WINGS OF THE ARMY

[Music] to fly like a bird for ages that has been man's ambition how often during the unrecorded centuries of the past he has tried and failed we do not know we do know that many courageous men have given their lives so that we might fly in safety and comfort on December 17 19 3 - Americans the Wright brothers accomplished the first successful flights in a heavier than air power driven machine Orville Wright became the father of aviation by making the first flight Wilbur Wright repeated the feat a few minutes later on the shores of the Atlantic that Bleak December day only a generation ago for successful flights were made by these in separate brothers in a machine similar to this early right plane on the windswept sands of Kitty Hawk North Carolina was ripped from the opening verse of a new chapter in the history of man but they did not rest on their laurels the Wright brothers continued to improve and demonstrate their airplane in the United States and abroad for another five years before the last doubting skeptic was convinced that man had conquered the air these early flights attracted the interest of the army and as a result the world's first military Air Service was born requirements laid down by the army for its first flying machine are interesting to be acceptable it was required to develop a speed of at least 36 miles per hour remain a law for one hour carry two persons and sufficient fuel for a slight of 125 miles to be so constructed as to be readily assembled or disassembled and transported in army wagons and to be capable of a stand and descent in any country encountered in Field Service many bids were received ranging in price up to ten million dollars for a single machine only the Wright brothers were awarded a contract the delivery of the first airplane was an important event in the nation's capital pheasant ass when asked to Fort Myer near Washington to watch the activities careful preparations were made for the acceptance Tanner the airplane exceeded the requirements in the trial winning Orson vetters a $5,000 bonus in addition to the $25,000 contract price to sled like runners or skin supported the airplane when landing the machine was lost from a monorail a 25-horsepower motor world two wooden pillars by means of change motor was assisted during takeoff by a catapult consisting of a falling weight connected to the airplane by a rope the first military passenger was lieutenant Frank LOM shown here preparing for his flight with Orville Wright this flying team at a new world endurance record of one hour 12 minutes and 40 seconds part of the Army's contract with the right called for the training of two pilots lieutenant LOM was one of the two chosen and a few months after this picture was taken became one of the first two military men in the world to solo and army airplanes in order to prove as part of the acceptance test that the airplane was useful and dependable for military missions or the right with lieutenant Benjamin polloi as passengers made the first cross-country flight whoo it was only ten miles from Fort Myer to Alexandria and returned but the flight marked a new highlight in progress the airplane was practical yesterday's flimsy box kite had become new weapons of power their importance none but the most visionary dared predict one of the earliest and most successful competitors of the right was Glenn Curtis who built and sold many airplanes to the army and instructed military personnel in flying Louie Blair EO a French aviator contributed new ideas in airplane construction and demonstrated their success by making the first flight across the English Channel in those early days pilots flew close to the ground for safety aerial acrobatics were unknown until a famous Lincoln Beatty began filling thousands by his air raising stunts steadily but slowly the Army's wings became stronger pinfeathers through sturdier support and suddenly for three years of conflict in Europe and stimulated foreign development to tough pitch while America and stepped forward at a snail's pace [Music] mad whirl of war on our country unprepared in its Maelstrom our aviation section contained the 35 pilots there were only 55 airplanes in the army all of them training type unequipped and unfit for use over the lion mechanics and pilots were needed thousands of them examining boards in all parts of the country called off so physically and mentally unfit collecting only those capable of holding up under the grueling grind of military training college campuses became ground school pastures and cornfields both at home and abroad became flying school teeming with prospective young American warbirds the Curtiss Jenny was accepted for flying instruction and many hundreds were produced the fighting pilots must have combat airplane engineers were sent to Europe to study the best machines and returned with drawings of an efficient light bomber to British the Evelyn for mass manufactured shortage of equipment and ECAP training raw materials were immediately needed for the manufacture of airplane spruce wood was early recognized as a very foundation of the airplane the toughest of softwood it was light strong free from not and was not apt to splinter under machine-gun fire the quality and quality needed grew only on the moisture-laden slopes of a tested range in Oregon and Washington due to labor troubles and lack of facilities the industry was unable to answer wartime needs though the government took a drastic step 30,000 soldiers were moved