Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-09-10
WANT FLYING SHIP
AS TYPE FOR NAVY
Seek to Develop Model to Ride
Out Storm.
See LESSON IN OCEAN HOPS
Defects of Boats of the NC Pattern
Studied by the Naval Experts In
Westinghouse Play Its Full Part
In Naval Strategy seaplane Must
Become as Independent Unit as Mod
ern Destroyer or Submarine.


Become as Independent Unit as Mod.
ern Destroyer or Submarine.
Flying ships, instead of flying boats,
will be the logical evolution of navy
seaplanes, navy experts believe, as a
result of the first air trip across the
Atlantic. First impressions of the les
sons taught by that trip had already
taken definite shape in the minds Of
the men who conceived and built the
| NC machines, one of which Lieutenant
| Commander A. c. Read unanswered to
a safe mooring at Plymouth, England.
1t was the experience of the MOI,
lost Off the Azores, and the NC-3, bat
tered out of usefulness by heavy seas
before she made port at Ponta Del
| gada, that the inventive genius of the
| department turned for inspiration,
rather than to the NC4.
Experts are convinced that to play
its full part in naval strategy the sea-
plane must become as independent q
unit as modern submarine or de-
stroyer. 1t must be able to keep the
seas in heavy weather, riding on the
surface. 1t must be able to lift itself
into the air or to plane down to
safe landing, even when tall seas are
running, and it must provide for its
crew, safety. shelter, and reasonable
comfort under very adverse circum-
stances, for the efficiency of the plane
depends upon the efficiency of its
men.
To fulfill its function as scout the
seaplane of the future must be able
to communicate at all times by radio.
Plan Fiotillas Of the Air.
The answer to all of these require
ments In the minds of the experts ia
larger craft, veritable flying ships. The
vision toward which the designers are
looking Is that of flotillas Of seaplanes
relying wholly upon their own power
for transportation on the surface or In
the air and operating from swift
mother ships" as submarines and de-
stroyers now operate.
AS battleships have developed from
11'O00-ton predreadnaughts to the
43,OO0ton monsters for which the navy
is now contracting, so, naval officers
say, seaplane evolution will come type
by type and year by year, each adj
vance being based on results obtained
with preceding types. This is the pro-
gram laid out by the navy depart
ment as the basis for the request re-
Gently made to congress by Secretary
Daniels for S45,000,000 for aviation de-
velopment in the next fiscal year. ~
Part of this appropriation, If grant
ed, will go into lighter-than-air devel-
opment. The general board is ex-
pected to recommend the immediate
purchase of q British rigid dirigible
for personnel training and the con-
struction of similar vessel on Amer
lean designs as pilot ship of fleet
of air cruisers. The purchase of the
British Zeppelin would permit the
training of crew to handle the first
American craft when completed.
The navy department is said to be
ready to proceed with Zeppelin con-
structiOn on its own plans whenever
congress grants authority and appro-
priations. The ship. II is understood,
would not be patterned exactly on the
British notifications of German Yep
pelin construction. The discovery of
noncombustible helium gas TO initiate
the bags is said to have pointed the
way to some radical changes in de-
sign. Details of what is contemplated
have not been disclosed.
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
/ endurance goes on the transatlantic
| fight, but no means have yet been
evolved to get the full benefit of their
power. The problem is the same as
that encountered with steam turbines
in surface craft.
Testing Reduction Gear.
The navy has been working for
months with a reduction gear system
to go between the engine and the pro-
peller. A similar device has permit
ted destroyers to use turbine engines,
but 1t has been found a difficult task
to design lightweight reduction gear
for seaplanes or other craft. Should
this device be worked out, the NC sea-
, planes could be made much more ef1-
cient and their cruising radius could
be greatly increased
AS to the sea-keeping qualities of
the NC planes, the experiences Of the
MOI and NC-3 indicate to experts that
, some way must be found to get the
plane surfaces higher out of the wa
: ter. This would save them from bat
tering into the sea when riding the sur
j. face.
: New gasoline motors for lighter
> than-air craft have been worked on
e and received their first test on thu