New-York tribune., 1922-09-07
IIursiss Glides
s;,,e Seconds I'm
ses Sailplane
I.xea BY Speed Boat, Fly
Is Pioneer Scars i'm Mo.
,aFless Craft for the
Tirss Time i'm History
III of Wind Hampers
s.,,rsl Faulty Attempts Are
Made ali Manlnasset Bay
gefore Success Is Shown

6 r,sza eartiss, inventor Of the hydro
....,.ss, rose from the waters of Man
.s,,s gay yesterday afternoon in a
- glider and scared for nine sec
s., q momentum gained from tow
Sssss .hs powerful speed boat Casey
Is@ss This was the first recorded in
..s.s e a glider rising from water
s.lslsne is the name Mr.. Curtiss
aia ~sferring 20 this water glider,
& Ii hopes in later tests to emulate
/, .,batross, which, without tapping
siag. can rise from the crest OF a
hare and begin to soar.
n the early days Of the airpiane,
vssr the Wright Brothers, Glenn
&artjss and few other pioneers OF
sreraft navigation were making ex-
8bition flights. spectators waiting "a
xgsndstands and wondering i flying
Fear all was not some kind OF 9 fake
&vre often chagrined by niegaphoneo
aMr. curtiss viii fly when the wind
8es down.
wind Lack Hampers Flight
4 This was reversed Yesterday. 1t was
Ia fhat q longer sustained fight was
sr,ssible because of the absence of
.srs wind to a glider is what gaso-
zns i 10 an engined airplane.
Svistion enthusiasts, camera men and
ltSsys who gathered at Plum Point. a
- re;lss from Port Washington, L. l.,
i, me morning had their first glimpse
E Mr. Curtiss as ne worked the glider
81 the shallow water on the sandy
AssA vita the aid of canoe paddle.
HsaIne ashore from the hull, built of
xiunin, Mr. Curtiss explained
LNs his glider was quite similar in
drs.;ss. in the shape of the hull and
Wtssr fsstures. to the NC boats with
Ns:es The United States Navy accom-
N;sssa the first transatlantic fight.
k older boat was, of course, much
&nalsr
4 gYom stem to~stern the hull, ludi-
araa.iy ike an English portable bath
4a ba. covered on top, except for an
Skssins IN the bow, is twelve feet long,
& Il weighs only forty pounds.
fxsulurin is Swo and half times as
\ &ssw as alum mum and weighs no
M Il has THE additional advantage
#asing imperYious to the action of
g3se zater The wings and struts of
#S. light gaaehine were quite like those
sEy fdinary airplane.
H May Popularize Aviation
asis Saircrsss," said Mr.. Curtiss.
MMrone enougR\ to carry five or an
#ssA AhorsePUwex> >Sngine, (which would
i sslg+h--aS=e--EAn fSrty pounds.
&fa eight horsepoNSsArSles | be-
m sailplanes could-Y~A1ndled by
sat anybody, That is(fhe chief merit
n glider experiments. They are likely
populsrlss aviation3 especially light
Fagsd planes. Wk'd better get
ssrsed7 Il
4 This last was addressed to w. l.. Gill
nnse, chief engjGeer of the Curtiss
plant ss-6srtsT City, who was splash
8ang &eut in 8 bathing suit tugging at
Es fire here and an aileron shere. The
Eidsf was pushed off the sand, Mr..
ECaftiss in golf knickers, clambered
Haio the eockpit and was then taken
ks tcw~-length Of a fish line---by a
ksfssd bost equipped with a Curtiss 100
Horsepower engine. At a moderate
Enis q speed they moved out into the
EliY tusious pigeon which had been
kTsssng on the top plane deserting
8hsa as hey did SO.
b he glider was towed about a quar-
oi mile from the toe of Plum
5sss ana then brought into the wind,
&isNe wind, never more than q feeble
Hsrs expired just then. Nevertheless
sl'vsr boat began to pick up speed
lsssY miles an hour was necessary,
NJ ngineers had calculated, to lift
Ah from the water.
Like Boy Pulling Kite
III neen power boat came tipping
MS iI 500 yards, her bow tossing
M fsc white sheets of foam. AT
,k Md Of about 400 feet of fishing
ns suitable for catching sharks or
L niN liackerel, was the glider boat,
sAng aud dipping in the wake OF it's
AZ Ifen the spectators on shore and
asilne Of motorboats off shore could
oayaght between the hull and the
s'a ana there was yell of approval.
ae ehdsr was flying, flying as a kite
amall boy running. ~
W fourteen seconds it remained in
" sn a. an altitude hardly in excess
aour ieet, Then the power boat
49, up ana the bottom of the dura-
aeii smacked the water two or
Times and tnce more was foat-
agan the green speed boat towed
SEs. h,aI hsasiss down beyond the end of
III. aca' de could be seen testing
IN. islohs ~. with the shoulder controls
J.. maaing from side to side. These
ss y nrranged that by leaning to the
elrs,.I INs IN night equilibrium is re-
shoulder controls have NOT
DETERMINING ssea sInce 1914, but Mr.. Curtiss.
MI. eag ther presence in the glider
h.,. lou know, | haven't flown for
Ema 'aah q taree years. and Pm accus-
ssld fashioned s guess
4 Gull Contemplates Stunt
y &ssss ~. ns second run the glider was
sls nm NM - asiI a nile, and then its keel
#u,s "a invisible incline Just as it
#ns ~ soiTary gull that stood on
atss . lala contemplation of this
As sssss,i;.Ssi y man TO learn to soar-an
hi ,sa'asns ,w,sa s that gulls inherit. On
s.ss ~ nignc Mr. Curtiss remained
flts sIsset ~. above the water for forty
siss ass, ss maintaining apparently
XAsd ~ saculty an even keel, but he
sssss ss.ss soar. What he was doing
ahsr;s..si on The. strength of rope
fs,.sa fsssa gasoline power.
e XsHss s Sapped hands Mr.. Curtiss
sGsr,.. = David Mccullough, former
,..E " L,.sassnt L.sssnt commander in the avia-
ss ssasa ~ q the navy and one of
H. ~ Participated In the trans
sagua Threatesas |
10 Quit the League |