into the forest the world's largest sawmill was established the industry was organized and this country produced quantities sufficient for not only its own needs but the allies as well much of the great task of carrying on a modern war is performed far from the sights and sounds of battle unstimulated by the bita struggle and without hope of glory almost overnight factories turned to the production of airplanes instruments and accessory America's outstanding single contribution to the world war aside from its personnel was the famous Liberty motor at the outbreak of war we had no engine suitable for combat use well-known motor engineers from various companies met in Washington and contributing freely their knowledge and trade secrets emerged with complete plans for the Liberty and a must the first sample had been built huge contracts were awarded for mass production the new motors fulfilled the highest hopes of its designer an unprecedented program of training was undertaken ties were alive both at home and abroad with eager young fledgling pilot Gunners cameraman observers and bombers burning with their desire to meet the enemy across the battle lines by the end of the war more than 150,000 aerial soldiers had been trained half of them were on duty over there due to our own preparedness and the time necessary to design produce and ship airplanes in quantities the war was nearly over before American ghost machines appeared over the Lions but by the time of the Armistice our production rate had reached a peak of nearly 20 thousand airplanes per year the necessity for an immediate creation of an air service but almost nothing to start with was found to bring casualties the cost of unpreparedness generals Petric and mitchell percent metals to air service heroes whatever measure of success the American air service attained was above all other things due to the splendid qualities of our officer and soldier personnel General Pershing wrote our aviators have no equal than daring or fighting abilities and have left a record of courageous deeds that will ever remain a brilliant page in the annals of our army [Music] following the war thousands of pilots and say quantities of airplanes what is the market the air core early recognized the importance of guiding these tremendous resources of men and aircraft into channels of peacetime usefulness this end meager appropriations were widely used and testing and demonstrating the possibilities of aviation by many spectacular flights for example the first regular air mail service in the United States was inaugurated by the Army in 1918 president and mrs. Woodrow Wilson Kevin with major fleet officer in charge of operations before the first flight the schedule provided daily sips between New York and Washington with safety efficiency and economy as watchword Air Corps flew the mail hello venture had been thoroughly established as a department operation by civilian fliers army airplanes continued in use however until specially designed commercial planes were available during four years of forest patrol in the Far West Army pilots reported four thousand fires saving millions in valuable timber 1920 what are the possibilities applying over the snow-covered reaches of Alaska leading a flight of four DHS captain st. Clair Street through nine thousands hazardous miles proving that sled dogs were no longer the Masters of Alaskan faith 19:23 to stimulate the development of long-range flying both military and commercial lieutenants Kellyanne McCrady made the first nonstop flight across the United States the heavily loaded parker had difficulty clearing the towering rocky 26 hours and 50 minutes after leaving Long Island a passport arrived at Rockwell field a coffee in their thermo snug still hot following year lieutenant lon made his valuable contribution to speed and distance by making the first dawn-to-dusk fight from coast to coast breakfast in New York dinner in from the beginning of aviation history the outstanding aim of aviators was to achieve the longest of all cross-country flight circumnavigation of the earth in 1924 the army reached that goal and one of the most carefully planned and executed exploits a modern time from the day the flight left Seattle all the elements of nature banded together in their attempts to bring failure to eight pioneers of the air and therefore Douglas high plains major Martin Lander of the flight crashed into a mountain in the Alaskan fog nine days later Martin and his mechanic reached civilization physically exhausted the other three planes with Captain Smith leading continued westward across the Pacific Asia and Europe paddling with snow rain excessive heat - headwinds and the turbulent air currents the mountain ranges and deserts Wade was forced down in the icy Atlantic his companion directed a Navy destroyer to his position and he was safe mrs. Nelson completed the world flight arriving in Seattle five months and 24 days after their departure 28,000 miles truly a shining landmark among brilliant achievements at the end of the trail major Martin was on hand with Cuddy congratulations fees and more speed was demanded tenants do little impetus headed further laurels to their Air Corps by winning important contest from their powerful little waiters our traditional desire to live a piece of the world was able II expressed in 1926 when 10 Air Corps officers visited the West Indies and every country of Central and South America demonstrating the feasibility of linking the Americas by air