Evening star., 1926-06-06
ROTOR SHIP VISIT
HERE IS POSSIBLE
4
BaGen-Baden viii Come
From New York if Requested.
Dr. F|cttner Speaks.

The German rotor ship Baden
Baden. formerly the Ruckau. which is
now in New York harbor after a trip
across the Atlantic, may come Il
Annapolis for inspection by naval
officers and. if desired by the Navy
department. may make the trip up
he Potomac River to Washington.
Associates of DIR. Anton Flettner
explained the possibility of bringing
The craft here after the inventor had
lectured on his invention before the
Patent Office Society Friday afternoon
noon.
Speaking in good English. and
punctuatine his address with eX-
plantations of some scientific point.
nr Flettner explained that even as
a boy he had been interested in ships.
Before the war. he said, he resigned
rs a teacher of mathematics and
physics to experiment on wind
propulsion of vessels. The invention
of the revolving tower as applied to
propulsion came after he had in
vented special type of airplane wing
and "a new type of rudder applicable
alike to airplanes and marine vessels.
Wind Turns Cylinders.
Many years were spent in eN-
perimental work before these two in
Ventions were applied TO practical
use. while all the time he worked on
the rotor ship principle. using the
theory that wind. impinginS on
cylinder revolving on a ship will cause
q vacuum behind the surface and
move the ship forward.
Tests extending over two years in
collaboration with many other scient-
ISIS of Germany followed the close of
The war. DIR. F'lettncr said. I.abora-
tory experiments demonstrated the
soundness of the Flettner theory. he
added, and developed the fact that Il
rotor ship using two revolving cylin-
derS with one-tenth the surface spread
of sails would propel a ship through
the water faster and would assure
safe and dependable water tranSpor-
1ation even when no wind blew.
Says Cost Is Lower.
The cost of operation Of rotor
vessel. DR.. Flettner found. was very
much less than that of a vessel using
steam and burning coal or oil, while
her speed would remain practically the
same. In addition. the revolving cyl
intwrs, even though they have top
heavy appearance. give a factor of
sta bility and safety even in heavy
WindStorms. for they can be used to
propel the vessel and maintain her
nn an evel keel in the heaviest wind.
The cylinders, DR.. Flettner explained.
are mounted on heavy thrust bearings
and can be operated at varying
speeds, the ordinary speed being about
40 revolutions a minute. An impor
tant factor in their design is caps on
either end.
Motion pictures and slides showing
the progress of the experimental work
were shown to an audience composed
of employees of the Patent Office and
officials of the Navy Department, who
were invited to hear the famous Ger
man scientist lecture. Pictures also
showed the Barbara. F'lettner's newest
rotor ship, 300 feet long. of 5000 tons
burden, with three revolving cylinders.
The pictures also showed small pleas
ure craft equipped with rotors travel
ing through the water at brisk clip.
The Baden-B Baden, a vessel of $50
feet and 500 tons, arrived in New
York Harbor from Germany early in
May She will remain in this coun-
Try for several months, although DR..
Tlettner will sail for Germany in
July. in time to handle the details of
the trial voyage of the Barbara.