NC-4
Encyclopedia
The NC-4 was a Curtiss NC
flying boat
which was designed by Glenn Curtiss
and his team, and manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
. In May 1919, the NC-4 became the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean
, starting in the United States
and making the crossing as far as Lisbon, Portugal, in 19 days. This included time for numerous repairs and for crewmen's rest, with stops along the way in Nova Scotia
, Newfoundland
, and twice in the Azores Islands. Then its flight from the Azores to Lisbon completed the first transatlantic flight
between North America
and Europe
, and two more flights from Lisbon to northeastern Spain
to Plymouth, England, completed the first flight between North America and Great Britain
.
The accomplishment of the naval aviator
s of the NC-4 was somewhat eclipsed in minds of the public by the first nonstop transatlantic flight, which took 15 hours and 57 min and was made by the British pilots
John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown
, two weeks later.
.
In 1908 Curtiss had unsuccessfully experimented with floats on the airframe of an early June Bug craft, but his first successful take off was not achieved until 1911 with an A-1 fitted with a central pontoon. In January 1912 he first flew his first hulled "hydro-aeroplane", which led to an introduction with the retired English naval officer John Cyril Porte
who was looking for a partner to produce an aircraft with him in order to win the Daily Mail
prize for the first transatlantic crossing. Porte improved the hull, including an innovative hull step for breaking clear of the water at takeoff
. They were joined by Lt John H Towers of the US Navy as a test pilot. This "America
" flying boat of 1914 was a larger craft with two pusher engines, with which they hoped to claim the transatlantic
prize.
Development stopped on the outbreak of war in Europe later that year. Porte, now back in the Royal Navy
's flying arm the RNAS, commissioned more flying boats from Curtiss, which could be used for long-range anti-submarine and Zeppelin patrols. Porte modified these and developed them into his own range of Felixstowe flying boats
with more powerful engines, longer range and better handling characteristics. The design was shared with Curtiss, who built these improved models under license, selling them to the US government.
This culminated in the NC-4, the fourth of the Navy's first series of four medium-sized Curtiss NC floatplanes made for the Navy by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. The NC-4 made its first test flight on 30 April 1919.
After the end of the war and with several of the new Curtiss NC
aircraft on its hands, the officers in charge of the U.S. Navy decided to demonstrate their capability of transatlantic flight. However they allowed stops for meals and overnight sleeping, and also to refuel and carry out maintenance on the aircraft.
expedition began on 8 May 1919. The NC-4 started out in the company of two other Curtiss NCs, the NC-1 and the NC-3 (with the NC-2 having been cannibalized for spare parts to repair the NC-1 before this group of planes had even left New York City
). The three aircraft left from the Naval Air Station Rockaway
, with intermediate stops at the Chatham Naval Air Station
, Massachusetts
and Halifax, Nova Scotia, before flying on to Trepassey, Newfoundland, on 15 May. Eight U.S. Navy warships were stationed along the east coast of North America
to help the Curtiss NCs in navigation and to assist their crewmen in case of any emergency.
The "base ship" or the flagship for all of the Navy ships that had been assigned to support the flight of the Curtis NCs was the large, former minelayer
USS Aroostook
(CM-3), which the U.S. Navy converted into an aircraft tender immediately before the flight of the Curtis NCs. With a displacement of over 3,000 tons, the Aroostook was much larger than the several squadrons of U.S. Navy destroyers of that time, that had been assigned to support the transatlantic flight attempt. Before the Curtiss NCs took off from New York, the Aroostook had been sent to Trepassey, Newfoundland, to await their arrival there, and then provide refueling, relubrication, and maintenance work on the NC-1, NC-3 and NC-4. She then steamed across the Atlantic to pick up the NC-4 in England
.
On 16 May, the three Curtiss NCs departed on the longest leg of their journey, from Newfoundland to the Portuguese Azores Islands in the mid-Atlantic. Twenty-two more U.S. Navy ships, mostly destroyer
s, were stationed at about 50-mile (80 km) spacings along this route. These "station ships" were brightly illuminated during the nighttime; their sailors shone the ships' searchlight
s into the sky, and they also fired star shells into the sky to help the aviators to stay on their intended flight route.
