THE COAST ARTILLERY JOURNAL - Air Defense Artillery

270 THE COAST ARTILLERY JOURNAL
offered to officers who are prepared to resign. Those who have served continuously since
October I, 1924, will receive a gratuity calculated on the cash value of the pay and
allowances of the rank held (acting or substantive) at the date of the acceptance of the
resignation. They will thus be given: (a) Two years' full pay of the rank held at the date
of resignation; (b) two years' ration allowance at the rate in force for single officers, and
(c) two years' lodging, fuel and light allowance. In the case of a married officer the
amount shall be assessed at the rate applicable to married officers. Officers commissioned
later than 1924 will receive 61 days' pay at the rate of the rank held on retirement, 61 days'
ration allowance and 61 days' lodging, fuel and light allowance. Officers on half-pay are
entitled to the gratuities on the same scale as officers on full pay. Officers who retire will
be transferred to the Reserve (Class "A"), and officers who resign will sever all connection
with the Free State Army.-The Army, NallY and Air Force Gazette.
Target Glider Experiments at Wright Field
By A. M. JACOBS
Captain Carl Greene recently acted as observer for Major Gerald E. Brower in a serie~
of flight tests with the target glider and came down declaring that he wouldn't he surprised
if Major Brower soon had the thing so docile as to be able to land it at any given point on
the speed course from any altitude. The inspiration for such extravagance was the three
flights he had just witnessed in which the glider after release had behaved exactly as the
Major had foreordained.
The target glider, it will be remembered, is a' twelve-foot high-wing monoplane of
box-spar construction, carried on the upper wing of a full-sized air plane from which it
is released, becoming as it floats out into the air, a tl.'rget for aerial gunnery or antiaircraft
practice. By bending the elevator and tab to certain settings, various angles of descent may
be predetermined.
On the aforementioned flight, Major Brower had made the setting for smooth steady
flight, and a smooth steady flight had followed until it drifted gently to earth. Next he
set it for diving and zooming for 2000 feet from a 3000 foot altitude. It obeyed. But the
third demonstration was the one which took Captain Greene's breath. In order to make
the glider suitable for naval antiaircraft practice, Major Brower had padded it with kapok
to keep it afloat. He made the setting for a stall and a dive from 800 feet. Flying at this
altitude, he and Captain Greene proceeded to a small lake about 300 yards wide, situated
near Wright Field. At the proper moment he released the glider, which with three
oscillations landed squarely in the middle of the water. The floatation feature was successful,
as it was still atop when several hours later they went to haul it out.
This glider has proved quite durable, having made more than fifty landings without
damage. Major Brower is now developing a metal wing to replace the present wood
structure. It is believed this will better retain rigidity than the present type, which becomes
"floppy" after numerous landings and cannot be set quite so accurately.-Air Corps
News Laur.