27 May 1919: NC-4, designating number A2294, one of three United States Navy Curtiss NC flying boats, arrived at the harbor of Lisbon, Portugal, becoming the first airplane to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The NC-4 was under the command of Lieutenant Commander Albert Cushing Read, United States Navy, who also served as navigator. The pilots were First Lieutenant Elmer Fowler Stone, United States Coast Guard and Lieutenant (j.g.) Walter T. Hinton, U.S. Navy. Lieutenant James L. Breese, USN and Chief Machinist Mate Eugene S. Rhoads, USN, were the engineers. Ensign Herbert C. Rodd, USN, was the radio operator. Aboard the other aircraft were officers who would rise to high rank in the Navy: Commander John H. Towers would later command the Pacific Fleet; Lieutenant Marc A. Mitscher commanded the Fast Carrier Task Force during World War II, and later commanded the Atlantic Fleet. Lieutenant Patrick N.L. Bellinger commanded Patrol Wing 2 at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and would go on to command Naval Air Forces, Atlantic Fleet. Three Curtiss flying boats, NC-1 (A2291), NC-3 (A2293) and NC-4 (A2294), under the command of Lieutenant Commander John H. Towers, USN, departed Naval Air Station Rockaway, New York City, at 10:00 a.m., 8 May 1919 and flew to NAS Chatham, Massachusetts. Enroute, NC-4 experienced an oil leak from the center pusher engine, so it was shut down. This slowed the airplane, but it was still able to continue. In mid-afternoon, however, the center tractor engine suffered a failed connecting rod. With only two engines operating, NC-4 was forced down at sea, approximately 80 miles from NAS Chatham. The sea was calm and the flying boat taxied the remaining distance on the water. It arrived there at 7:00 a.m., 9 May. The failed engine was replaced with a 300 horsepower Liberty, the only spare engine available. The other engine was repaired Delayed several days by weather, NC-4 departed NAS Chatham at 9:15 a.m.,14 May and flew to Halifax, Nova Scotia, landing at 1:07 p.m., as continuing to Newfoundland would have them arriving after dark. NC-4 took off from the waters of Halifax the following morning at 11:47 a.m., and arrived at Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland at 5:41 p.m., rendezvousing with the aircraft tender USS Aroostook (CM-3). NC-1 and NC-3 had arrived two days earlier. All three airplanes were serviced from the tender. The temporary 300 horsepower Liberty engine which had been installed on NC-4 was replaced with a correct 400 horsepower engine. The three Curtiss flying boats took off from Trepassey Bay at 6:00 p.m. on the evening of 16 May and headed across the Atlantic Ocean to the Azores. NC-1 and NC-3 were both forced down by rain, heavy clouds and thick fog about 200 miles short of their destination. NC-1 was damaged and unable to continue. The crew was rescued by a Greek freighter and the airplane taken in tow, but it sank several days later. NC-3 drifted for two days on surface of the Atlantic, coming within sight of land, two engines were started and NC-3 taxied into the harbor at Ponta Delgada, Ilha de São Miguel. NC-4 deviated from its course and landed at Horta, on Faial Island, at 1:23 p.m., 17 May. Weather kept NC-4 at Horta for the next few days, until at 8:45 a.m. on the 20th, it took off and flew to Ponta Delgado, landing there just two hours later. Again, NC-4 was forced to remain in harbor waiting for favorable weather. On 27 May, it was good enough to resume the journey, and the crew once again took off, this time enroute to Lisbon, Portugal. At 8:01 p.m., 27 May 1919, NC-4 touched down on the Tagus Estuary, Lisbon, and became the very first airplane to complete a flight across the Atlantic Ocean. NC-4 was the fourth of ten NC flying boats built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. It was 68 feet, 3 inches (20.803 meters) long with a wingspan of 126 feet (38.405 meters) and height of 24 feet, 6 inches (7.468 meters). The empty weight was 15,874 pounds (7,200.3 kilograms) and maximum takeoff weight was 21,500 pounds (9,752.2 kilograms). Originally built with three engines, flight testing led to the addition of a fourth. These were 1,649.3-cubic-inch-displacement (27.03 liter) liquid-cooled Liberty L 12 single overhead cam (SOHC) 45° V-12 engines producing 400 horsepower, each. Two were mounted in a center nacelle with one in tractor and in pusher configuration. Two more were in individual nacelles in tractor configuration. NC-4 had a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour (144.8 kilometers per hour), a service ceiling of 4,500 feet (1,371.6 meters) and range of 1,470 miles (2,365.7 kilometers). NC-4 was restored by the Smithsonian Institution during the early 1960s and remains a part of its collection, though it is on long term loan to the Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida. r/max
Posted on: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 16:00:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015