President Coolidge commanded the Trailblazers 1927 General Patrick did Godspeed to lieutenant Hagan burger and Baker for their takeoff from Oakland in a poker transport significance of this flight was not that they covered the gated oversea distance ever flown the instruments developed two years of research for precise navigation by stars radio and dead reckoning were practically buffeted by shifting wind blinded by storm they were faced by sure death they were four degrees off in their navigation but their confidence in the equipment and skill in its use run them hard-earned success the flying range of an airplane depends primarily on fuel capacity and why not refuel during flight a prime ordered Walker known as a question mark tested this theory early in 1929 when it took off from Rockwell field San Diego for nearly a week along gasoline was fed into the tank several times daily through a three inch hose food was transferred by cable the fireman crews after more than 150 hours in the air water trouble forced the big transport tourists a safe landing was made tired need a shave your and a good quiet place for sleep the previous endurance record was a glorious peacetime use for a wartime weapon these Kurtis condors are being loaded with hundreds armed bags of food for distribution to the Navajo Indian no bomb for many weeks in the isolated country of Arizona Indian guides show the pilots were the snow blanketed hogan's of they're starving brothers are hidden here an ailing motor would spell sure death but the war against starvation of 20,000 American brothers must be won a piece from the cloud power of beans salt meat coffee dried fruit sugar 15 tons of it a bit of life these red men and their starving families a tornado strikes Texas leaving its toll of death destruction and injury the army received a great call parade and Kelly fields flying ambulance is dispatched to the stricken area trained been justly load the seriously injured into the mercy ship off she goes from the rough muddy pastures eating their cargo of unfortunate two different cave-ins of medical aid another frantic appeal for peacetime use of the army run for over vast stretches of farmland livestock representing the life savings of hundreds of farmers huddle together on small hilltop awaiting their doom while their stranded owners face possible starvation or disease food is needed drinking water serum medical supplies blanket pave off the Grim Reaper army bombers drop supplies and report to rescue parties by radios the positions of those in imminent danger or live paid just another day's work these peace-loving combat crews as they churn homers 1934 and Martin bombers led by Lieutenant Colonel HH Arnold leave Washington DC for a roundtrip survey flight to Alaska the feasibility of rapidly moving a mass quite a plane to our most northern territory accomplishing a mission and returning home on arrival in Alaska 21,000 square miles are mapped with aerial cameras in three days a record accomplished despite sub-zero weather arriving at the nation's capital the air man received from Secretary of War during the Mackay trophy for their brilliant work November 10th 1935 the gondola is made ready sight Paul finds 250,000 cubic feet of helium pouring into the largest balloon ever built a sort of specially built instruments will collect scientific data on cosmic rays detect some of the Sun and other mysteries of a stratosphere as the Sun rises over the Black Hills of South Dakota the order is given tests off for our second is headed for the unbelievable altitude of nearly 14 miles where the temperature is 78 degrees below zero 15,000 photographs taken by automatic cameras leave a permanent scientific record as conditions founda law captain Anderson left pilot and captain Stevens commander and scientific observer right dismantle the delicate instrument delighted with a job well done [Music] 1938 six huge Flying Fortresses arrive at Buenos Aires promoting them they have come to deliver a message of friendship from the President of the United States president-elect Alberto Ortiz the Americans are greeted by enthusiastic Argentine the atmosphere is charged with goodwill carried 6,000 miles from their northern neighbors in less than a day and a half during the impressive parade the army planes maneuvered overhead in a graceful solution join bomber designed for war using their mighty influence for peace [Music] at Langley field Virginia 5,000 soldiers and civilians welcomed the goodwill ambassadors home Danya weary 24 1939 in this wake fox chilly lasts only a few minutes in that brief time our southern neighbor becomes a jumbled heap of shattered home 25,000 there 40,000 injures the Red Cross has used all available medical supplies even those rushed army planes from Panama but it's still not enough major Kaleb jihane acting on rush orders from the President of the United States improvises the loading of a ton and a half of additional medical supplies into the world's largest land claim for the fire thousands mild - Santiago white is made in 30 hours flying time they arrive not a minute too soon for the relief of the unfortunate victims and x-ray flying having completed their mission of mercy Whitefield Dayton Ohio form of the material division of the Army Air Corps the material division is charged with developing procuring issuing and maintaining advanced aircraft equipment and all other accessories the word material signifies every object raw material and part from the smallest boat to the complete