The sun., 1919-06-01
WILL NOT TRY
FLIGHT HOME
Winning Plane to Be Shipped
Back to the United
States.
WINDS AGAINST PLAN
Navy Department Has Made
No Announcements for
Further Attempts.
Special DespdtcA to The Sun.

Special Despatch to THE Sun.
WASHINGTON, May 31.-The last
hop" OF the American navy's ocean
spanning seaplane, the NC-4, was
completed to-day when Lieut.-Com
mander Albert Gushing Read flew the
giant seaplane into the harbor Of
Plymouth. England. at 9:26 O'Clock
this morning washington time). This
last leg of the long dreamed Of trans
atlantic flight was from Ferrol. Spain,
and was accomplished without unto
ward incident, the flight requiring Just
| one minute less than seven hours.
The average flying speed on this leg of
Inc long air journey was considerably
lower than for any other part OF the
epochal Journey, due to increasing diff
culties with the engines OF the NC-4.
7 Oficisl word OF the successful culmina-
| ton OF the flight reached the Navy De-
partment at 3:l7 o'clock this afternoon
In the following despatch from Rear Ad-
mirai Plunkett. commanding the United
states destroyer forces at Plymouth:
"NC-4 arrived Plymouth 13 "a G. NJ
T. (9:26 A. NJ. Washington tlme) in
perfect condition. Joint mission Of sea-
plane division and destroyer force ac-
complished. Regret loss OF NC-1 and
damage to NC-3; nevertheless informa-
ton of utmost value gained thereby. Has
Department any further instructions?
Plane Won't Fly Back.
! Secretary Daniels said tonight that
no further instructions had been sent
as to the movements of Commander
Read and his crew. Tho question as to
whether the historic plane will be flown
back to the United States by a more d-
rect route or knocked down and shipped
back. has been decided by circumstance.
I The flight across was planned on the
known fact that except for about four
| days year the wind would be in the
! direction of the Night and tho engines
or the big plane were designed for
I seventy hours continuous service. The
: terrific strain to which they have been
subjected since this one successful unit
/ of the fleet of three se8planes left Rock
away and the fact that a head wind of
at least ten miles an hour would have
to be fought against all the way back.
will make 1t necessary to ship the flying
boat back to the United States.
Immediately upon receipt Of the news
of Reads successful landing Secretary
| Daniels sent the following message to
the naval aviator:
IAN the people OF America are happy
| over your successful flight, which has
been an epoch making event in the his
tory of the world My conGra tulations
and greetings and good wishsS.'
| Receipt also was announced OF the
\ 4
miral Knapp from the British Admiralty
This mornings news brings the epoch
making intelligence that the space be-
| tween America and Europe has now
been successfully spanned by air by way
| OF the Azores. 1t is with great pleasure
that their lordships have heard OF this
success and they desire me to offer their
congratulations to the crew OF the sea
plane NC-4 and to the United States
Naval Air Service on the fine achieve
! nent."
| Flew 4,5I4 Miles.
The hop to England from Portugal
| came really as an anti-climsx. Reads
great feat had been accomplished when
he brought his giant plane to rest in
the harpor OF Lisbon on Tuesday. The
bridging Of the Atlantic by air was then
an accomplished fact and tho 775 mile
! flight to Plymouth was taken for grant
( ed as certain OF accomplishment from
the moment the success OF the trans
ocean flight was flashed back to
| America.
In this last leap in the long flight tn.
troubles which have followed Read ant
| the NC-4 since the beginning OF the fllght
| cropped up again. He was forced &C
bring his plane down twice. the last time
at Ferrol. Spain. In order to complete
the scheduled trip TO Plymouth. But ir
the long trip, starting from Rockaway
the reported occurrence OF engine trouble
fog. storms and an unruly sea merely
delayed and could not prevent the navy
flier from pushing on to completion o.
the unparalleled trip mapped out for him
From first to last the NC-4 has beer
taken ABA miles-ordinary land miles
or 3.92S knots or nautical miles.
From Lisbon to Ferrol the NC-i was
held close TO the coast line OF Spain ant
| Continued ON Saooud Pdoa