The Seward gateway daily edition, and the Alaska weekly post., 1919-07-08
FLYING SHIPS !. EVOLUTION OF ::
 THE SEAPLANE


 ships instead of flying boats will Eo the logical evolution of navy sea planes, navy experts believe as a re- suit of the first air trip across the Al lantic. First impressions of the les sons taught by that trip had already taken definite shape in the minds pi the men who conceived and created the \ C machines before Lieutenant Com mandcr A. (. Read had manOeuverHd the \ C-4 to safe mooring at Ply mouth England.
 Strangely enNgh' 1t was to the HN' pcricncc of the \ ( T. lost off the Azores. and the N C -&, battered out of usefulness by heavy seas before she made port at Porta Dclgada' that the inventive genius of the dcpartmen. turned for inspiration; not to the \ ( | that battlcd her way triumphant.y through the historic journey.
 A far as they have yet gone an' lacking detailed reports and comment from the seventeen men who set ou. from Rockaway on the great adver' turc. the experts apparently hay reached certain definite preliminar. conclusions to guide them in futur Scaplane designing. They are convinc- ed that to play its full part in navai strategy. the Seaplane must become a' independent unit as modern sub marine or destroyer. IL must be able Co keep the seas in heavy weather riding it out on the surface. It must be able to lift itself into air or to plane down to safe landing even when tall seas are running and it must pro vide for it's crew safety shelter amt reasonable comfort under very ad- verse circumstances for the efficicncY of the plane depends upon the effic- icncy ef its men.
 Also. to fulfill it's function as scout this plane of the future must be able to communicate at all times by radio. When the Y C 8 was forced down west of the Azores with Commando" John H, Towers, flight commando aboard. she became dumb. As scout ing unit her value to a fleet was lost from that moment whatever her com mander might have learned of vital importance to the fleet commando could not have been transmitted.
 The answer to all of these require ments in the minds of the expert : spells larger craft; veritable flying ships. The vision toward which the de- SignerS are looking is that of floti!la' of SeaplaneS. relying wholly upon their own power for transportation on the surface or in the air and operat- ing from swift mother ships" as sub marines and deStroyerS now operate.
 These conclusions will be written into new designs gradually AS battle ships have developed from 11.000 ton predrcadnaughtS to the 43'000-ton monsters for which the Navy is now contracting. so naval officers say sea plane evolution will come type by type and year by year, each advance being based on results obtained with preced- ing types. This is the program laid out by the Navy Department as the basis for the request recently made to Con gresS by Secretary Daniels for S45'- 100000 for aviation development in the next fiscal year.
 Part of this appropriation, if grant cd, will go into lighter-than-air deve!' opment. The General Board is expecU' ed to recommend immediate purchase of British rigid dirigible for person ! nel training and the construction of similar vessel on American designs as pilot ship of a fleet of air cruisers. The purchase of the British "Zeppe' lin" would permit the training of a crew to handle the first American craft when completed.
 The Navy Department is said to be readw to proceed with Zeppelin con Stuction on its own plans wheneves Congress grants authority and appro- n,;ot;onc Tho Sh;n. ;t ;c understood