airplane that is used in the Air Corps so for technicians at Wright Field early test every item before it is purchased for Air Corps use shortly after the first world war the army felt the need for a long-range bomber after thousands of hours of experimental work this giant Barling powered with six liberties was the result rollin cumbersome yes but it was the daddy of the later developments that in turn fathered today's speedy dreadnaughts of the air they the army has the most formidable of bombardment airplanes in the world shipped with every conceivable device or fasters safer higher flying and more deadly bombing one of the most vital problems is to provide fliers with the correct clothing for both climate and temperature a pilot wearing heavy fur line clothing and equipped with a face mask is ready for the coldest of weather or the highest of altitude giant gasoline truck capable of transporting thousands of gallons of high-grade aviation gasoline must be able to speed to outlying air drums and quickly service these thirsty monsters while flying over water aviator must have life rafts that can be quickly and automatically inflated just encase his airplane changes its course toward Davy Jones locker transports flowing from station to station with tons of cargo are met by a specially designed carrier to unload the freight of these aerial train another necessary gadget the iron mule tows the helpless aerial fortress to the flying lion in the development of aerial photography the material division has outstanding achievements to his credit night photographic and spotting cameras and production of accurate maps from aerial photographs Air Corps photographers using equipment developed by the Army Air Corps have shattered world records by taking pictures from 15 miles above the earth and recording scenes more than 300 miles from the cameras eye thanks to the ingenuity of engineers at Wright Field the old and dangerous method of starting an airplane engine by pulling through the propeller has become obsolete here's the modern method just place a shotgun shell in the beach of the starter and press the button clam she'd all day after day month after month propellers of all types roar through there ground testing paces here at Wright Field the largest the Peller testing stands in the world are located they are capable of testing the tiny little two-bladed variety or giant motor bladed props 45 feet in diameter and at speeds in excess of 4,000 revolutions per minute under wartime conditions propellers would have to be changed in the field for the material division developed this simple dari for removing the propeller and the carrier for returning the damaged dropped to the depot for repair controllable pitch propellers have greatly increased the efficiency of modern aircraft a valuable outgrowth of this development is a full feathering propeller which can be stopped during flight in case of motor trouble the engine is shut off and the propeller feathered streamlined so that the air pressure will not keep it wind milling fire hazard is dust less the danger of ruining the ailing engine by continued running is eliminated another important advantage of feathering props is that they're complete streamlining cuts down Dre thus increasing speed and efficiency this may be vitally important to the pilot trying either to clear a high mountain range or to safely reach his destination with a limited gasoline supply the mighty Flying Fortress cruises along easily and completely unconcerned about its safety with two of its four motors then a striking example of our lives and valuable equipment are saved by modern research and development as engine horsepower increases proposed must be increased in size but too long a propeller would not clear the ground during takeoffs and landings the engineers answer to this problem is the dual rotating propeller in effect two propellers rotating in opposite directions prior to flight wings are static tested many thousands of pounds of sandbags are placed upon the wing to prove their strength before test pilots risk their lives with them landing gears must be given dynamic tests prior to actual use and run failures occur necessary structural changes can be made before flight a clay but only the airplane was consumed no pilot was at the control these crash tests were made to study the cause and origin of aircraft fires using obsolete and condemned aircraft and taking slow-motion pictures of the tests it was learned that the fire originated at the point where the exhaust manifold was broken much valuable information was gained by the research department of the material division from these laboratory crashes in the early days of flight man flu leaders sufficiently high fast nor far to take him beyond the elements of normal physical reactions today flight conditions have been stepped up far beyond previous human experience so the physiological research laboratory studies the reactions of the pilot in this chamber without leaving the ground he can be taken eighty thousand feet above sea level theoretically the temperature is down to 65 degrees below zero while doctors study his reactions the railroad gave us an efficient means of transporting Freight but sometimes that method isn't fast enough aerial transport stand ready day and night at supply depots ready to take off at a moment's notice to rush anything from an engine to a bottle of serum to any point it may be needed quickly one of the most remarkable development since long-range flying