Evening star., 1941-04-23
Navy TO Seek.
Expansion Of
Testing Basin
Hopes for Facilities
To Stady Models
At 40 Knots

Plans for the expansion of the
David w. Taylor Model Basin at
Carderock, Md, to permit model
testing at speeds as high as 40
knots, we're being pushed today
after officials of the Navy Depart
ment conducted a pre-view tour of
the basin yesterday.
The $4,000 pound overhead crane
has been leveled to a few thou
sandths of an inch and can put
models through tests to as high as
20 knots, it was revealed to the
newSpapermen who saw the basin.
Not satisfied with having the larg-
est model scale basin in operation,
Navy officials said they will ask
Congress for funds for an extension
to present facilities which will pro-
vide a more accurate index to ship
operations.
1t was revealed that though the
model basin has been established
for three years, actual testing has
not been undertaken. officials ex-
planned that all pecularities of the.
s3,500,0 900 basin must be thoroughly
checked before experimental work
may be conducted
The Navy is using old models
which previously have been proved
in the pool at the Navy Yard. As
soon as a standard can be estab-
lished for Carderock. actual testing
will begin, it was said.
Cargo Vessels Tested.
Though the basin is expected 10
be ready for experimentation by
June, tests already have been made
on models of the ugly duckling"
cargo vessels recently described by
the President as needed for carry
ing materials to Great Britain.
The Navy scientists have three
phases of testing, including water
resistance of hull being towed,
-propelling, and the drive of
propellers.
The Taylor basin has been de-
signed to provide all possible water
tests of combat and merchant ves-
sells Connected to the towing gear
yesterday was a C-1 B model cargo
vessel expected for delivery to the
Maritime Commission. Within a
week, according to Navy officials,
the guide full-size ship is expedited
to make trial runs off Rockland, Me.
The craft, the Cape Nedick, is the
result of special congressional in
vestigation in which many new fea-
lures of safety were evolved.
1s-Foot Model Tested.
On the testing rack yesterday was
a 19-foot model of a 12.825-ton cargo
ship of the C-l B class. Loaded
with 250-pound lead blocks. the
small-scale ship was taken up and
down the 960-foot deep-water run.
way at nearly three knots.
On the first trial run the model
smashed its drive shaft and an
attendant had to make adjustments.
1t was noticeable that the model
had more than an inch of water
in its bottom and had special plank
ing on the forward end to defect
waves caused by the crafts con-
trolled journey.
Though only one towing crane
now is in operation, naval officials
hope to have two more in use
shortly. In addition there will be in
operation a shallow-water basin and
high-speed basin. The entire ba-
sin building has been covered with
special insulation for temperature
control purposes.
Precise Instruments Used.
Models are towed and guided bv
the large carriage running on rails
laid on the walls of the long basin.
The basin is sufficiently wide and
deep to represent open water. Lo-
Gated on the carriage are precise
instruments which accurately deter
mine forces affecting a model under
going tests.
The Taylor basin is large enough
to include equipment designed to
accomplish all the various types of
research on ship models with the
greatest of accuracy and reliability.
An unusual feature of the tracks
for the towing carriage is the fact
that they are not laid level in the
usual sense but follow the curvature
of the earth. This was done. it was
said, to eliminate errors in distance.
Naval officials, to insure that the
rails will remain in place, COM
pounded a strong concrete founda-
tion based on bedrock. Carderock
was selected because of the proxim.-
ty of the natural foundation to thc
surface.