After flying all night and most of the next day, the NC-4 reached Horta
, Faial Island
, in the Azores on the following afternoon, having covered about 1,200 miles (1,920 km): It had taken 15 hours and 18 minutes to cover this leg, the aircraft having encountered thick fog banks along the route. Both the NC-1 and the NC-3 had been forced to land on the ocean due to rough flying weather.
The crewmen of the NC-1 were rescued by the Greek freighter SS Ionia; the NC-1 was taken in tow but sank three days later. The pilots of the "NC-3" "taxied" their aircraft on its floats the rest of the way to the Azores, where it was taken in tow by a U.S. Navy ship.
Three days later on 20 May, the NC-4 took off bound for Lisbon, but it was forced by mechanical problems to land again at Ponta Delgada
, São Miguel Island
, in the Azores, having covered only about 150 miles (240 km). After days of delays for repairs, the NC-4 took off again on 27 May, again aided by the station ships of the U.S. Navy: 13 ships distributed between the Azores and Lisbon. The NC-4 had no further serious problems, and it landed at Lisbon harbor after a flight of nine hours and 43 minutes, becoming the first aircraft of any kind to fly across the Atlantic Ocean - or any other ocean.
The part of this flight just from the Island of Newfoundland to Lisbon on the European mainland had taken a total time 10 days and 22 hours, but with the actual flight time being just 26 hours and 46 minutes.
The "NC-4" later flew on to England
, arriving in Plymouth
on 31 May to great fanfare, having taken 23 days for the flight from Newfoundland to Great Britain. For the final legs (from Lisbon to Ferrol, Spain, and then from Ferrol to Plymouth), 10 more U.S. Navy ships were stationed along the route. In total of 53 U.S. Navy warships had been stationed along the route from New York City to Plymouth.
Most of the flight route taken by the NC-4 was indicated on the map of the North Atlantic published by Flight magazine on 29 May 1919, while the NC-4 was still at the mainland of Portugal.
The feat of making the first transatlantic flight was somewhat eclipsed shortly afterwards by the first nonstop transatlantic flight by John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown in a faster Vickers Vimy
biplane
, when they flew from Newfoundland to Ireland nonstop on 14–15 June 1919, in 16 hours and 27 minutes. Consequently, Alcock and Brown won a prize of £10,000 pounds sterling offered by the Daily Mail
newspaper, which had been first announced in 1913, and then renewed in 1918, to "the aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight from any point in the United States, Canada, or Newfoundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland, in 72 consecutive hours." The conditions also stipulated that "only one aircraft may be used for each attempt."
Alcock and Brown also made their flight nonstop, even though this was not specified in the rules given by the Daily Mail. Conceivably, Alcock and Brown (or someone else) could have made stops on Iceland
and/or Greenland
along the way for refueling, as long as they completed the entire flight within 72 hours. The rule that "only one aircraft may be used" eliminated the possibility of having fresh aircraft, with their fuel tanks already topped off, and new oil in their crankcase(s), waiting for pilots to change from one exhausted airplane to a fresh one.
The Curtiss NCs had not been entered into the above competition - because the U.S. Navy never planned for their flight to be completed in fewer than 72 hours, because this was completely impractical. For example, flying for 15 hours, 18 minutes, from Newfoundland to the Azones was an exhausting experience, requiring meals and sleep afterward. Also, as we have seen, after taking off from the Azores the first time, the "NC-4" experienced mechanical problems and hence had to land again at another of those islands for several days of repairs. Hence, just making a reasonable allowance beforehand for the probable requirement of a lot of repair work on the Curtis NCs, plus the flight time, plus the rest time required, plus the additional time that it took to fly from Lisbon to England, ruled out the possibility of any of the Curtis NCs making the flight from Newfoundland to southern England in under 72 hours.
The crewmen of the NC-4 were Albert Cushing Read
, the commander and navigator
; Walter Hinton
and Elmer Fowler Stone
, the two pilots
; James L. Breese and Eugene T. "Smokey" Rhoads, the two flight engineer
s; and Herbert C Rodd, the radio operator. Earlier, E.H. Howard had been chosen go as one of the flight engineers, but Howard had one of his hands cut off by an aircraft propeller in a bad accident in New York, consequently, he was replaced by Smokey Rhoads in the crew.
