Identifier: aeroplaneinwar00grah (find matches)
Title: The aeroplane in war
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Grahame-White, Claude, 1879- Harper, Harry, b.1880
Subjects: Airplanes Aeronautics, Military
Publisher: Toronto : Bell and Cockburn
Contributing Library: ASC - York University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Ontario Council of University Libraries and Member Libraries

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hichit was mounted, and which took the place of ordinaryland wheels, were hollow boxes with pointed ends,made out of wood, and sheathed with thin steel. A large pontoon, under the centre of the biplane,bore the greater part of the weight, and a smallerpontoon was set under the front of the machine;while a third pontoon, smaller still, was placed atthe extreme forward end of the aeroplane, to tilt itupward when it began to move across the water. First tests with this machine were entirely suc-cessful. When forced forward by its propeller, ata speed of thirty miles an hour, the hydro-aeroplaneskimmed along with only its main pontoon on thewater. Then, at a slight acceleration, it rose easilyinto the air, and flew off. Descents upon the surfaceof the water were made with equal facility. After satisfying himself that his machine answeredexpectations, Curtiss carried out an instructive testin conjunction with an American battleship. Flyingfrom a point on shore, he made a successful descent
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THE AEROPLANE IN WAR 225 upon the water close beside the vessel. Then hismachine was hoisted on board, by means of specialtackle. To complete the test, the biplane was subsequentlylowered into the water again; and Curtiss rose with-out difficulty, flying back to the shore. The objection to such a scheme as this, of course,would lie in the probable roughness of the sea undermany conditions of work. Were a high sea running,it is generally admitted that an aeroplane could notpossibly rise from, or land upon, the surface of thewater. Therefore, the sound plan, at any rate onthe high seas, would seem to be for an air-scout tobe launched from the deck of a ship. An aeroplane on pontoons should, however, findmany uses for coastal work. It could, for example,be housed in a shed on the water. It could thenleave harbour on a reconnoitring flight, and returnagain, when alighting, to the smooth water insidethe harbour. An involuntary descent, when overthe water, would not cause it injury. Apart f

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