The sun., 1919-04-22
THREE NAVAL AEROS
MAY CROSS ATLANTIC
Mechanics at Rockaway Sta
ton Hurrying New Craft
to Completion.
NC-2 WILL STAY AT HOME
Wings to Be Transferred to
NC-1, Wrecked Recently
by Hitting Pier.

anu w. inc only one or the four
great navy flying boats at the Rocka-
way Naval Station which ia now in
commission, probably by a strange
chance will be the only one which will
not start in the proposed flight across the
Atlantic. The time OF the flight is still
uncertain. but It will be undertaken
not long after May 1.
or the four big ships each driven by
four 400 horsepower Liberty engines,
Two, the NC-s and NC-4. never yet have
taken to either OF their two elements,
air or water, but the NC-3 Is practi-
caliy completed. and may slide down
the runways into the water to-day. The
NC-4 Is still unfinished, but mechanics
are very busy getting her into shape.
while the NC-2 has been soaring over
Long Island these last few weeks, at.
tracting much attention to herself and
arousfng much enthusiast over her
chances OF jumping the grea, transatlan-
tic gap in one hop, the NC-1 has been
resting In the darkest and most obscure
corner OF the NC hangar. It was be-
heved generally that this ship, the air
plane which established the reputation of
the type by making a flight with nfty-
one men aboard, had seen its best days
and was destined for the naval junk pile
however. II now appears that Com
nander II. c. Richardson and the other
pilots who will embark on the venture
believe that she IL better for tho trans
atlantic flight than her newer sister, the
NC-2. In her cbscurity she has been
fitted with an additional engine. for orig
lnaliy she few with only three. 1t may
be that she will show herself the best Of
the quartet In the air.
New ship Lifts .s,oOo Pounds.
the navy officers found, 1t Is said. THAT
she could be improved. although she
showed great ability in carrying weights,
having risen from the water with a gross
load OF 2s.5o0 pounds. Two defects were
noticeable. The four motors are ar
ranged in two units, one on either side
OF the airplane. In each OF these units
there is one tractor, or pulling propeller,
revolving in front Of the wings, and one
pusher. directly behind the wings Thus
the two pushers are really starved" OF
air. because they are directly in the air
current Of the forward motor Under
these conditions II is believed that the
1900 horse power OF her four engines is
not utilized to the best advantage
The other defect Is the fact that the
two pilots. BE navigator and possibly a
radio man are perched above the hull
OF the ship in little boatlike arrange
ment. or nacelle, swung between the
wings The resistance offered by this
nacele 10 the swift passage OF the air
plane is considerable, the speed is d.
minIshed and the amount OF gasolene
used increased. In addition it is ex-
ceedingly difficult and also hazs rdous TO
climb down by a rude ladder from the
nacelie into the huh Of the boat In the
roomy hull the pilot not on dutv is
| supposed to rest, protected from the cold
and wind which the man on duty is
facing. When he relieves the other,
| however. he nut climb up the ladder
into the nacelle with a wind OF ninety or
hundred miles an hour trying its ut
most TO blow him OF the plane.
Others Are More Powerful.
In the other arplanes of the type there
is no pilots racelle. All controls are
operated from the forward part of the
null. The engines are arranged in three
units. The one in the centre above the
hun and between the wings, consists Of
two Liberty engines, one operating a
tractor propeller and the other a pusher.
On either side of this, also between the
wings. Is single tractor propeller. Thus
the propellers Are so arranged that they
may exert the greatest power with the
least possible air resistance offered by
tho engines driving them. and with the
pilots and crew ali snugly housed in the
hull.
The superiority Of the NC-l 10 the
NC has been noted for some time hV
tn" naval officers directing the hight.
but although the motors % the NC-l
have been put into good condition. moth
Ing has been done toward repairing her
wings, one of which was wrecked when
the flying boat dragged her anchor dur
ing the great March storm and drfted
into a pier. II seems likely, therefore.
that a few days before the flight the
wings OF the nee will he shifted TO the
NC-1. With the exception of the ar
rangement OF engines. pilots nacelle,
| and few other minor details the two
ships" and indeed all the seaplanes
of the type. are alike. 1t therefore will
he a compa ratively easy matter to take
down the wings OF the NC-2 and repiume
the denuded hulk of tho original NC
boat Various types OF propellers are
being tried out, and at the present time
the pusher propellers OF the NC-2 are
| Of the four blade type, while the tractors
| are two bladed
Thirty-six mechanics and members
+AA-At4@a4H- riss<jS SSzisss~.
| packed up their dunnage at the sta
| tion yesterday Afternoon to go to the
| r u,ba 1,