The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-09-07
|CURTISS PLANS
AN AIR TRAIN
OF Sail PLANES
Aviation Expert Is Well Pleased
With Result of Experiment
Over Manhasset Bay.
PLANE TOOK AIR WHEN
TOWED BY SPEED BOAT
Three Unsuccessful Attempts
We're Made When ToW-Rope
Snapped-Very Light Breeze.
(By The Assoclatsd Prss,l

PORT WASHINGTON, N. Y, Sept. e.
Glenn II. Curtiss, aviation expert, TODAY
scared over ManhasSet Bay in q sail plane
which on two occasions, took the air
when towed by a speed boat. stayed aIoft
49 seconds each time with the tow line
cut and then glided gracefully down to
the water again. This was said to have
been the first time & marine glider has
| ever risen from the water.
Pleased With Result.
At the end of the experiment observed
by large party of engineers, Mr.. Cur
tisS expressed himself well pleased with
the result of the test, made under ad-
verse condition with light wind, and
then gave himself over to interesting
speculation on the possibility Of "air
trains-a number OF sail planes towed
through the air by a motored seaplane."
The theory that trailers could be at
tached to a flying boat was advanced by
aviation experts who watched the flights,
after L. G. Gilmore chief engineer of the
Curtiss Corporation, discovered that the
sail tugged very lightly at the tow line.
With the sail plane 80 feet in the air, Mr..
Gilmore grasped the line and found that
he could hold 1t with one hand.
Later when the theory was laid before
Mr.. Curttss he said he believed it would
be practical to tow a sail plane behind
a flying boat at considerable height,
without danger.
Copy Of Nc-4.
The sail plane used in todays test was.
except for It's blunt nose, almost a COM
plete copy, on reduced scale, of the NC-4,
the first aircraft to fly the Atlantic
hno % &c.
is "a feet long and weigs 14o pounds. Mr..
weighs 155 pounds, bringing the total
to 295.
The hull is made OF very light metal.
The cockpit is so small that Mr.. Curtiss
could barely get into II.
The wings are 50 inches wide and the
distance between the upper and lower
planes is 60 inches. The lifting area is
$50 square feet.
Today's experiments started with three
unsuccessful attempts to get the sail
plane into the air. Each time the fish
ing line used as a tow-rope snapped.
Failure to rise was attributed to the al
most dead calm that prevailed and the
aviators, like sailors, whistled for wind
Finally a slight breeze arose. After it
had been towed about quarter OF a mile
at 35 miles and hour, the glider rose IL
feet from the water. The tow line was
cut.
''Forty-nine seconds announced the
timer, when the sail-pIane descended
and Mr. Curtiss propelled himself ashore
with a canoe paddle.
Later another flight of equal length
was made. The glider moved through
the air. this time at about 80 feet on an
even keel and, Mr.. Curtiss said, under
perfect control
First Step In Sea Soaring.
This is the first step in sea-soaring,'
said Mr.. Curtiss. THE problem here Is
different than that met by the German
gliders. which recently remained aloft
so long. Theirs was the problem Of
balance on vertical air cur
rents.
Here we have no such currents, for
the currents move parallel with the wa
ter. We must pattern after the albatros,j
which takes off from wave ana scars
To keep soaring, we must
have knowledge Of the variations Of the
air currents over the water"