The Washington times., 1911-07-30
Triad Is to Be Sent From
Annapolis Here to Join
Later ManeuverS.
MIMIC NAVAL WAR
PROMISES NOVELTY
Real Shot Will Attempt to Destroy
Aeroplanes and Sub
marines.


brand-new aviation thrills. Within the
next month Lieutenant Ellyson, aero
expert of the navy, is expected to fly
to this city, along the water courses,
from Annapolis. He will make the
flight in the Triad, the new navy
hydro-aeroplane.
The Triad is the Glenn Curtiss inven-
ton that rises from and alights on the
water as easily as the ordinary ma
chine takes and leaves the ground. The
Triad will be the first machine of Its
kind ever seen in Washington. Its
flights heretofore have been confined
to- the Curtiss trial course at Ham
nondsport, \. Y. Its scope of opera
tons will be enlarged.
A navy aviation school, to rival that
conducted by the army at College Park,
is being installed at the Naval Academy
at Annapolis, and will be in operation
in the near future. Lieutenant Ellyson
will be in charge, and will be instructor
in chief. For several months he has
been under the tutelage of Glenn Cur
tiss and is expert in the handling of
the Triad as well as land machines.
Capt. Washington l. Chambers, in
charge of the aeronautical division OF
the navy, is reticent regarding future
plans of his department, but he ad-
mitted toady they are rather ambitioGs,
and include a flight to this city. The
fight will be made some time in August,
before the baItleship fleet assemblies off
the Virginia coast for battle practice
and record target practice.
Will Carry Passenger.
Lieutenant l2Ilyson will pilot the ma
chine in Its fight to Washington. and
lie will carry Ensign Towers as a pas
Senger. The flight will be made in two
days, or possibly in one day, If condi-
tions are favorable. The machine will
follow the shore liue of Chesapeake bay
from the Severn to the mouth of the
Potomac, sailing over Chesapeake
Beach and the other seashore resorts on
the way. Colonial Beach, where there is
ample supply Of fuel food, and machine
parts, probably will be the first stop.
Prom there Lieutenant Ellyson will fly
UP the Potomac river to the Tidal reser-
voir, where he will aIight on the water
near the Speedway. From this point the
lieutenant probably will sail over the
Washington navy yard and other mill
tary reservations. TO demonstrate the
usefulness of his machine in obtaining
Information.
The Triad is not necessarily water
machine. It can rise with equal ia
cility from land or water, and can
alight on either. 1t is equipped with
wheels. the same as the ordinary
Curtis flyer, and between them has
the specially designed pontoons that
permit 1t to alight on and rise from
the water.
From this city, Lieutenant Ellyson
and the Triad will sail to Hampton
Roads and the Virginia Capes, where
the Triad will participate In the an
nual summer battle practice of the
fleet The maneuvers this year will
be the first in which an aeroplane
actually has participated. For sew
eral years it has been the custom of
the feet commanders to pretend an
airship attack. but this makebelieve
was not convincing either to officers
or to men. In view of the unprece-
dented success of the Triad, it Is eX-
pected the flyer will play an i'm
portant part in the maneuvers.
Double Control Style.
The Triad is essentially a two-man
machine. Practically all the flights
have been made with a passenger.
and the control system is SO arranged
that It can be shifted in a moment
without danger. With the machine
In flight, If the pilot should be killed
OF become hurt, his assistant could
assume complete control merely by
pulling the steering wheel and the
control levers to his side of the ma
chine.
The mimic naval battle to be held
off the Virginia Capes in September
will be the most spectacular ever
planned. Submarines, torpedo boats,
destroYers, and aeroplanes, will make
a combined attack, upon the fleet of
twenty-one great battleships. Con-
trary to all previous maneuvers of
the kind, the battleships will use ac-
tual shot and shell, and will not be
confined to the use of blanks. The
use of real shot is expected to give
the proper element of danger to keep
the Jackies on the jump.
The battleships will not direct any
ten-inch projectiles at Lieutenant
Ellyson, or the torpedo boats either
ee that matter. but their accuracy Of
fire will be severely tested, in firing
upon and hitting kites towed by the
eeroplanes, and floating targets tow
ed by the torpedo boat destroyers and
representing other .destroyers.
The maneuvers will be the first In
which the fleet has ever fired at live
targets. Great care will be exercised in
avoiding accidents, but the maneuvers
Will have plenty of spice. They will
afford a great deal of satisfaction to
either one of the two factions in the
navy that are divided over the aero
plane and smaller craft. There is
division of opinion as to effectiveness
OF both, and until the present maneu-
vers were devised none had been held
that could be accepted as proving the
effectiveness of smaller craft or of air
craft. One division of the navy strong
ly advocates more torpedoboats and
small craft and aeroplanes, while the
other maintains they will be power
less against a great fleet
Those supporting the small vessels of
the torpedo type are firm in the belief
that our great battleship feet will limp
back to Hampton Roads theoretically in
q worse condition than some of our eX-