Air Stories, November 1937 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

AIR STORIES us. They’ll think we’re one of their own party. You know what night flying is, and how easy it is to get separated ! ’’ ‘“You know,’’ said Carter, ‘‘ you know, there might be something in that. Of course it’s crazy, like everything else Edison thinks of, but—but I say, Nobby, it might be worth talking-over.’’ _‘*T haven’t finished yet,’’ objected the inventor, ignoring the insult, ‘‘ This is the real point of the scheme. It’s quite obvious that the pilots of the other Gothas will come within range of the one we are flying, instead of avoiding it. They will come close because they wiill want to exchange signals; the raid- leader’ll want to give his orders, and all that sort of thing. And directly we see them, we can go for ’em and at the same time let fly a shower of Very lights which will show our position to every other machine in the sky. Then the real fun will start.’’ AJOR CLARKE was staring at the ground. At first he had been completely inattentive ; then Carter’s voice had brought his mind back to the conversation. The idea seemed wild and idiotic at first, then, almost immediately, it seemed to have possibilities. He sat up suddenly. In a case like this, the wildest and most improbable chance was worth taking. After all, it was better than cruising” round the sky, once the raid warning had been given, and just hoping. ‘‘The idea of our Gotha being kept spotted by a searchlight beam from the moment it takes-off is no good,’’ he said quietly. ‘‘ Half the trouble about these raids is that the Huns have usually arrived over the city before anyone fully realises they’re there. We’d run the risk that the beggars were already there—in which case they’d see our Gotha coming right up from the ground and see through the trick at once. No, the thing to do would be for us to arrive at a certain spot at a certain altitude at a certain time, all by previous arrange- ment. A couple of searchlights could train just on that spot at the right second. There would be danger of them missing us, but we’d see the beams and that we’ll be right there when could fly right into ’em. Then, by signal-lamps underneath the fuselage, we could show them that we were the machine they were looking for, without any possibility of mistake. The ack-ack batteries would fire all round us instead of dead at us—not that it makes much difference, anyhow.”’’ ‘¢ A most valuable suggestion, my dear Nobby,’’ said Edison, nodding solemnly. ‘‘I should have thought of it myself eventually, of course. But fe ‘¢Wait a minute,’’ said Cafter exci- tedly, ‘‘ wait a minute, why not have the whole squadron following the Gotha, from the moment it takes-off? The Gotha can show a white tail-light or something like that. We can follow that light at a distance of perhaps a mile, so 9) ‘‘No good, again !’’ snapped Nobby. ‘We don’t know from just which direction the other Gothas will be arriving. When they do catch sight of us, they may be dead behind—in which case the following squadron would be silhouetted against the searchlight glare. That squadron would be easily recognisable as British machines and it’d ruin the whole show. No, you lads’ll have to keep the opposite side of London to us, all the time. You’ll know the spot where the searchlights will pick us up, and you can be watching for it. Then, when we show our Verys, it’ll only take you a matter of minutes to cross the London sky and get to work.”’ Excited conversation immediately be- came general. Most of the men were on their feet, and all talked at the same time. But Edison, as was characteristic of him, immediately went back to his side table, took a fresh sheet of paper and began frowning over drawings and diagrams. CHAPTER V An Inventor is Discomfited T was just after ten o’clock the following night when a 6 fifteen- strong squadron of Bristol Fighters, with freshly painted sides, dropped down into the ground floodlights of Northley aero- 394 AMICLOOO© CO