The sun., 1919-05-11

WINDS ana the light straight line tn
tionable. saying that the British fiiers
have been waiting at st. Johns for moro
than a month for the usual easterly
winds The navy ships. he says, pro-
badly will not wait for ideal conditions,
although of course they will not rush
precipitately into head winds or stormy
weather.
Wind IS not the only matter to be
considered" Mr.. Curtiss says. The
speed at which an aeropiane fiies is de-
, termined by q number Of considerations.
The NC boats viii not fly as fast as they
can, for to fly At top speed would not
be economical under the circumstances.
Top speed uses up more fuel In proper
ton to distance covered than certain
lower speeds. and in \ trip like this
gasolene and oil must be carefully con-
served. In other words economy of
energy 10 necessary for the purpose In
view. The flying boats are In a sense
like a runner. To start for the Azores
at top speed would be somewhat like be-
ginning annie run with 100 yard dash.
They might draw on their fuel supply
to dangerous point. In any trip, there
fore, where a saving Of gasoiene Is de-
sired the motor is run at what 10 called
! the economic speed. This Is the speed
ct which the greatest ratio of miles An
hour to gasolene consumed may be OBJ
tained.
For instance. going at seventy I'VE
miles an hour might demand a larger
consumption Of gas In proportion to
speed than going at seventy miles an
hour. But the economic speed also
varies with the amount Of load carried.
For instance, at the beginning OF the
present trip speed OF seventy-one miles
an hour (regardless OF windy ought to
be most efficient This speed Is higher
than II would be II 2s.500 pounds did not
have to be supported. Consequently as
this weight Is reduced by the consump-
| ton of oil and gas the economic speed
lessons. less power being required to
support less weight. and less forward
progress.
Thus II a flight OF thirty. hours were
to be made tho economic speed would
have decreased at the end OF the voyage
from seventy-one to slxty-one miles an
hour. This would have followed a de-
crease In load Of 900 pounds the con-
sumption for that period Of oil and gaso-
lene. Tho reduction would have been
marked by the shutting OF Of one of
the three motors with which the flying
boat had been propelled after It's take
of. II being possible TO support the zero
plane with two motors after about $500
pounds of gasolene and oil had been con-
sumed. leaving q reserve of two motors
during the remainder Of the trip"
Planes May Go Past Flores.
Mr.. Curtiss estimates the time Of tho
fight to St Michael $50 miles from
Flores. which may be passed In the air
II the seaplanes are able to go further,
at twenty-one hours
II normal conditions prevail the boats
would have at the beginning a flight
for three hours against a cross wind.
they would ny at II miles per hour
In order to sustain their lead OF 2S, 900
pounds. and would gain from the wind
three miles an hour. nying 222 miles
at the end OF the first three hours The
next three hour period would find them
with wind directly on their tails, go
ing at speed OF 70.5 miles. raised to
100 miles an hour by the wind. The
sixth hour would thus md them 522
miles out From that point on the winds
would be favorable. Making from 80
to % miles an hour, the aeroplanes
would swing slightly to the southeast
for tho first nine hours. and would then
change TO an almost due east course to
take advantage Of changing winds,
swinging again to the southeast at the
fifteenth hour OF night. Flying this
course they would arrive at the Azores 1"
It would be possible. Mr., Curtiss pointed
out. for the fiiers to steer directly for
the Azores, allowing for drift. This
| would not be as economical a procedure
as the one Just described. but might
be preferred on account of its simplicity.
As the Azores route follows for a
considerable distance the course Of trans
atlantic steamships passing between the
United States and Europe these vessels
will Join with the destroyers and dread
thoughts on duty in eliminating chances
Of disaster to the seaplaneA The NC
boats can ride on 4 fairly high sea.
make repairs and ascend again. Mr..
Curtiss states that one OF tho engines
will be held in reserve after tho ship
gains in altitude on the start OF the
night, and another also will be idle
after the FIRST fourteen hours. when
tho seaplanes will be light enough to ny
easily on two motors.
Mr.. Curtiss II will he remembered was
tho constructor Of the flying boat Amer.
tea, IN which In 1914 Lieut., Porte In
tended to cross the Atlantic. The Amer
ica's trip was cancelled when the war
broke out in August, 1914. recallins
Lieut.. Porte TO service In the British
navy. British flying boats have been
modelled on the America and the pres
ent NC planes may be considered an
outgrowth OF the 1914 Curtiss model
the nrst multi-motored dying boat to
take tbs air.