The Washington times., 1917-05-05
FLYING BOATS TO
KILL SUBMARINES


BUFFALO, April 2S.-Charles NJ
Manly, consulting engineer OF the
Curtiss Aeroplane company, ventured
a prediction in his address on avia-
tion before the Engineering Society
Of Buffalo. The answer to the sub
marine, he said, is the flying boat,
the invention of Glenn H. Curtiss. He
told the $50 men gathered in the din
ing hall OF the Hotel Statler that he
expects the war to last at least two
years longer.
Meanwhile" he said, "the immedi-
ate future will see some very impor-
tant developments in flying boats.
The answer to the submarine will be
the flying boat large enough to car
ry a gun of sufficient caliber to sink
a submarine by firing at 1t when the
latter is submerged or when nothing
but its periscope is showing. Such
flying boat might also readily be
equipped with torpedoes and tubes
for launching them so that it could
fight the submarine with its own
weapons or it could be used against
commerce raiders.
SSTIdln L
largest flying machines will be made
Of the marine type, and machines
several times the size of any SO far
made will be seen in a very few
years"
Even Larger Than Whale.
How large these flying boats Of
the future may be was left to the
Imagination of the engineers as they
looked at the picture. Manly put on
the screen OF the Curtiss flying
whale now being tested by the United
States navy at the Florida station.
This flying whale has an upper wing
spread of more than ninety feet: is
driven by two 200-horsepower motors
and has a boat forty-six feet long,
weighing with fuel and pilot more
than $500 pounds.
Curtiss engineers and the other
aeronautical experts of the country
were certain to attain better results
even in land machines than the en-
gineers abroad, Manly confidently as
serted. He indicated some advances
in engine construction. The light, de-
pendable, powerful engine is the
biggest problem ahead. More interest
in aviation will aid in bringing the
day when Americas land machines
will be as durable, as speedy, and
with climbing qualities as rapid as
those of the best war machines now
used by the British and the French.
1t was Curtiss, aided by Manly, who
proved in 1914 that DIR. Samuel Lang
ley, whom the American public
laughed to death in ridicule, had
actually been the first to build a man.
carrying, self-propelled airship. Cur
tiss few the machine with the old
Manly engine over Lake Keuka in
1914. Manly was DR.. Langley's as
sistant from 1898 to 1904. He saw
mile over the Potomac river in May,
1896. The model weighed thirty
pounds, had its own steam engine and
boiler. This machine maintained sta
BILE flight until power died down and
then II settled so gently on the water
1t was returned to the starting ap-
paratus ready for other flights.
DIR. LanEIey's Misfortune.
In 1908. two wretched accidents on
the starting machine which bent the
wings OF the Langley aerodrome rob-
bed Langley of the honor since proved
his. the making OF the first successful
flying machine, embodying all the
fundamentals OF the aircraft of today.
The public laughed so long. so loudly
and decisively that Langley's support
was withdrawn, the army and the
navy with drew interest and Europe
improved the chance to become mas
ters OF the air and Langley died OF
broken heart.
Manley Interestingly traced the his
tory OF aviation from the suggestions
OF da Vinci in 1900 to Sir George
Cayley's statement OF principles in.
1909; the swallow flight horsepower
calculations of the French academy
in 1890: the Henson aeroplane in 1912:
to Boulton who invented the system