The Washington times., 1914-07-09
PONTOONS TWICE THE
SIZE OF LANGLEY'S
Porte Says Curtiss' Fins Made
Craft lump Out of the Water
Too Quickly.
sy LIEUT.. JOHN CYRIL PORTE, R. N.

By LIEUT.. JOHN CYRIL PORTE. R. N.
Pontoons nearly twice the size Of the
Sengley launching floats are being built
epr the America. We hope these will
get her out of the water easily under a
full load, and at the same time she will
remain entirely seaworthy.
The experiments with hydroplaning
boards and submerged fins were aban-
doned after certain definite and prob
ably valuable results. Mr.. Curtiss' sub
merged fins developed an astonishing
lifting power. They made the America,
with total weight Of about 4,5O0 pounds.
fairly jump out of the water-jump out
so quickly in fact that speed could not
be developed in time to shift the burden
to the wings before she would drop
back into the water.
Mr.. Curtiss believes that he has found
the correct principle, but 1t might take
weeks of further experimenting to ad-
just the planes or blades to the exact
angles and proportions. Then again the
adjustment which might be perfect for
the full load might not serve the pur-
pose when the gasolene tanks become
empty.
Use Langley's Pontoons.
So the old Langley launching pom
toons were brought out again and at
tached under the lower wings. This
time they were put close up to the hull
instead of out under the wing struts,
where last week they lifted 2,1U7 pounds
of useful load into the air for a salts
factory flight
They were not put back in the same
position because they could not stand
there the battering from a rough sea
Close to the hull they did not have the
same lifting power apparently. The
water from the bow poured back over
the pontoons. We plowed around for
a while, but succeeded only in kicking
up = big sea and learning that the de-
sign of the pontoons must be modi-
fed
The two floats being built now Will
be twice as deep as the Langley pom
toons. the object being to give more
fiotation to the hull in order to keep
the America from sinking deep into
the water. For todays experiment they
will be of lumber roughly constructed
W NEen we nave SlTuCk In6 correct design
they will be built of the light three-ply
board stoutly ribbed and coated with
canvas like the rest OF the hull.
am sorry the blades and fins did
not come up to expectations, for their
success would have crowned a fort
nights hard experimentation with
distinct achievement in hydro-aeronau-
tics. There is little doubt that Mr.
Curtiss will be able to develop the SUBJ
merged fins in time, but, unfortunately,
we lack the time just now.
Moonlight Is Important.
The American simply must be fin
ished in time to ship from New York
on the 18th II we are to be in st. Johns
in time for the August moon. How i'm
portant the moonlight is on the trans
Atlantic attempt was demonstrated last
evening when Capt. Creach Osborne
tried out the drift measuring instru-
ment over Lake Keuka-
He was taken up by Lieut.. John H.
Towers, U. s. N, by courtesy of the
United States Navy Department, which
telegraphed special permission from
Washington for the trial of the instru-
ment in a new Curtiss flying boat for
the American navy.
In the poor light of the early evening
II was impossible to observe any RIP
had become almost CLASSY. On a bright
moonlight night Capt Creagh Osborne
said he believed the motion of the
waves at sea would be easily distin-
guishable through the telescope Of the
instrument.
Thinks Measurement Solved.
The drift instrument was designed by
Elmer Sperry, the inventor of the
gyroscope- If it works out in practical
navigation as well as Capt. Creagh Os
borne believes It will, the serious prob
lem Of drift measurement seems to have
been soIved-and that has been the
obstacle to transoceanic aviation which
has been held till now to be insur-
mountable
While conditions over the water
were unfavorable to a fair trial. Capt
Creagh Osborne took measurements
by the instrument from trees he could
observe along the lake shore. and to
his satisfaction he found that he had
measured exactly the speed at which
the new navy boat was flyinR-sixty-
FIVE miles an hour. Further tests will
be made by Captain CrcaCh Osborne
and Lieutenant Towers when condi-
tions on the lake more nearly ap-
proximate those at sea.
7 have abandoned the idea Of going
Ut to ST. Johns a week ahead Of the
America and shall wait here for the
completion of the ponIoons. After all
is said. these delays are only what
We should have expected. September
was the original starting time, and we
have been trying to save two months
against a possible competitors at
tempt II all now goes well we shall
be away with the August moon, and