The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-05-10
Big Planes Now on Flight
Overseas First Designed
To Fight Germans At Sea

iously done, and with the consequent
possibility OF failure and expenditure
Of time and money that appeared war.
ranted at the time
|, was desired 10 hurry these planes
into service at the earliest possible
date as y means OF combating the
subularine menace. Hence. the prin-
oipal detailed Investigations were
made with view 10 the construction
OF the three-engine job, and for this
design the dimensions themselves were
finally reduced TO those actually used
III construction OF the NC-l type.
Carries Load OF 1900 Pounds
The overall length is siNty.ulne feet
The leLg,h Of the hull is forty. four
feet with ten.ioot beam. The lifting
surface Of the wings, including allef-
ons is 2,SB square feet. The original
load contemplated for the three en-
glnes was 1900 pounds. With four
engines now used, arranged as three
tractors and one pusher. load Of
more than 2s,OO pounds has been car.
ried
The NC.l made her first flight on
October 4 1913 On November 7 she
made successful air voyage from
Rockaway 10 Washington. Due 10 the
brcakage Of water connection. a
forced landing was made IN an eight
foot sea off Barnegat The water con
nection was repaired and the radiator
was filled with sal, water and the
flight continued TO Washington after
get away mada in org minute.
While making thi, repair and filling
the radiator requiring one hour. the
scaplane was at 10 time in danger oi
the svells, although two members Of
the crew became seasick and did not
recover until the seaplane took the air
again
There were nine passengers on this
journey and the plane carried a load
OF NOO pounds. The flying time was
five hour, and twenty minutes. equal
to train time, though III, distance was
much greater, as the run was made
via the mouth OF the Potomac river.
On November 8, with ten passengers.
the plane went to Hampton Roads in
two hours and thirty minutes from
Washington The mex, day the NC
boa, sailed from Hampton Road, 10
Rockaway in four hours and fifteen
minutes.
An attempted flight with forty.f five
passengers was entered on November
% The machine carried at this time
load Of 1880 pounds. We were
able to take the air, but with the pro-
pelers then fitted were unable to stay
a'ott Matters assumed a different as
pect the next day A flight was made
with fifty passengers in theory and
iity-one in fact,
Here comes the story OF the first
"Nowaway" on an airship. The stow
away represented the iif,y-irst person
on board When he had taken the air
the stowaway made his appearance
and we learned that he had come
aboard during the preliminary flight
and had hidden himself until the final
ip. IA .i- 5nn !,
He said he had been in service at
the air station for nearly two years
without having satisfied his adven-
turous soul with a jaunt to cloudland.
lie added that il would be almost a
disgrace" to go home and confess such
a shortcoming.
The flight on the date was made
with a load of 1900 pounds, but be-
cause one Of the wing tip wires showed
vibration in the preliminary flight no
effort was made for a sustained stay
in the air.
The next day carrying a load equal
to that in which the "s;owaway" par
ticipated as a passive passenger, the
NC-l made a flight from Rockaway
to Montauk point and back at the rate
OF sixty-iive miles an hour for six
hours
On March 49, the motors Of the
Mel had been changed from the reg
ular low compression navy type to the
high compression army motor and was
fitted with new propellers. Under this
arrangement, a maximum load OF "a
700 pounds was carried in flight with