The Washington herald., 1910-11-15

walt any longer before starting the flight
OF course, ii would have been much easier
TO start from a moving vessel. as the
momentum Of the vessel gives additional
lifting power 10 the machine. | was sat
isfied. however. that the fight could have
been begun quite as we'll from an an
chored vessel. and did not run any risk
in launching the biplane in this manner.
Unfamiliar with Machine.
II had no trouble with tho machine
at all. AS the aeroplane swept from the
launching platform. made slight mis-
calculation IN handling the controlling
lever. which caused the machine TO dip
down and skim over the surface OF the
water. This error OF judgment was due
| TO my unfamilisrity with the control
lever. Il has been more than a month
| since ! used this machine. and the con-
| trolling lever was slightly longes than
I am accustomed TO. (! had little diff
Guilty however. In Fighting the machine
and continuing the flight. When the aero
plane skidded along the water the spray
splashed on my goggles. and for mos
ment I did not know where I was head
! ing. The spray and cold wind were un-
/ comfortable.
by the time I had succeeded in drying
my goggles I had lost track OF the land
mark by which / intended to guide my
! flight over Norfolk to the navy yard. 1
| did not know in which direction I was
/ heading In the distance I saw the sandy
beach OF Willoughby Spit. and because
of the uncertainty of my location and ad-
verse weather conditions I felt that II
would be better to land rather than 10
attempt 10 continue the flight in the
| hope OF reaching the navy yard. The
aerOplane landed safely.
II have no exact idea of the altitude
| speed. or distance / covered When the
machine left the launching platform IL
was travelling at the rate OF about nifty
FIVE miles an hour. I think l covered
about five miles In a little more than five
minutes. The altitude, / believe, was
about $50 feet. There was only slight
breeze blowing at the start of the flight,
but il became gusry near the finish,
Could Land ON Vessel.
"The flight demonstrated the posi-
bility of launching an aeroplane from. the
deck OF a naval vessel. I believe also
that the aeroplane will be invaluable for
scouting purposes in time OF war. I am
. inclined 10 believe that an aviator could
return to the deck Of a vessel from
which he had started. 1t Is an inter
| esting experiment. and / should like to
/ try It. II. for instance. the vessel were
backing at full speed, the aviator could
fly his machine on the bow OF the
cruiser, and the backward motion OF the
vessel would permit the aeroplane to
make a safe landing.
If, on the other hand, the vessel was
proceeding at fair rate of speed. the
aviator could fly over IL at a greater
speed and gradually diminish his speed
so that his machine would settle on the
launching platform on the bow
Wins John Barry Ryan Prize.
By to-days achievement Mr.. Ely has
qualified for the $500 prize offered by
John Barry Ryan. OF New York, for the
first aviator who is a member of the
United States Aeronautical Reserve to
make flight Of one mile in an aero
plane launched from the deck Of a YES
sci. Mr.. Ely will leave Norfolk to-mor-
row for Raleigh. n. c.. where he will
give several exhibition fights. Capt.
Washington I. Chambers. u. S. N, who
is the expert Of the Navy Department on
aeronautical questions. was one Of the
official observers OF the flight 'I was
more than pleased with Ely's fight"
said Capt Chambers.
1T demonstrated beyond a doubt the
possibility of launching an aeroplane
without difficulty from the deck of a yes
sci. His flight was even more remark
able because the machine was started
from an anchored vessel. II would have
been much easier had the Birmingham
been under way. at about ten knots
speed. The weather conditions were ad-
verse besides.
The aeroplane may develop into an
important adjunct TO the scout cruisers
in time Of war. 1t is not intended, how
ever, TO use them on battle ships. Aero
planes are intended only as a part Of the
equipment OF the scout cruisers"