The sun., 1919-03-30
Big NAVY NC TO TRY
SEA FLIGHT IN MAY
Flying Boat Will Depart From
Rockaway on First
Clear Day.
SHIPS TO WATCH ROUTE
Data on the Newfoundland
Weather Gathered to Assist
in Cross Ocean Trip.

The attempt Of the navy to ny across
tho Atlantic will be made on the first
clear day in May. according to Informal
ton received yesterday by the Manu-
facturers Aircraft Association. The
weather. however. must be moderately
fair at Rockaway, where the start will
DE made. and Newfoundland, the mid
point In the long trip.
Although officers in charge OF the
flight are 30 confident Of the ability of
the huge NC flying boat-the NC stand
Ing for Navy Curtiss-to make the trip
without a slip up-or down-mother
ships will be placed along the route from
Newfoundland to Ireland and destroyers
| will also steam about to safeguard the
hiers In the event of storms.
The navy will be the only representa-
tive OF the United States to make the
| attempt to fly over the Atlantic this
spring as far as IL known. The Royal
| Aero Club of Great Britain has an
nounced five British entries for the prize
Of $4,000 offered by the London Daily
Mott, and one OF these, Henry G.
| Hawker. is expected to land any day in
Newfoundland with his Sopwith biplane.
Three Types Tested.
There are at present three of the NC
flying boats at Rockaway and one the
NC l, Is in the air almost every day in
| various test flights. The engines of the
others are being worked upon and they
will shortly be in shape to attempt the
| trip. The NC l. which, like the others,
has wing spread OF 126 feet. is the
ship" which few several months ago
with fifty-one men aboard. She has
three Liberty engines, and although orig
inally built as cruiser and submarine
| fighter Is now In good condition to at
| tempt the record distance.
This ship recently rose from the water
under a gross load of $1,000 pounds, tive
tons more than was thought to be hei
| limit In weight carrying. This has leo
naval officers who are at work on the
various phases of the flight to assert the
ship" can fly from St Johns to the
Irish coast carrying all the fuel neces-
sary for the trip in her tanks.
The two legs of the journey to DO COW
cred are from Rockaway to Newfound
land. about 1900 nautical miles. and
| from Newfoundland to the Irish coast, n
distance of 1850 knots. It is admitted
| that the weather OF Newfoundland,
foggy and storm, is not the kind an avia-
| tor appreciates, but tho geographical po-
sition makes the place the most practf-
| cal. II not a pleasing spot to take on
! on the long flight.
Taking a chance ie a thing which both
aviators and navy men very frequently
do, but orders are orders, so the attempt
/ OF the navy Is not going to be hap
hazard affair. The navy has been or
dered to fly the Atlantic, and therefore
| M sol hrin To q
aid will be used. Besides the engineering
experts OF the navy and the Curtiss COM
pany the meteorologists of the weather
bureau have been called in. Information
| concerning weather conditions. and. more
particularly. wind direction and velocity
is being gathered In the north Atlantic.
United States naval vessels are sending
In daily reports OF weather encountered.
From this data charts on which the sue
cess OF the attempt will depend largely
are being made. Test balloons are also
being used along the route.
Wind Calculation Made.
Despite these careful calculations the
navy Is not placing any dependence on
favorable winds II has been reported
that, according to observations made by
the German navy in 1913 and 1914. a
wind OF fifty miles an hour or more Is
constantly blowing from west to east al
a height OF 10000 feet over the ocean
north of Newfoundland SO far the
American meteorologists have found that
the wind will probably be strongly to the
east only eight days in May, and then
during only a part OF the day. at height
OF 1000 feet. No observations at TO-.
600 feet have yet been made. The for.
mer figure Is the height at which the
navy ship will fly.
Five men will make up the crew o.
each ship. Whether two or three planes
will start at the Same time to make the
attempt Is not known, but the haste with
which the navy Is preparing all three OF
the ships In commission indicates that
there Is an intention to use more thar
one. Possibly the failure OF one OF the
ships as wirelessed from the north At,
lantic by conveying destroyer or mother
ship, will be the signal for the start OF
another OF the big flying boats from
Rockaway. In any event the navy has q
great advantage over the other contest