, and there they received a tumultuous welcome. Next, they visited Paris, France, for more acclaim.
The NC-4 was dismantled in Plymouth, and then loaded onto the aircraft tender USS Aroostook
, the base ship for the Curtis NC's transatlantic flight,
for the return journey to the United States. The Aroostook arriving in New York Harbor
on 2 July 1919.
Following the return of the three aircrews on board the USS Zeppelin
, a goodwill tour of the East Coast of the United States
and the Gulf Coast was carried out by the crewmen.
In 1929, to honor the men of this first transatlantic flight, the U.S. Navy created a special military decoration
known as the NC-4 Medal
.
The NC-4 is property of the Smithsonian Institution
, since it was given to that institution by the U.S. Navy after its return to the United States. However, the aircraft was too large to be housed in either the older Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building in Washington, D.C.
, or in its successor, the National Air and Space Museum
, also in Washington. A model of the NC-4 is kept in the Milestones of Flight Gallery in the National Air and Space Museum, a place of honor, along with the original Wright Flyer
of 1903; Charles Lindbergh
's Spirit of St. Louis
of 1927; and Chuck Yeager
's Glamorous Glennis X-1 rocket aircraft of 1947. The fully reassembled NC-4 is on loan from the Smithsonian to the National Museum of Naval Aviation
in Pensacola, Florida
.
Curtiss NC
-References:NotesBibliography* Holmes, Tony. Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide. London: Harper Collins, 2005. ISBN 0-0071-9292-4.* Steirman, Hy and Glenn D. Kittler. The First Transatlantic Flight, 1919, . New York: Richardson & Sterman, 1986. ISBN 0-931933-19-0.* Wagner, Ray. American...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
which was designed by Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
and his team, and manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...
. In May 1919, the NC-4 became the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, starting in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and making the crossing as far as Lisbon, Portugal, in 19 days. This included time for numerous repairs and for crewmen's rest, with stops along the way in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, and twice in the Azores Islands. Then its flight from the Azores to Lisbon completed the first transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
between North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and two more flights from Lisbon to northeastern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to Plymouth, England, completed the first flight between North America and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
The accomplishment of the naval aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
s of the NC-4 was somewhat eclipsed in minds of the public by the first nonstop transatlantic flight, which took 15 hours and 57 min and was made by the British pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown
Arthur Whitten Brown
Sir Arthur Whitten Brown KBE was the navigator of the first successful non-stop transatlantic flight.-Life and work:...
, two weeks later.
Background
The NC-4's transatlantic capability was the result of developments that began before World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In 1908 Curtiss had unsuccessfully experimented with floats on the airframe of an early June Bug craft, but his first successful take off was not achieved until 1911 with an A-1 fitted with a central pontoon. In January 1912 he first flew his first hulled "hydro-aeroplane", which led to an introduction with the retired English naval officer John Cyril Porte
John Cyril Porte
Lieutenant Commander John Cyril Porte CMG, DSM, Royal Navy was a flying boat pioneer associated with the World War I Seaplane Experimental Station at Felixstowe.-Biography:...
who was looking for a partner to produce an aircraft with him in order to win the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
prize for the first transatlantic crossing. Porte improved the hull, including an innovative hull step for breaking clear of the water at takeoff
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
. They were joined by Lt John H Towers of the US Navy as a test pilot. This "America
Curtiss Model H
The Curtiss Model H was a family of classes of early long-range flying boats, the first two of which were developed directly on commission in the United States in response to the ₤10,000 prize challenge issued in 1913 by the London newspaper, the Daily Mail, for the first non-stop aerial crossing...
" flying boat of 1914 was a larger craft with two pusher engines, with which they hoped to claim the transatlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
prize.
Development stopped on the outbreak of war in Europe later that year. Porte, now back in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's flying arm the RNAS, commissioned more flying boats from Curtiss, which could be used for long-range anti-submarine and Zeppelin patrols. Porte modified these and developed them into his own range of Felixstowe flying boats
Felixstowe F.2
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bruce, J.M. Flight, 2 December 1955, pp. 842–846.* Bruce, J.M. Flight, 16 December 1955, pp. 895–898.* Bruce, J.M. Flight, 23 December 1955, pp. 929–932....
with more powerful engines, longer range and better handling characteristics. The design was shared with Curtiss, who built these improved models under license, selling them to the US government.
