A NEW WEAPON IN THE AIR?
Williams, Major Al
A New Weapon In The Air? By MAJOR AL WILLIAMS IHAVE A HUNCH—that's all it is—that some day before this war ends, a radically new air weapon will appear to the complete consternation of the other...
...And the most vulnerable item in th« ignition is the condenser and the breaker points...
...I feel certain you will read this in a communique before this war is over...
...Then the attack...
...This bomber will fly into enemy air zones...
...The heavens that re-echoed with motors and tortured atmosphere are comparatively silent,, and only the whine of torn air is discernible...
...Sooner or later our scientists are going to hit upon one or more methods for transmitting a wave length which will completely upset the high tension ignition system of the modern aircraft engine...
...We hear the crescendo, a heaven-filling medley of deep-throated motor exhaust, with the obligato of wings and fnse-lages tearing the, atmosphere to shreds...
...Possibly we had better assume that it will be a bomber equipped with the usual gun turrets—but no guns...
...And in principle there's no difference between an aircraft and a motor car engine...
...Clouds of enemy single-seaters will swirl and weave preparatory to splitting up into groups for the attack...
...One by one the attacking fighters swerve away in ever steepening glides toward the earth with their motors silent...
...Ignition System Vulnerable The approach to the attack is orthodox until the fighters are two or three times beyond gun range, and then something happens...
...It is safe to assume that when, as, and if a type of wave length is developed which will interfere with and disrupt a gasoline engine ignition system, it will be a rather heavy and cumbersome one and, therefore, when used as a defense in the air against other aircraft, the carrying craft must necessarily be a large plane...
...Motor car engines already have been stopped by the interference of wave lengths from distances of about 20 feet...
...The only feature of an aircraft assembly which is vulnerable to electric wave impulses is the ignition of the engine...
...There they go—motors wide open...
...The eventual answer at any rate will be either safely shielded ignition systems or Diesel engines, which are not operated by high tension electrical ignition systems...
...In place of guns, a single tube will project from each turret...
...By MAJOR AL WILLIAMS IHAVE A HUNCH—that's all it is—that some day before this war ends, a radically new air weapon will appear to the complete consternation of the other side...
...That new air weapon will be either a fighter or a bomber of the latest existent model without a single gun on board...
...The Eventual Answer Of course, the first preventative measures against such a wave length will be shielding of various types to protect the ignition units (usually magnetos...
...As soon as the method is developed for damaging an ignition condenser by any kind of wave length, the first step has been taken toward the elimination of the internal combustion engine as the power plant of the warplane...
Vol. 8 • May 1944 • No. 18
