Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-07
DUCK A|RSH|P WANTED
NAVY Machine Must Float as
Well as Fly.
REQUIREMENTS STRINGENT
To Be Able to Rise From Water
Unaided.
CAPABLE OF 4-HoUR FLIGHT
Capacity for Fuel to Garry Two Pas
sengers 200 Miles Without
Alighting.
CAPABLE OF 4-HOUR FLIGHT

specifications for the aeroplanes wanted
by the Navy Department were made pub
VIC today. Bids will be invited at once.
The call Is for four machines. The first
is to be delivered within five months after
the contract Is closed. The other three
must be supplied within eight months.
The minimum speed requirement is forty
miles an hour. with a carrying capacity
OF one operator and one observer. The
machine is to be capable of a four-hour
flight. 1t must carry fuel at the start
Cor a flight of 200 miles.
The navy specification differs from the
requirement for the army aeroplane in
chat it must have a supporting device to
allow 1t to alight on the water and must
be capable of starting OF the surface of
the water without any auxiliary starting
device; the supporting surface must be
SUCH as to keep the flying machine from
being wet on alighting.
Practical Offers Expected.
The Navy Department has made the
specifications as broad as possible so as to
give any one who has practical heavier
than-air machine a chance to bid. 1t is
not known who are likely to compete for
the contract.
The Navy Department does not doubt
1t will have offers from three or four re-
sponsible bidders, beside hundreds of ir-
responsible ones such as were attracted
oy the War Departments advertisement
about a year ago.
IT has not been decided where the tests
will be held, although Annapolis will prob
ably be chosen. The machines are to be
delivered there. A month will be al
lowed after delivery for the builder s
trials before the official test is made.
The department expects bids from a
number of heliocoptre men. 1t is thought
possible the new machine may develop
something between the aeroplane and the
heliocoptre type.
Among the probable bidders are the
Wright brothers, Glenn Curtiss of the
June Bug, Prof. Alexander Graham Bell.
Emile Berliner Of Washington and A. M.
Herring of New York. If he makes good
on the machine he is to deliver at Fort
Myer October 13.
Heliocoptre Has Possibilities.
The department is interested in the how
ering possibilities OF the heliocoptre, ow-
ing to its value for observation. This
would be one OF the strong points also of
the tetrahedral machine. now being tried
by Prof. Alexander Graham Bell.
The Bell machine 1t is believed. will he
able to support itself in the air when trav-
cling at speed OF between fifteen and
twenty miles an hour. 1t is questionable
however. If 1t could get up the required
speed of forty miles.
The Navy Departments requirements
for flying machine are just about four
times as exacting as the specifications of
the War partment.
When the War Department drew I'D its
specifications about year ago they were
regarded almost as a joke, so far were
the requirements beyond anything that
was known of flying machines by tine
general public. But the Wright machine
more than came up to these require
ments before the fatal accident of Sep
TENDER II.
1t Is thought by naval officers inter-
ested that the machines competing under
the present bid will be just as great a
surprise to the public