Air Stories, April 1936 — page 68: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AIR STORIES Several pairs of field-glasses were raised at these words. ‘‘I don’t see any boat,’’ wailed a feminine voice. ‘‘ That flat thing, I think, rather like an island,’’ explained a Cabinet Minister. ‘“ ... the aeroplane, though you will not be able to see it yet,’’ the loud- speaker boomed on, ‘‘is now flying directly towards us. It is still being controlled from the ‘ Uproarious,’ but when it has come closer it will be taken over by the battleship ‘ Rodney.’ ‘*To your right front, about half a mile away, is the target ship which is to be sprayed by machine-gun and torpedoed by the aeroplane. The tor- pedo, I may add, is a fairly large one, weighing five hundredweight, and it will be instructive to note the damage it inflicts on the target. ‘‘The anti-aircraft guns from the battleships in the vicinity will then open fire, and again the result should prove instructive. The attack differs mainly from the real thing in that the aeroplane will be aJlowed to deliver its attack on the ship before the guns open fire. In actual warfare, of course, hostile aircraft would come under a devastating fire long before they were close enough to launch such an attack.’’ The loud- speaker paused, and then: ‘‘ The aero- plane will take some four or five minutes to reach us, and I will fill in the interval with the record—‘ A Life on the Ocean Wave.’ ’’ Before the familiar strains had died away, the Wasp had been sighted by the whole party—to judge by the ges- ticulations and pointings which were going on. Syivia Mandeviile rose from her chair and waiked to the side. With elbows on the rail and tips of fingers to chin she watched the oncoming ’plane. Here at last was a promise of distraction. There was something rather thrilling in the thought that that aeroplane, growing rapidly in size, was flying under its own control. Or, she supposed it would be more accurate to say that it was without a pilot. For someone was sureiy guiding it. Who? As though in answer to their thoughts, the loud-speaker woke to life once more : ‘‘ The wireless-directed aeroplane, which I expect you will all be able to see now, has passed out of the control of H.M:.S. ‘Uproarious,’ and has been taken over by the ‘ Rodney.’ Actually, gyroscopes are at the moment keeping the aero- plane to the straight course on which it has been set. In ninety seconds, approximately, the machine will cross this yacht, in order that you may get a close view of her appearance. Imme- diately after crossing, she will be seen to turn to the left, continuing to turn until the wide circle is complete and the ’plane is back, more or less, where she now is. Then she will turn sharply at right angles and dive to the attack on the target ship. Here she comes.’’ All eyes were lifted to the Wasp as she roared overhead, the Napier engine bellowing under full throttle like a frightened bull trying to escape its doom. Then the machine began to turn, banking gently as rudder went on. HEN the Wasp was launched from the deck of the ‘‘ Uproarious,’’ the ship turned out of wind and headed back to her anchorage. There had been the morning’s squadron formations, and now the carrier’s work was done—as far as flying was concerned. Or so it seemed. Spalding was distracted ; even James was worried. Pat was convinced that the Italian, Ravati, was in that aero- plane. He had little enough evidence to come to so extraordinary a conclusion, but what there was seemed to piece together only too satisfactorily. Yet no one would believe his story. ‘‘What’s the next move, John James ? ”’ he asked. ‘‘Wait and see what happens, of course. We can’t do anything.’’ ‘‘It will be too late to do anything then !’’ moaned Pat. ‘‘ All right, then, I’ve made a sugges- tion, now you make one.”’ Pat moved away, exasperated, and found his squadron leader. ‘‘ May I go up and see the fun, sir P ”’ he asked him. . Drinkwell raised his eyebrows and looked hard at Pat. Could Spalding 354 COnmnicloo SJ (C(O)