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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0154.PDF
RISING FROM THE WATER BY AEROPLANE. Mr. Glenn Curtiss getting up speed before rising from the water with his biplane at San Diego, California, as recently reported, this being the first time this feat has been accomplished. AI.THOUOH according to " authority " no advance has been made in aviation since the Wright Brothers first flew, there are some who consider the feat of Mr. Glenn H. Curtiss, on January 26th last, in rising from the surface of the bay at San Diego, California, on his experimental hydro-aero plane, as some slight encouragement to others to try and help towards advancing aviation beyond the earlv Wright stages. At the time we made a brief note of the cabled information and further details are now to hand in regard to this very practical work in helping forward the art. The machine, fitted with special pontoons, was pushed into the water from the shed erected upon the beach near to the Army and Navy Aviation School recently established by Glenn Curtiss. The engine having been started, the aeroplane at once moved away steadily to wards deep water. Gaining speed, the pontoons began to rise in the water until it was seen that the main support by this means on the water was practically gone. The head resistance and skin friction being thus reduced, speed rapidly increased, and Curtiss, tilting the lifting plane well up, the machine rose from the water almost as easily as leaving the ground. After rising to a good altitude, Curtiss veered round on his aeroplane towards deep water, and after a few seconds aloft, again came down quite gracefully on the water. For a first effort this was a great achievement. For the second flight, after a short run on the surface, he again ascended, circling over the channel, and re-alighted after being in the air for 1 min. 21 sees. During the day two more experimental flights followed, and on the next day he went up off the water, remaining aloft 3J mins., and he was satisfied upon this occasion that he could have remained in the air carrying his pontoons just as long as his fuel lasted. On the 21st inst. he was again up and flew for 5 miles over the sea. The balance appeared to be quite as perfect with the addition of the pontoons as when on wheels, and the 8-cyl. 50-h.p. Curtiss engine maintained its reputation for reliability without a hitch. The following particulars of the pontoons and scheme of the machine are given by the Scientific American :— The pontoons or hollow hydroplanes developed by Curtiss Spina S/itrlii /•biwairtJh*itoini Main fotitoon 'Kt Jtutfrv/itui Scientific American. GLENN CURTISS' START OFF WATER—Sketch showing the position of pontoons at the instant of rising from the water. are of peculiar construction, altogether different from many newspaper illustrations of his remarkable flights at San Diego. In reality, after a speed of 30 miles an hour is reached, the main pontoon sustains the machine. This apparatus is constructed of steel sheets laid over a wooden framework. A horizontal cross-section, midway between top and bottom, would show a perfect parallelogram 6 ft. from side to side and 7 ft. from front to rear. At the rear Photos by Scientific American. GLENN CURTISS' START OFF WATER.—On the left the main pontoon is seen, and on the right the biplane is being towed on to the water for the first trial. 156
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