The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-03
AMERICA SCARS WITH
.2,1O7 POUNDS BURDEN
Curtiss Defics Gravity by Lift
ing Total Weight Of 5000
Pounds Into Air.
NEW BOTTOM TO BE PUT on
Red Thunder Bug Proves She
Can Carry Fuel Needed
for Atlantic Trip.

HAMMoNDspoer. ~ r. July Glenn
IT, Curtiss made four flights In tho
America this afternoon and believes he
has solved the difficulty that Lieut.. Porte
experienced In getting her Off the water.
Tho flights were made with 2.1o7 pounds
OF useful load more than she has ever
carried before and moro than will be
needed In the fiight across the Atlantic
The America is going to have a new
bottom with water planning FMS extending
out from each side. II will DO built over
the present bottom and Mr.. Curtiss does
not anticipate any difficulty In getting a
load on the water after tho change. Me-
chanics will work all night on the new
bottom and tho America should be ready
for another flight tomorrow.
Fighting with Gravity.
THE SUN representative was :. guest Of
Mr.. Curtiss on the flights to-day. lie
stood behAnd the pilots seat when Mr.
Curtiss was fighting with gravity and inon
by inch bringing the giant red thunder
bug TO the lakes surface. IL Is quite a
trick to get 5000 pounds, the weight of
the boat with ITS load out of the water.
The America draws two feet when she Is
blowing through the lake AS O. motorboat
and but two inches when she Is water
planning.
Mr.. Curtiss warped her to the surface
by throwing his horizontal rudder up and
down. heading her into the air, then
ducking her nose down into the spray.
taking advantage OF every inch on the
upward bound.
The pontoons that Mr.. Curtiss built for
Dr. Langleys old aerodromc were de-
tached from the old machine to-day and
bolted to the Wanamaker hicr under the
wings ~ added FLAMING
faces.
Now have given her more than
enough planning surface to lift the re-
quired load" Curtiss said. Each If these
pontoons will lift 500 pounds. We began
with less planning surface than was re-
quired and added more. Now | am go
ing TO start at the other extreme, with
more surface than necessary and work
down to the right amount These Lang
ley pontoons were merely put OIL for
testing purposes and we will take them
of tonight. The new bottom will be
" shaped. with fms slightly conceived
OIL the lower side. expect to have the
new bottom in place by tomorrow after
noon and We will load her up for another
flight"
Behaves Better Than Ever.
The America behaved better to-day than
ever before. There was hardly breeze
and the lake was slightly rippled. Mr..
Curtiss does not expect TO get her off
the water with full load without a head
wind to work against. This does not
mean. though. that IA head wind will be
| required at the Azores, or II she is forced
to alight In midocean. The only time
she will have a full load will be at the
start of the flight In st. Johns Harbor.
The America did sixty miles an hour
to-day with her engines throttled down
The flights were a mile in length and
about twenty feet above the water
Mr.. Curtiss is worn out with the night
and day work and worry over the Amer.
| lea. He Is sleeping tonight on the hill
side in an attempt to get away from
| telephone calls and visitors
Word was received here to-day tina,
Lieut.. Porte, who is in New York. had
cancelled his passage from New York
to Newfoundland tomorrow and had
engaged accommodations on the Red
\ Cross Line steamer July ~