Aircraft in war

The history of Germany’s developments in aërial navigation on the heavier-than-air principle during the last few years is the history of preparation for war. France was, indeed, the first nation to realise that though there was a war use for the aircraft on the lighter-than-air principle there would, in time, be no comparison between the advantages of aëroplanes over airships.

Directly aërodrome performances were replaced by cross-country flights that gave opportunities for the attainment of those records in distance, height, and speed which have made the aëroplane the marvel of the twentieth century, France vigorously attacked the problem of turning out machines specially adapted for military purposes. In 1910, France held the position of being the only nation who possessed military aëroplanes to any great extent, having no less than thirty-five. It may be noted that in that year the British Government only possessed seven. It was in October, 1911, that the magnificent tests carried out at Rheims taught the world the importance of the aëroplane as an arm of war. It was those tests which woke up this country to the fact that it was ignoring the greatest military arm of the future. It was those tests that made Germany, ever on the alert to increase and intensify her war weapons, determined to leave nothing undone to set herself in the van of progress! Germany, therefore, set to study the aëroplane especially from the military point of view, and determined to build aëroplanes which should embody simplicity, strength, high speed, and weight-carrying capacity. Early in 1911 Germany could boast of the possession of nearly fifty military aëroplanes, and from that time forth she has been rapidly increasing the number. The number of aëroplanes in Germany now available is variously estimated; it is stated she has 500 quite modern military aëroplanes, a number of older ones, and about 100 privately owned; others assert, however, that Germany now has as many as 1,500 in the country.

In Sir John French’s report, mentioned in the introductory chapter, he tells us that our own Flying Corps in the present war were exposed to the shot of friend as well as of foe. As the German aëroplanes have a more or less distinctive appearance, it seems probable that these peculiar shapes were not well known to our troops at the beginning of the war. Such a knowledge would protect the aëroplanes of the Allies from being mistaken for those of the enemy. The shape of a bird has been very generally adopted for the German flying machines. The monoplanes are specially given the form of a bird flying with wings stretched out and tail distended, the ends of the back portion of the wings projecting beyond the central part.

The biplane frequently presents in front an arrow-like appearance, and the upper plane is bird-shaped. It will certainly be incumbent upon us to ascertain, for the future development of flying machines, how far the adoption of this natural bird-shape influences speed, etc. The tables on the opposite page will give some idea of the aëroplane equipment the Germans possessed at the beginning of the war.

Regarding the various types of German aëroplanes, it must suffice to enumerate a selection.

The Etrich Monoplane.

This was the forerunner of the German monoplanes, and very representative of German type. These machines were first made in Austria, and are excellent examples of strong, simple, efficient military aircraft. The wing-shaped supporting planes have upturned wing tips at the back, which are flexed up and down for the purpose of lateral stability; the back portion of the tail plane is movable, and can be flexed for elevating.

Regarding the other types of German machines, Germany appears to have gone through three stages of construction: 1. The stage in which the types evolved were chiefly copies of various well-known French machines. 2. That in which a characteristic German type was produced, the Taube (dove), a type which possessed many excellent qualities, but also several defects.

Some German Biplanes.

Some German Monoplanes.

3. That in which the indifferent qualities of the characteristic type were removed.

Of the first type may be mentioned the Euler, which is a modification of the Voisin; the Otto, which embodies the H. Farman principles; the D.F.W. (Deutsche Flüggen Werk); some of these are practically H. and M. Farman biplanes. They also include a rapid type, called Mars biplanes, in which the main surfaces are shaped like those of the famous Nieuport machine.

Amongst the more distinctive machines are

The Aviatik Biplane.

This is one of the most noticeable of German machines. A special feature is the space provided in the front part of the fuselage, which gives the observer every opportunity of free movement for scouting, writing, photographing, and throwing bombs. The vital parts and front are well fortified with a metallic “capot,” and the rest of the fuselage is also armoured. The rapid erection and dismantling of this machine has been especially well planned. The supporting surface consists of two planes of unequal dimensions, the upper one being the larger. Each is divided into two sections fixed independently on the fuselage. The planes are coated with a liquid to render them incombustible. The longitudinal stability is assured by a fixed plane prolonged by a rudder for controlling the vertical movements. Two large “ailerons” at the back of the upper planes are provided for lateral stability.

Steering is effected by a vertical rudder placed between the two portions of the horizontal plane rudder. The dimensions of one type of the Aviatik can be seen in the table of types of German aëroplanes.

The Rumpler Monoplane.

In this, as in all the Taube flying machines, the wings are in the shape of a dove or pigeon. The end of the wings are flexible. The stability of the apparatus is assured both by the shape of the wings and their flexibility. It is at once a combination of the inherent stability type and that depending on the warping of surfaces; the advisability of blending the principles is one practice alone can decide. In some of the Rumpler monoplanes, instead of the ends of the wings being flexible, there are “ailerons” attached.

The Rumpler Biplane.

This biplane with the Aviatik is remarkable for the amount of space provided for pilot and observer. The fuselage is protected in front with aluminium. The upper plane is not made to join in the centre, as in most German machines; instead, there is a short immovable central plane, which is permanently attached to the fuselage by four tubes; to the ends of this central plane, on either side, the other planes are fixed.

The Albatross.

