The sun., 1918-07-21

obtain information from the sea which
would help him to hold his course in the
air and at the same time higher speed
could be attained for a given cxpendi-
ture of fuel because Of the greater den
sity of the lower atmosphere and the more
efficient working of both the engine and
the propellers.
To Get Information From Sea.
To guide the aviator Admiral Fiske
would tow by means Of a small steel wire
a torpedo shaped body about foot long
which would act as ships log in MEAS
uring the distance travelled. This log
would trail behind the aircraft at dis
tanee of about 1000 feet and could be
hauled in and up from time to time for
reading. Its primary purpose, however,
would be that of corrective medium so
far as the airplane's course was concerned.
If the airplane were navigating through
a calm belt or if the wind were blowing
from dead ahead or from directly astern
the water borne log would tow straight
behind the flying machine and the con-
Meeting wire would be coineident
with the fore and aft centre line of the
airplane Should the wind blow across
the desired path Of flight, then the air
craft would be swept sidewise. The meas
ure Of its departure from its course would
be instantly indicated by the angular posi-
ton of the wire leading to the log. The
log being gripped by the water and not
affected by the wind would continually
lag off on one side and that side would
be the one from which the wind was
blowing. The wire would be attached TO
suitable lever or yoke, which would
move a hand in the cockpit of the air
plane and instantly the pilot would be
warned to change his course.
This aid to transatlantic flight would
be equally effective day or night, and
foggy or misty weather would not impair
its operation. The pilot would not have
to see the log as it towed astern.
U. S. Navy Building a Giant.
As to a choice of flying machines for
oversee flight it is the opinion of n
number Of disinterested experts that the
seaplane rather than the craft with land
ing wheels should be chosen, particularly
to blaze the way and to prove the practi-
cability of an aerial transatlantic passage.
1t is no secret that the United States Navy
is building o type of giant seaplane
which will be able to stand up under very
trying weather conditions and float upon a
fairly heavy seaway.
In approaching the Azores ii seems de-
sirable to utilize for demonstration q
machine that could settle upon the water
and have a large area to choose from in
aGghting. As one student of the subject
expressed it: Landing upon any of the
Azores would be pretty much like trying
to alight on thickly studded pincushion."
1t has been argued by some critics that
one serious factor against success in trans
atlantic flight wo-id be the uncertainty Of
the weather, the implication being that
the aviator could not foretell the meteor
illogical conditions with which he might
have to battle on getting away from our
shores. The circumstances are by no
means as hampering as this objection
might lead one to believe.
To begin with, the longest leg of the
journey, assuming that the passage be
made via the Azores, would not require at
the outside probably more than fifteen
bours. Thanks to the Weather Bureau,
We know substantially twenty -four hours
in advance what to expect here, and this
bears directly upon conditions at sea, be-
cause the general storm movement is from
vest to east. Therefore, if transatlan-
nc flier should leave this coast with half
\ days fair weather seward of him he
would have only limited chance of over
aking preceding stormy period.
But this need not deter him, because,
With wireless telegraphy and the Atlantic
traversed by ships, it is now
oyaptipo h1a fo nht oiy n