Aircraft : $b its development in war and peace and its commercial futureDavid, Evan John
History
Aircraft : $b its development in war and peace and its commercial future
David, Evan John
Aeronautics; Airplanes
The M-2 Seaplane designed by the Navy Department, and built by Grover
Cleveland Loening, was to have been used for submarine-patrol work. It
is easily set up, and occupying so little space, can be stored aboard a
submarine.
The machine is a tractor monoplane with twin floats. The plane has a
span of 19 feet and a total wing area of only 72 square feet. The wing
section is a modified R. A. F. 15. Over-all length of machine, 13 feet.
The floats are 10 feet long and weigh 16 pounds each. They are
constructed of sheet aluminum with welded seams. The interior of the
floats is coated with glue, and outside is not painted but coated with
oil.
The engine is a 3-cylinder Lawrence 60 horse-power air-cooled engine,
driving a 6-foot 6-inch propeller with a 5-foot pitch. Twelve gallons
of gasoline and 1 gallon of oil are carried, sufficient for two hours’
flight. Fully loaded with pilot and fuel, the complete machine weighs
but 500 pounds. The maximum speed is about 100 M. P. H., and the low
speed is 50 M. P. H.
_Helium-Filled Model Airship_
The model dirigible exhibited by the Navy Department is inflated with
helium. Another item that is of interest is the fact that this model
dirigible, 32 feet long and 7 feet in diameter, contains more helium
than has ever been placed in an envelope of any kind.
_Astra-Torres Dirigible_
The dirigible car shown by the Navy Department is from a ship of the
“Astra-Torres” type. The airship was built by the French in 1916, and
turned over to the Americans in March, 1918, at Paimbœuf, France, the
American naval station commanded by Commander L. H. Marfield, U. S. N.
It was used until November, 1918, for coast patrol on the west coast of
France.
The car is 45 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 7 feet high. The envelope
(which is not exhibited) is 221 feet long and 47 feet in diameter,
having a capacity of 252,000 cubic feet. Speed, 45.5 miles per hour.
With a crew of Americans, this ship has stayed aloft for 25 hours, 40
minutes. At its cruising speed of 45.5 miles the endurance is 10 hours.
The car accommodates a crew of 12. Two 150 horse-power Renault engines
with two-bladed tractor propellers are used. They are placed on
outriggers. Two Lewis machine-guns are carried.
The ship is one of several large dirigibles purchased by the United
States navy and brought to this country for the purpose of development.
B. F. GOODRICH COMPANY
The principal exhibit by the Goodrich Company consisted of one of the
first dirigibles put into the United States Naval Service. This is a
“Blimp” that was completed in August, 1917, and used for seventeen
months in coast-patrol work in the vicinity of New York City. The
dirigible is 167 feet long, 33 feet in maximum diameter, and contains
80,000 cubic feet of gas. This dirigible held the record for continuous
flight.
A Curtiss OX motor is used. The car is arranged to carry a crew of
three men. In cruising a speed of from 40 to 50 M. P. H. is maintained.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account