The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-15

York to Ireland. We must cover approXi-
mately 5000 miles without renewal of fue
| or other supplies. Estimating our speed
at 100 miles per hour and figuring on the
most economical and efficient motor ye
built for this work, we would need tC
carry about 5000 pounds of gasoline, two
pilots Weighing 300 pounds a 20-horse
power auxiliary motor, water propeller
and shaft 100 pounds provisions 1Ot
pounds, weight of machine completely
equipped with a 150-horsepower motor 37Od
! pounds; total weight ready to fly, 52O'
pounds.
This would require in a machine of the
following surface biplane type a total OF
1l20 square feet of lifting surface. Fig
uring a lift of five pounds per square
foot. this would enable us to carry a
total load of $500 pounds, q leeway of 400
pounds. To get this surface we must
have two top planes 40 feet long by Z
feet wide and two bottom planes 50 feet
long by Z feet wide, set at an angle of
about six degrees.
The great problem at the present time
on these long cross Atlantic trips is the
tremendous amount of fuel which must
be carried, in this case the weight of fuel
alone nearly doubling that of the aero
plane itself. We may next consider the
shortest cross Atlantic route made with
out stops which is from st. Johns, NeW-
statute miles. or 1854 nautical miles.
For this trip we would need 1000 pounds
of fuel two pilots 300 pounds, extra mo-
tor, propeller and shaft 100 pounds, pro-
visions 70 pounds machine equipped with
150-horsepower motor 1900 pounds; total
weight 1915 pounds.
Surface Requirements
This would require, in a machine of the
following surface biplane type, top planes
20 feet long by feet wide, bottom planes
20 feet long by feet wide, total lifting
surface $50 square feet which, figuring
on lift of five pounds per square foot,
would enable us to carry a load of 1850
pounds. leeway of 275 pounds. This is
a more practical machine than the first
mentioned. We will next consider what is
to my mind the most feasible and prac-
teal route of all at the present time
from Newfoundland banks to Lisbon.
Portugal. This route would take us a
total distance of 1908 miles. There would
be four and, il necessary, five or six
landing places where we could repenish
fuel and supplies. This route would run
from Newfoundland to Flemish Cap, 42o
miles; to azores. $40 miles, across the
Azores. 36G miles: to Lisbon, Portugal. |.
$50 miles. Thus our longest water gan
would be $50 miles. This would require
$50 pounds of fuel, or less; two pilots, 900
pounds extra marine motor, shaft and
propeller 100 pounds; provisions. %
pounds; weight of machine equipped with
l00-horsepower motor, 1900 pounds: total
weight 2505 pounds
This would require, in machine of the
following surface biplane type, two top
planes 30 feet long by feet wide and
two bottom planes 20 feet long by feet
wide. giving total of 600 square feet Of
lifting surface. This. at five pounds ner
square foot. would enable us to carry a
load of 5000 pounds. leeway of about
500 pounds.
There would be nothing experimental in
this type of machine at the present mo-
ment. We have already built practical
and successful machines of larger size
and greater lift. 1t would only take us a
little less than nine hours under favor
able conditions to span the longest water
gap of $50 miles, and when we consider
that the endurance record now stands at
over IA hours of continuous flying. cover
ing in that time a distance Of over 1900
miles without stop, and that the pilot
then came down because he had exhaust
ed his supply of fuel, although machine
and motor were in perfect condition we
must admit that there Is nothing impos-
sible or improbable connected with this
trip.