became commonplace is the automatic pilot which holds a true and set course with deadly accuracy without a human hand on the controls this relieves the pilots have undue fatigue and allows them to concentrate on other problems of flight aviation during the past few years has developed to the extent that taking off and flying blind has become a routine event but we were still confronted with landing an airplane on the visibility of zero until a material division developed a radio-controlled airplane automatic flight was achieved for the first time in history on August 23rd 1937 at Wright Field Aloha safety pilot sat in the cockpit he never once touched the controls as the airplane took off circled and landed safely a long step forward in the art of state flying following closely on the heels of the automatic landing a material division developed a radio-controlled target Ryder released for flight this small airplane is amazingly controlled by a small gadget held in the hand of the operator on the ground when the release button is pushed or when a bullet puts the target out of commission parachute opens and the little plane gently folks to earth ready to be groomed for another flight the first parachute pull off ever recorded was made at the material division man was believed to become unconscious if he fell over 500 feet this first delayed drop of over a thousand feet proved the fallacy of man's opinion the aerial life preserver has saved over 1,200 lives during these past 18 years bouncing out like these from a pod a mass aerial jump is performed the air core proved that a number of men could quickly and safely bail out if and when necessary for many years man has been attempting to accomplish vertical flight this strange weird object the first helicopter did successfully leave the ground but under greatest of difficulty the pilot and his assistants always gave a sigh of relief and the flight was completed the helicopters a vast and unwieldly object finally came to grief and was abandoned but from this idea a research and testing continued next the autogyro came into existence these are truly remarkable aircraft the named flying windmill is most appropriate for such a strange aerial object they are capable of performing the most unusual of flight captain gregory of the air corps a past master of the autogyro demonstrates some of the tricks of the trade a material division has build a tradition of progress and achievement in the development of aircraft and allied industries whether it be developing some microscopic instrument spark or testing a speedy new pursuit plane the goal is the same perfection the flight test section cuts through its paces one of the most capable fighters in the world this is the era CUDA one of the first by motor pursuit planes ever developed it is a daily routine for the flight test section to give airplane such as this Oh 47 every conceivable test that it is possible to give while in flight year in and year out the material division forges ahead in its important job of developing and buying the best rate have been the strides made from the old Barling bomber to such Giants as a be 15 or the deadly little pursuits plane that flies alongside it keep America first in the air second best isn't good enough when two planes battle in the skies always striving for the elusive pole is a job of the engineers at right field military aviation is increasing today at an unprecedented rate the Air Corps strives to keep pace with the rest of the world Major General Henry H Arnold chief of the Air Force our nation [Music] realizing the necessity for full support Congress appropriated money for Air Corps expansion President Roosevelt accompanied by general Arnold inspects the latest equipment in order to gain a better insight to the Army's first line of defense a huge task training the necessary personnel to meet the expansion program when America responds the enthusiasm normal young Americans please they have had two or more years of college work and can successfully pass the physical requirements of the Air Corps specially trained flight surgeons working at top speed to examine the thousands of applicants give the password you are physically qualified to start your flying training the GHQ Air Force combat branch of the Air Corps adds many new squadrons to meet the new need pilots are needed and needed quickly the Air Corps training center is charged with the training of embryonic pilots it's called upon to claim several hundred additional officers the challenge is met with ratifying results changes are to be made the training course shortens the rigid training requirements must not be lowered there will be no compromise with safety as the watchword as the expanded pilot program gets underway the course of nine months is divided into three parts we must at one of the several primary schools located at various points to the United States only three months of basic training at Randolph field the West Point of the air followed by three months of advanced training at Kelly field which is steeped in the traditions of the Air Corps but with air training must go ground training ground discipline that's the basis for the air discipline so necessary for precision flying by the modern combat pilot these sparkly turned out playing cadets and drill as well as fly subjected to rigid and intensive schooling from the first ride through the memorable day of soloing until the last flight on graduation day these cadets have been given the best frame