This is a successful and much used German type, made at Johannisthal, near Berlin; about two hundred of these machines were made in 1913. The German Government have a great number of Albatross biplanes and monoplanes (Taube), and also several Albatross waterplanes. There appear to be four improved Albatross types for this year, two of them biplanes, one waterplane, and one monoplane (Taube), all with Mercèdes 100 h.p. motors, capable of attaining a maximum speed of 65 to 68 m.p.h. The biplane types are just over 26 feet in length, while the waterplane and monoplane average 29¼ feet.

The Germans have not favoured rotary engines and have almost exclusively adopted those with stationary cylinders, but an exception has been made in the case of the Sommer arrow-shaped biplane.

Another feature of German machines is that they are all, with one exception, double seated, the extra swiftly dashing scouting monoplane does not seem to appeal to the German. We find, however, one exception to the rule: the Argo type of monoplane is a one-seated machine. It has a span of 9 metres, surface of 15 square metres, and speed of 130 kilometres per hour.

A feature of aviation in Germany during the last few years of peace has been the night flights. For these, they have made special provision in the shape of aërial lighthouses, scattered all over the country. Some of these are electrically lighted, others by acetylene; some are “Morse” fires; some are fixed, others revolve, and the nature of the light has a distinct meaning, such as “near is a high tower to be avoided,” and so on. Germany is alone amongst the nations in her appreciation of the necessity of aërial lighthouses.

Round Berlin there are six such stations at, respectively: Nauen, Döberitz, Tegel, Reinickendorf, Linderberg, and Johannisthal; and there are also aërial lighthouses at the following places:—Königsberg, Posen, Liegnitz, Dresden, Belgern, Eilvese, Gotha, Weimar, Schleissheim, Strasbourg, Grosser-Feldberg, Berncastel-Cues, Metz, and Bonn.

Besides building aircraft on the lighter-than-air principle, Germany has not been idle in their use during the last few years of peace. She has German military flying schools, seventeen in number. They are as follows, arranged alphabetically:—Darmstadt, Döberitz, Freiburg, Germersheim, Graudenz, Hannover, Güterbog, Köln (Cologne), Königsberg, Metz, München-Oberschleissheim, München-Oberwiesenfeld, Posen, Saarbrücken, Schneidemühl, Strasbourg, and Zeithain.

There are three naval flying schools, at Kiel, Danzig, and Wilhelmshaven, and about three dozen seaplanes, mainly biplanes—Rumpler, Albatross, Curtiss, etc.

There are also in Germany no less than eighty-eight civilian aëronautical bodies, many of whom possess flying grounds, and there must be at least between thirty and forty of these private flying grounds, in addition to those of the military schools.

M. Raoul Volens, in his lucid articles, has pointed out how Germany, who was in 1911 so much behind France, has been able to produce by 1914 an equipment that rivals hers. He points out that in the Imperial manœuvres of 1911 it was with difficulty that Germany could produce eight aëroplanes; in 1912 she produced eight squadrons; at the end of that year 230 certificates had been granted to pilots by the German Aëro Club; in 1913 the number was 600; in 1912 the number of flying machine manufacturing firms was twenty; there were fifty in 1913. The number of flights made in Germany in 1911 was 7,489; in 1912, 17,651; in 1913 it was 36,817.

In 1911, the total duration of flights was 821 hours 41 minutes; in 1912, 1,966 hours 3 minutes; in 1913, 4,096 hours 48 minutes.

The progress made appears to have been largely due to the efforts of the German National Aërial League, which collected 7,234,506 marks, to be spent on aëronautical development in a few months’ time. The Council of the League made a very practical plan for acquiring a large number of pilots, and at the same time developing the most efficient class of machine possible. They left the training of the pilots to the manufacturers, giving them grants for each qualified pilot they had trained.

They also adopted the plan of giving premiums to pilots who accomplished certain practical flights of the nature of what would be required in war. For instance, if a pilot flew for an hour without a drop, he received 1,000 marks; if he made the flight outside an aërodrome, and was accompanied by a passenger, he received an additional prize of 500 marks; for a flight of over six hours, a monthly sum of 2,000 marks was given to a pilot who flew the longest distance without descending for as long as he held the record.

Regarding the development of aëronautics in Germany, it is interesting to note that just before the present war broke out two world records, those of height and duration of flight, were won by Germans; up to this year they had been held by France. These were the last victories of peace! On July 14th last Herr Oelerich rose from Leipzig-Lindenthal at 3.45 in the morning on a D.F.W. biplane, military type, furnished with a Mercèdes motor of 100 h.p., and attained an altitude of 8,150 metres.

On July 10th last, Rheinold Boehm rose from the Johannisthal Aërodrome at 5.54 a.m. on an Albatross biplane of military type, furnished with a Mercèdes motor of 75 h.p. He flew round about Berlin. During the night-time the aërial lighthouses indicated to him his whereabouts. He did not touch the earth till 6.12 p.m., having been in the air for twenty-four hours and twelve minutes. It is curious to note in what regular progress the records of duration had been won this year. On February 4th the German Langer flew continuously for 14 hours 7 minutes. On February 7th the German Langer had flown for 16 hours 20 minutes. On April 8th the Frenchman Poulet had flown for 16 hours 28 minutes. On June 22nd and 23rd the German Basser wrested the record away from Poulet, and accomplished 18 hours 12 minutes. Then the German Landmann on June 27th and 28th beat his countryman with the record of 21 hours 50 minutes. Then came the final exploit of Boehm, which has been recorded above.