Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-19
PLANE TEST PLEAsEs WILLIAMS.
Craft Skins Waves, Barely in Air, in
Trial at Annapolis.
BY JOSEPH s. EDCERTON :

ANNAPOLIS. August 19-Tests of
the Mercury racer. in which Lieut.. AL
ford j. Williams, u. S. N, will race in
the Schneider Cup contests in England
next month. were halted yesterday, when
Lieut.. Williams noticed a vibration in
the motor. coupled with falling of OF
the gasoline pressure. The vibration
was found to be caused by slightly
bent propeller blade. twisted at its tip
it by the pontoons in taxing. The pres
sure difficulty was of minor character
and was easily remedied.
The propeller was sent to the Ana
costa Naval Air Station at Washington
yesterday afternoon to be Strengthened
and returned here in time for final tests
today.
Lifts Easily From Water.
Sc brief was yesterdays flight and
so close to the surface of the water
did the racer remain that is was diff
cult for observers to tell much about
the performance. Lieut. Williams, how
ever, was highly pleased, as the criti-
cal moments in flying the powerful
little ship are during the take-off and
landing.
Though the plane barely left the
water before he was forced to set 1t
down again, Lieut. Williams was able
to learn that the ship lifts easily from
the water, flies stea Oily, and can be
landed at its minimum flying speed,
estimated at ITO miles per hour, with
out difficulty.
Yesterdays tests were witnessed by
the largest crowd gathered at the Naval
Academy since the racer was brought
here nearly two weeks ago. Many
private boats stood by outside the lines
cleared by Navy patrol boats.
A slight breeze was blowing up the
Severn River from the southeast, whip
ping the water into choppy little waves.
as the racer was lowered of Santee
Wharf at the Naval Academy. 1t was
made fast to barge alongside the
aircraft tender U. s. s. Sandpiper. and
the starting apparatus, on another
barge, was brought into connection
with slot in the propeller hub. On
the third attempt the motor took
hold" and began splitting sheets Of
flame from its four banks of exhaust
stacks as 1t was turned over slowly to
warm up.
Something New in Flying Toys.
Lieut.. williams displayed something
new in flying equipment as he climbed
into the plane. He wore khaki shorts.
a silk shirt with no collar and white
canvas sneakers" A helmet. goggles
dIlQ parachute COIIlplcLeO Ills OuIAlt.
After short warming up, Lieut.. VIII
liams ordered the plane cast of and.
taxing out into the channel, turned
the nose Of the ship downstream toward
Chesapeake Bay. Followed by three
Navy boats. he TAXED slowly down the
channel to point beyond the down.
stream end Of the Academy grounds
before opening up the throttle.
A Navy submarine chaser, with o
diver aboard, was stationed near the
mouth Of the river. and smaller Navy
craft stood by at intervals along the
course in case Of emergency. A twin
motored F-5-L flying boat circled over
head during the trial period.
AS Williams opened the throttle. the
little racer disappeared from view in a
dense cloud of white spray and black
smoke. After an interval, 1t shot out
of the cloud, the twin pontoons high
on the water. The plane lurched heav-
lily over the waves and Lieut.. Williams
shut down the motor and resumed his
methodical taxing into more open
water
Three similar attempts were made.
the plane pulling farther and farther
out into the bay, before the ship rose
entirely of the water. It then was SO
far out 1t scarcely could be seen with
the naked eye from the shore.
Owing to the shortneSs of the initial
hop no estimate could be made of the
speed. The motor, however, was turn
ing over at far less than its full speed.
Williams than cut the throttle and a
Navy barge took the racer in tow and
brought it back to Santee Wharf