Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-29
FLYING SHIPS IN FUTURE
BELIEF OF NAVY EXPERTS
Lessons Taught by Flyers Who
Crossed Atlantic Prove Valuable
to Naval Men.
PLANES MUST STAND STORMS
Aircraft Must 30 Able to COM
municatc at All Times by Radio in
Order to Be Useful for Scout
Work.
TBv Annotated PremJ

navy experts pelleHe, as result of
the first air trip across the Atlantic.
Frs, Impressions O, the lessons taught
by that trip had already taken definite
shape IN the minds OF the men who
cSSnceived and created the NC ma
chines before Lieutenant-C Commander
a. G. Reed had maneuvered the NC-4
TO safe moorinS at Plymouth. Eng
perience OF the NC.l. lost or on the
Azores, and the. NC-3. battered out OF
made port at Poria Dclgada. that the
inventive genius o! the department
, ,b51 d, fer nsRiraton; not 70 Inc Nc;4
through the historic journey.
Lnck Reports From All.
AS far as they have yet gone. and
from The seventeen men who set OUT
from Rockaway on the great ad-
seaplane designing They are con- on
naval strategy. the seaplane must be-.
come az independent a unit as a
mSa be abe to Keen Or the y
weather, riding IL out on the surface
J., must be able to lii itself Into air air
even when tall seas are running. and
must provide for its crew safety.
e eety ADVERSE circumstances. for the
e .h OF the plane depends upon
the tIuclenCy OF It's
this plane Of The future must as be sc sbls
70 iS, communicate at all times by radio,
Of the Azores with Commande. John
sho lovers. fight commander aboard.
h hne PECAN became dumb: As scouting unit
moment Whatever her com NM mo-
fo ;hs f nes sapned Of vital imoortance
been transmitted ave
~ The answer TO all OF these require
slips The vision toward Ssrt'a SsieS hy,R Ing
i as 81 ssa nTs Locking Is tha, 81 not
on the surface or in the air 'at ao9
sabmar 'rS@ s AND ds m1,her ships
operate. no"
Plane" VIII BE of New Type.
III, rnese conclusions will be written
shto new s, Designs Gradually AS battle
Ton pre- -dreadnoughts TO the 5000 ton
munster MINISTERS for which the navy is ~.
contracting. so naval officers say, sea-
type and year by year. each advance
neins based on results obtained with
ip atd om, types This Is the program
the basis for the request recently made
70 Congress by Secretary Daniels for
the next fiscal year.
part OF this appropriation. II granted.
men, The ln.o ren shieF hnard develop
to recommend immediate purchase Of a
British rigid dirig!ble for personnel
tanning and the construction OF
pilot, ship Of feet of air cruisers. The
purchase of the British .:ZeppeIin"
would permit the training of a crew
10 handle the first American craft when
The Navy Department is said TO be
ready TO proceed with Zeppelin con-
Congress grants authority and appro-
priations. The ship. II is understood.
would not be patterned exactly on the
British notifications OF German Zep-
pelin construction. The discovery OF
noncombus,ible helium gas TO Initiate
the bags is said to have pointed the
Details OF what is contemplated. how
ever have not been disclosed.
Efficient Power In Large Item.
Naval experts point out that in both
seaplane and dirigible development
one of the most important elements to
be considered is that of getting eff
cient power. The Liberty motors have
proved highly satisfactory SO far as
night. but no means have yet been
evolved TO get fun benefit of their
power The problem is the same as
that encountered with steam turbines
In surface craft. The efficient engine
speed or any gasoline motor now known
Is too high for efficient propeller speed
the propellers revolve so rapidly that
the length and pitch of the blades
cannot be set SO as to obtain all OF the
lifting power the engine could furnish
The navy has 1e.l working for
months with reduction gear sys-
TN In to g" oa'weon the els:n, ana
permitted destroyers TO use turbine
engines, but It has found a difficult
TASK TO design lightweight reduc-
tion gear for seaplanes or other air
Il, Should ha Tod
out, the NC seaplanes could be made
much more efficient and their cruis-
ing radius be greatly increased
As to the seakeepinS qualities OF the
NC planes. the experience OF the NC-l
and NC-3 indicate to experts that
some way must be found TO get the
This would save thcm from batterins
into the sea when riding the surface
monoplane type flying boat is being
experimental with which may develop
enough to warrant search in that
direction.
Motors Were to De Tested In C-5.
New gasoline motors for lighter
than-air craft have been worked out.
I and received their first :est on tho
nigh: az the c.lr.gible C-5 tom Mon
tauk Point. Long Island, to ST. Johns.
Newfoundland. So we'll did they func-
ton that c,s:sion had ben made 10
with ;hs ca before the ship was
blown to sea and wrecked. Another
attempt to cross the Atlantic will be
made as soon as similar engines can
be installed in another aircraft Of
the &c" type.
Extensive tests with dr:gibles driven
by the motors previously employed,
for this service, are said to have de-
monstrated that the big gasbags could
not carry enough fuel to insure safe
passage across the Atlantic. a Pacific
Coast concern then turned out the
engines. which went into the C-5 after
they had been tested at the navy-yard
gear in a 275-hour continuous run.
which gave remarkable results in fuel
economy. Details OF engine construc-
ton and performance have not been
disclosed. but 1t is understood that on
the twenty-siN-hour continuous flight
OF the C-5 from Montauk Point to
ST. Johns. the motors did better than
was expected.
Special Parliament Session.
STOCKHOLM. June 2S-A special
session Of Parliament will he sum