this should raise their speed to nearly 280 m.p.h. A retractable undercarriage, incidentally, has been developed forthis machine, which is essentuilly an advanced trainer. A certifi- cate of airworthiness had, at the time of writing, not been granted. A Light Military Trainer RYAN S-T low-wing, wire-braced monoplanes equipped for mili-tary training have been delivered to the Mexican Army AirForce, the Republic of Honduras, the Union of South Africa and the Republic of Guatemala. The Ryan concern has now announced a specialised version ofthe machine known as the S-T-M, which, fitted with a Menasco C4S supercharged four-in-line engine, has a top speed of 160 m.p.h. andan initial climb of 1,400 ft. /min. Provision is made for a blind- flying hood and a synchronised machine gun. Fiat Fighter'Bomber WHILE touring the Fiat works at Turin a few days ago amem bet of the staff of Flight saw a small series of twin-engined fighter-bomber-attack machines going through the shops. The type is about the size of a Blenheim but is of low-wing designand is fitted with two two-row Fiat A.74 radials of 840 h.p. driving constant-speed Fiat-Hamilton airscrews. Armament is variable, butfor ground attack work there are four fixed guns in the nose and a fifth tiring through a trap in the floor. Internal stowage is providedfor. perhaps, 1,000 lb. of bombs. It was gathered that the top speed is 280 m.p.h . - From the Wars SOME interesting conclusions on the war in Spain are drawn byan Italian authority, who says that modern high-speed bombers have generally been able to reach their objectives in spite of fighter attack; " attack " machines (for low-altitude gunnery against ground targets), are highly effective and are certain to play a most important role in any future war; aerial predominance is more a question of quality (material plus pilot) than quantity; and that German anti-aircraft artillery has proved highly effective. Again, M. Laurent Eynac, writing in L'Air, makes the following points: In Abyssinia it was the Regia Aeronautica which made the Italian conquest possible in a comparatively short time. Due to the absence of enemy aircraft, the Italians were able to reconnoitre large tracts of country and to prepare the way for the advance of troops. The supply of food and ammunition by aircraft (first practised on a large scale in this campaign) marks a new era in colonial warfare. In Spain, he maintains, the outstanding feature is the active co- operation of aircraft during a land battle. The bombardment of aerodromes is a highly effective method of impeding the enemy. Anti-aircraft guns are effective up to 13,000ft. and make spotting increasingly difficult. He emphasises that speed is the most impor- tant factor and that slow, obsolete aircraft are useless. Writing on the Chinese situation, M. Laurent F.ynac is of the opinion that the bad strategic position of the Chinese aerodromes facilitated their destruction by the Japanese. Large-scale bombing attacks on towns, he claims, are effective in terrorising both the civilian and military occupants. Accurate aim, apparently, is pos- sible only by dive bombing. A writer in L'Aerophile, who accompanied the French General Armengaud on a visit to Spain late last year, makes the following observations: — The German Messerschmitt Me. 109 single-seater fighter is too fast to be manoeuvrable and can be beaten bv the Russian fighter modelled on the low-wing Boeing, although the latter is slower. The Fiat fighters are vulnerable on account of the exposed posi- tion of the fuel tank. The Heinkel, Dornier and Savoia (presumably the S.79 rather than the S.73) machines are held in great respect. The writer gives the following information on the Russian equipment being used. Apparently the manufacture of similar material in Spain is making good progress: Name. ChatoNatacha KatchouscaMosea Armament. 4 machine guns2 54 Duty. FighterGround attack High-altitude bomber ...Dive bomber and fighter Speed. m.p.h.205 ]24236 27S Ground attacks on troops are carried out at a height of 150ft.,rendering defence very difficult. Mixed ammunition is used, the cartridges being arranged in the following order: Tracer, armour-piercing, tracer, armour-piercing, incendiary, explosive and tracer. ATTACK • Two Douglas parasol observation monoplanes and a Northrop attack machine of the U.S. Army Air Corps go forward to clear the way for a flock of tanks during combined manoeuvres in Georgia. This picture is particularly interesting in view of the opinions on tactics in the item "From the Wars," above.
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