The Washington herald., 1913-01-26
|''FL LYING BOATS NEW DEPARTURE
IN AVIATION; VALUABLE IN WAR
United States Plans to Purchase Fleet of Special Type Hydopes
Are Useful Both for Offensive and Defensive Tactics

| The flying boat Is an entirely new and
highly picturesque development In avia-
tion. It seems to be specially adapted
not only for maritime warfare, but also
for coast defense purposes, and hence IL
! comes about that both the navy and
army are eagerly taking up this novel
American invention.
Already the army has got one. of a
type designed and constructed by Glenn
II. Curtiss, at Hammondsport. N. Y. The
navy has acquired a similar one. and Is
having another. of different model.
built at Marblehead. Mass. by the Bur
gess concern. It IN found that these
flying boats are far superior. particularly
for use in rough weather, to hydro
planes" which they are expected to su-
persede.
They are, as the name bestowed upon
them implies, veritable boats equipped
with aeroplane wings Able without DIFF
ficulty to rise from or land upon rea-
sonably smooth water. they are decked
over In such fashion that practically
all Of the machinery Is covered. BY
this means they are rendered sufficiently
seaworthy, and the resistance they op-
pose to the air IL reduced to a minimum.
As fast as may be practicable. all of
our large fighting ships are to be pro-
vided with them.
No Danger to Beginners.
In the meantime as many as are OBJ
tainable viii be put aboard some Of the
battleships and cruisers. for practice pur-
poses. in order that officers and men may
become accustomed to handling them.
Learning to fly under such conditions
will be comparatively easy, fnasmuch as
those who are upset will fan into the
water. from which they can be promptly
rescued. The ship, provided with flying
boats. will serve as a flying hangar"
surrounded by an ideal aerodromeI- e.,
the ocean-for practice work.
All that was needed to make the fy-
ing boat thoroughly practical for naval
employment was a suitable apparatus for
launching IL from the deck of a ship.
II had been proved that an aeroplane
could leave a ship by its own power,
running along a platform to gain the
requisite headway: but a platform long
enough for the purpose was an incum-
brance. Fortunately. the requirement
has been met by the invention of
compressed-air ''catapult," which does
the work admirably. This catapult. of
simple construction, Is so compact an
affair that II can be set up on the top
OF q turret, entirely out of the way.
The device In question was invented by
Capt W. Irving Chambers. U. S. N,
who is in charge Of the naval aviation
work II solves the problem Of getting
the flying boat safely and quickly away
from the ship over the shortest possible
track. Inasmuch as II can be turned
In any direction, the winged craft can
be shot In the teeth Of the wind, which. |
Of course, Is the proper way to start It.
When not wanted for use, the catapuit
can be taken down and packed In a box
eight feet cube.
Useful In War.
All OF our fighting ships have air COM
pressors for use in connection with tor
pedocs. When preparing the cataput for
use, air Is pumped to the requisite pres
sure into a tank on deck. The tank is
connected with a cylinder. in which
works Q piston-rod, the latter attached
by a wire rope to a small wooden car.
The car stands on a little track. and
upon Il rests the flying boat At the
proper moment the car and boat are vio-
lently driven from the track and over
board The car drops into the water. to
be presently hauled aboard by a rope,
and the boat flies away.
Experiments have shown that the con-
trivance works admirably. In fact.