training in the world closely supervised by their officer instructor they are taught with infinite campaigns the art of flying in all its phases whether it be flying individually cross-country and formation or maneuvering in aerial combat the aerial soldier turned out for the Air Corps training center is second to none and upon winning his wings he is ready for the GHQ keeping a fleet of complicated modern military airplanes and readiness for operations requires skilled maintenance crews enlisted men are especially trained at the Air Corps technical school here again received the Air Corps meeting the demand for trained personnel these technical schools teach not only the maintenance of the motor and the airplane itself but all crammed allied to the combat unit armament radio photography welding and a multitude of other crafts so with the newly trained pilot and mechanic we join the GHQ airborne pursuit aviation fighters elekid is interceptor fighter our Cobra fire fighters all tiny aircraft powered with giant motors moving with the precision of a well-trained ballet these Pursy troops fatigue eclis located can upon signals from the aircraft alertness takeoff and climb at the amazing rate of 3,000 feet per minute 15,000 feet in 5 minutes performance beyond belief reaching incredible altitude and speed these Thai fighters are ever on the alert relentlessly searching and seeking for the hypothetical invaders it's all part of the peacetime training ready to spit venom more deadly than the Cobra from machine-gun or camera [Music] returning to earth rather from a mission that carried them thousands of miles away or thousands of feet in the air these capable fighters once again become Earth's mom and as we watch them land we salute the skies the sky fighters of the GHQ Airport bombardment aviation that has struck oceans too fond and compliments to field these sharks faced redness of the air carrying thousands of tons of bombs and heavily armed with machine guns and cannon are equally at home over land or sea our ability to travel thousands of miles non-stop has changed the defense plans of many nations the GHQ air force confronted with defending thousands of miles of widely separated shoreline must and do have the most formidable bombers in the world today and by highly trained crews it makes little difference whether these giants are sent hundreds of miles to see on a bombing mission or are seated over the towering lucky on a nonstop flight from coast to coast testing their menacing shadows these mighty bombers sail serenely over San Francisco and point their wicked snout toward the East Coast flying if speed well over 200 miles per hour laden with hundreds of gallons of gasoline capable of carrying a ton of bombs and a crew of five to nine many card monsters pass over the rocky mountains on their eastward day they need no radio beams or landmarks to guide them their navigators trained to navigate by the stars can safely steer them to their destination over ocean or uncharted wilderness they are truly remarkable aircraft and these short scenes pictorially are things of beauty but they likewise tell a story of the ability of the pilot and the face they have in their flying see it seems incredible that just a few hours ago this squadron of bombers was far out over the Pacific have been concerned as a string of circus elephants now they sail over New York City giving the earthbound inhabitants below added confidence in the ability of the GHQ Air Force to protect our shores [Music] the mission of these giants is to find and destroy the enemy whether own land or sea fully equipped that the best accessories money can buy no mission is too tough for these Flying Fortresses whether carrying hundred pound bombs or 2,000 pound bombs they can attack with deadly accuracy [Music] light bombardment is charged with direct support of ground truth ground safety delayed bombing gas frame cooks Green Lane these functions have given light bombardment a unique place and warfare functions violently feared by all ground truth light bombardment formerly called attack aviation was developed as the result of our experience in the First World War these little two-seaters whistle with machine gun they are maneuverable fast and capable of effective operation close to the ground or at higher altitudes both pilot and gunner must be ever on the alert the light bomber must be prepared to perform many types of missions so there must be constant training [Music] smokescreens are beautiful sites in peacetime that may spell doom to enemy ground troops in time of war hidden in the opaque darkness friendly troops can advance unseen to enemy positions or attack the light bomber truly has many uses in modern aerial warfare [Music] so we closed the story of the air core with its bureau mobile fighting squadron a fighting force that is ever-watchful and ready to strike with all of its combined strength it is an air core that we can point to with pride and confidence knowing that it can accomplish its difficult tasks effectively we close with these symbolic scenes unique and fantastic shadows casting shadows he dancing dolphins of the air that merrily stripped the sand dune and play follow-the-leader or skipped from sand dune to sand dune with other abandoned themes that leave an indelible impression an impression that is reassuring during these troubled times because we know that wings of the army will always cast they're protecting shadows over the people of these United States of America [Music]