This culminated in the NC-4, the fourth of the Navy's first series of four medium-sized Curtiss NC floatplanes made for the Navy by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. The NC-4 made its first test flight on 30 April 1919.
After the end of the war and with several of the new Curtiss NC
Curtiss NC
-References:NotesBibliography* Holmes, Tony. Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide. London: Harper Collins, 2005. ISBN 0-0071-9292-4.* Steirman, Hy and Glenn D. Kittler. The First Transatlantic Flight, 1919, . New York: Richardson & Sterman, 1986. ISBN 0-931933-19-0.* Wagner, Ray. American...
aircraft on its hands, the officers in charge of the U.S. Navy decided to demonstrate their capability of transatlantic flight. However they allowed stops for meals and overnight sleeping, and also to refuel and carry out maintenance on the aircraft.
The Transatlantic flight
The U.S. Navy's transatlantic flightTransatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
expedition began on 8 May 1919. The NC-4 started out in the company of two other Curtiss NCs, the NC-1 and the NC-3 (with the NC-2 having been cannibalized for spare parts to repair the NC-1 before this group of planes had even left New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
). The three aircraft left from the Naval Air Station Rockaway
Naval Air Station Rockaway
Naval Air Station Rockaway adjoined Fort Tilden on the western portion of the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It was established on transferred municipal property in 1917 during American involvement in World War I, and was demolished in 1930 to make way for Jacob Riis Park...
, with intermediate stops at the Chatham Naval Air Station
Chatham Naval Air Station
Chatham Naval Air Station, was an operational United States Navy airfield from 1917 to 1922. It was first established as a blimp base during World War I. It was located in Chatham, Massachusetts....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and Halifax, Nova Scotia, before flying on to Trepassey, Newfoundland, on 15 May. Eight U.S. Navy warships were stationed along the east coast of North America
Atlantic Seaboard
The Atlantic seaboard watershed is a watershed of North America along both*the Atlantic Canada coast south of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence Watershed &*the East Coast of the United States north of the watershed of the Okeechobee Waterway....
to help the Curtiss NCs in navigation and to assist their crewmen in case of any emergency.
The "base ship" or the flagship for all of the Navy ships that had been assigned to support the flight of the Curtis NCs was the large, former minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
USS Aroostook
USS Aroostook (CM-3)
The USS Aroostook — a minelayer — was built in 1907 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the coastal passenger steamer SS Bunker Hill. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy in November 1917, and then renamed within a few days...
(CM-3), which the U.S. Navy converted into an aircraft tender immediately before the flight of the Curtis NCs. With a displacement of over 3,000 tons, the Aroostook was much larger than the several squadrons of U.S. Navy destroyers of that time, that had been assigned to support the transatlantic flight attempt. Before the Curtiss NCs took off from New York, the Aroostook had been sent to Trepassey, Newfoundland, to await their arrival there, and then provide refueling, relubrication, and maintenance work on the NC-1, NC-3 and NC-4. She then steamed across the Atlantic to pick up the NC-4 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
On 16 May, the three Curtiss NCs departed on the longest leg of their journey, from Newfoundland to the Portuguese Azores Islands in the mid-Atlantic. Twenty-two more U.S. Navy ships, mostly destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, were stationed at about 50-mile (80 km) spacings along this route. These "station ships" were brightly illuminated during the nighttime; their sailors shone the ships' searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
s into the sky, and they also fired star shells into the sky to help the aviators to stay on their intended flight route.
After flying all night and most of the next day, the NC-4 reached Horta
Horta (Azores)
Horta is a single municipality and city in the western part of the Archipealgo of the Azores, encompassing the island of Faial. Horta has a population of about approximately 15,038 people and an area of 173.1 square kilometers. The population density is about 88 persons per square kilometer...
, Faial Island
Faial Island
Faial Island , also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores....
, in the Azores on the following afternoon, having covered about 1,200 miles (1,920 km): It had taken 15 hours and 18 minutes to cover this leg, the aircraft having encountered thick fog banks along the route. Both the NC-1 and the NC-3 had been forced to land on the ocean due to rough flying weather.
