The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-01
AMERICA CARRIES
OYEROCEAN LOAD
Big Wanamaker Seaplane Rises
OFF Water With 1910
Pounds Aboard.
"ENOUGH," SAYS CURTISS
Porte Leaves Tonight for New
fOundland-Actual Flight
About July 20.

HAMMoNDsPoRT. v. Y, June 3O.--The
America got OFT the water tonight with
1870 pounds OF useful load. Mr.. Curtiss
and Lieut.. Porte are satisfied that she will
carry sufficient load for the longest leg of
the transatlantic flight. Newfoundland to
the Azores.
Lieut.. Porte will leave here tomorrow
night and will sail Friday on the Red
Cross Line steamer for Newfoundland.
The America will be overhauled at tho
Curtiss factory and shipped from New
York on July IL. Tho actual flight will
be started about July 20.
The trials to-day were satisfactory. al
though no attempt WAS made at any time
to make an actual flight. The only trouble
with the America has been In getting her
to plane along the surface of the water.
She did that tonight after several changes
had been made In the hydroplane boards.
The last trial was made at o'clock
tonight by the aid OF little light from a
half moon. She carried no lights and
could not be seen thirty feet from shore.
Nothing but the incessant purr told those
on shore that she was swimming the sur
face OF Lake Keuka at sixty miles an
hour.
I'VE can get of the water now with
enough fuel and accessories for twenty
hour flight" Mr.. Curtiss said tonight.
That is what We have been aiming
for. I won't say that she is doing now
all We want her to do. She viii do
more before wo are through with her.
but future changes will merely be taking
her back to the factory and perfecting
what we have already put on. The trials
tonight were very satisfactory"
The total weight OF the America az
she planed tho water tonight was 1880
pounds. Her useful loads was 1.s40
pounds. For twenty hour flight she
needs 1,152 pounds OF gasolene and a
total useful load of 1921 pounds.
But Lieut.. Porte wants to carry more
gasolene than is absolutely necessary for
twenty hours. although he will not take
the full 3l2 gallons that the Americas
tanks will hold.
The bottom OF the America is patch
work now where different water plane
surfaces have been attached and re-
moved. The surfaces that have been
found most efficient are wide fms at the
bottom OF the hull under the cockpit.
These will he rebuilt, smoothed down and
slightly widened. which should give even
greater life.
New steel covered propellers designed
especially for the America will be tried
out by Lieut.. Porte tomorrow These are
expected to give greater efficierty. Then
the testing will be over until the machine
reaches Newfoundland.
AIR Curtiss said tonight that II proba-
bly, would be necessary to start thu Amer
lea against wind to get her off the
water. But no difficulty on that score is
anticipated In Newfoundland.
The trial tonight was the third test of
the America to-day. In the second trial
about s o'clock tonight she planned along
the water surface all right. but she
jumped and Owed like a porpolse The
removal OF the centre hydroplane section
obviated that difficulty.
William T. Doherty and Francis s.
Wildman tested Lieut.. Portes aneroid to-
night by ascending 1900 feet in a Curtiss
flying boat. This is considerably higher
than the record for flying boats. although
the flight was unofficial.