The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-29
HYDRO-AEROPLANE
 OPENS NEW FIELD
 TO BOLD BIRDMEN
Interesting Facts of Strange Type of Craft Which Promises Sensational Exhibition at Sea Breeze Be-
 ginning Tomorrow.

Craft Which Promises Sensational
 Exhibition at Sea Breeze Be-
 ginning Tomorrow.
 The forthcoming hydro-aeroplane ex- hibition at Sea Breeze Island centers interest upon this particular type of aerial craft. It is not generally known that but for the breaking of dam, near Dayton, Ohio, the first l power driven man carrying aerOplane 1 would probably have arisen from wa ter instead of from land, writes Hen- ! of Aircraft" The Wrights were pre- pairing to carry out their experiments afloat and one day launched their l apparatus on the river, The following night it's dam gave way-and the de- velopment of the hydro-aeroplane was Wrights persisted with their water work, and success resulted, the sub- seuuent course of the progress of aviation would undoubtedly have been changed; fewer lives would have been sacrificed, the writer believes, been much further advanced than in reality it is. MT. Wise Wood speaks with authority, He is vice president of the Aero Club of America.
 Since Curtiss put water flying up- on a practical basis enough has trans
  somewhat correct estimate of the pos- abilities of the marine aeroplane. In doing this the following summary of it's achievements will be of assistance; Curtiss arose from the water, alight- ed beside battleship, and was suc- cessfully hoisted aboard. Being put overside he promptly got into the air again, and returned to his starting point. With wheels attached he went under power from his shed into the water, and from the water into. the air: alighting on the water he return ed over the beach to his shed. Recent ly, without the aid of wheels. Cur tiss successfully. launched his machine from a three-cable runaway, rigged as if from the foremast to the bow of ship, and proved that a practical de- vice is at hand by means of which the hydro-aeroplane may be instant ly put to work by the Navy.
 It's great speed afloat is remark able characteristic of the marine aero- plane With his standard hydro horse power engine, and a 125 pound l boat, Curtiss has made fifty-six miles an hour on the water, and from sixty 1 to sixty-five in still air. At fifteen ! miles his boat mounts the surface, and at forty-five it answers the ele- machine, without wheels is 900 | pounds: it's engine makes 1,200 r. p. 1 m, and delivers thrust of from 45O 1 to 800 pounds. It is fitted with a starting crank. which may be worked from the 'sdeck'' of the machine, and has a .tshift'' control, which may be used by either of two persons seated side by side.
 l In considering the prospective evolu- l ton of the marine aeroplane it must not be overlooked that there are two schools of constructors already in the q AI4 ,;rrSv, 44r~ .E single -hulled type, is convinced that | he has chosen the line of develop l.ment which is destined to survive; l while others. Fabre, the Wrights. l Starling Burgess, Veisin . and Roe seem par1isans of the double-hulled | wing spread, can perhaps afford a narrower floating base than the wid- 1 CT Wright, Fabre Or Veisin machines, l with the resulting advantages of 1 single float. a few of which are sim plicity, lightness and maneuvering | facility.
 l A careful study of both types has led the writer to prefer that of the single hull, and to agree with Cur tiss in his belief that the normal de- yelopment of the marine aerOplane | will be along the lines of the boat, second step upon this path has, in ! fact, already been taken by Curtiss | who has wisely inverted his previous conception of the hydro-aeroplane To him it no longer is to be float ing aeroplane but flying boat. He is thinking from the water up, rather than from the air down. To this end he has already constructed a rather I comfortable -scow-like hull, in which sit pilot and passenger; while, from a position astern of them rises the wing bearing structure, and in this, well all iS
 From this to a longer and more
 roomy hull, in which is housed the power plant, with it's communicating
 chains or shafts to screws set among
 tandem planes above. is but shor
 step; and, when this has been accom-
 plished, it is the opinion of, the writer
 a comfortable air-and-wate long-dis
 tance passenger carrying will be II } sight Indeed, so thoroughly, is sth' writer convinced of the ease, celerit. development of the aeroplane may b. prosecuted, if the work be conduct ed over water, that with every wisl
 to avoid the appearance of sensa : tional prophecy-which to him is ex
 tremely repugnant-he is prepared t
 say that out of this movement tn
 world may shortly expect tQ see aris heavier than air structures that will
 rival the Zeppelin in longitudinal al
 rnensons, and far surpass it in car rying capacity, speed, range or ac
 tion and economy of cost and opera
 tion.
 \ AS the surface of Lake Constan nc made the Zeppelin possible, so vii other favoring water surfaces facili
 tate the swift transformation of tn , marine aeroplane from single-per
 son or few passenger small-craft, to
 roomy and safe liner of power, equal
 Nv at ease upon sea or air. The ma 1 terials. mechanism and engineer1n
 skill for such an undertaking are al
 ready at hand-nothing is needed bu
 the will, the energy, the purse and tn
 technical knowledge of another ZeI
 pelin ...,
 Meanwhile, it is of stirring interes
 to know that the preliminary stel
 have been taken, and the develop
 ment of the first sea-and- air worth
 craft-though they be small-is pro
 ceeding with the utmost success ;. Whatever may be hoped for in large
 units. the small unit of the sport:
 man-swift, handy and safe-ls , a
 readv here: and with it there nc
 come over the rather grim aspect
 the sport of flying most weicon
 cheerfullness.
 A moistened newspaper resting (
 ldrver layers makes an excellent aus N dunp for either the contents or a ca net sweeper or a dustpan. Dust ar scurrying lint do hot escape when
 fr;k