The crewmen of the NC-1 were rescued by the Greek freighter SS Ionia; the NC-1 was taken in tow but sank three days later. The pilots of the "NC-3" "taxied" their aircraft on its floats the rest of the way to the Azores, where it was taken in tow by a U.S. Navy ship.
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
, São Miguel Island
São Miguel Island
São Miguel Island , nicknamed "The Green Island", is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese Azores archipelago. The island covers and has around 140,000 inhabitants, 45,000 of these people located in the largest city in the archipelago: Ponta Delgada.-History:In 1427, São Miguel...
, in the Azores, having covered only about 150 miles (240 km). After days of delays for repairs, the NC-4 took off again on 27 May, again aided by the station ships of the U.S. Navy: 13 ships distributed between the Azores and Lisbon. The NC-4 had no further serious problems, and it landed at Lisbon harbor after a flight of nine hours and 43 minutes, becoming the first aircraft of any kind to fly across the Atlantic Ocean - or any other ocean.
The part of this flight just from the Island of Newfoundland to Lisbon on the European mainland had taken a total time 10 days and 22 hours, but with the actual flight time being just 26 hours and 46 minutes.
The "NC-4" later flew on to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, arriving in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
on 31 May to great fanfare, having taken 23 days for the flight from Newfoundland to Great Britain. For the final legs (from Lisbon to Ferrol, Spain, and then from Ferrol to Plymouth), 10 more U.S. Navy ships were stationed along the route. In total of 53 U.S. Navy warships had been stationed along the route from New York City to Plymouth.
Most of the flight route taken by the NC-4 was indicated on the map of the North Atlantic published by Flight magazine on 29 May 1919, while the NC-4 was still at the mainland of Portugal.
The feat of making the first transatlantic flight was somewhat eclipsed shortly afterwards by the first nonstop transatlantic flight by John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown in a faster Vickers Vimy
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
, when they flew from Newfoundland to Ireland nonstop on 14–15 June 1919, in 16 hours and 27 minutes. Consequently, Alcock and Brown won a prize of £10,000 pounds sterling offered by the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
newspaper, which had been first announced in 1913, and then renewed in 1918, to "the aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight from any point in the United States, Canada, or Newfoundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland, in 72 consecutive hours." The conditions also stipulated that "only one aircraft may be used for each attempt."
Alcock and Brown also made their flight nonstop, even though this was not specified in the rules given by the Daily Mail. Conceivably, Alcock and Brown (or someone else) could have made stops on Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and/or Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
along the way for refueling, as long as they completed the entire flight within 72 hours. The rule that "only one aircraft may be used" eliminated the possibility of having fresh aircraft, with their fuel tanks already topped off, and new oil in their crankcase(s), waiting for pilots to change from one exhausted airplane to a fresh one.
The Curtiss NCs had not been entered into the above competition - because the U.S. Navy never planned for their flight to be completed in fewer than 72 hours, because this was completely impractical. For example, flying for 15 hours, 18 minutes, from Newfoundland to the Azones was an exhausting experience, requiring meals and sleep afterward. Also, as we have seen, after taking off from the Azores the first time, the "NC-4" experienced mechanical problems and hence had to land again at another of those islands for several days of repairs. Hence, just making a reasonable allowance beforehand for the probable requirement of a lot of repair work on the Curtis NCs, plus the flight time, plus the rest time required, plus the additional time that it took to fly from Lisbon to England, ruled out the possibility of any of the Curtis NCs making the flight from Newfoundland to southern England in under 72 hours.
The Crewmen on the NC-4
Albert Cushing Read
Albert Cushing "Putty" Read was an aviator and Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.-Biography:Read was born in Lyme, New Hampshire into a Boston Brahmin family. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduating in the Class of 1907. In 1915, he was designated Naval Aviator No. 24.As...
, the commander and navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
; Walter Hinton
Walter Hinton
Walter Hinton was a United States aviator.Hinton was born in a farming family in Van Wert, Ohio. Seeing a poster urging young men to "Join the Navy and See The World", he joined the United States Navy...
and Elmer Fowler Stone
Elmer Fowler Stone
Elmer "Archie" Fowler Stone was a United States naval aviator and a Commander in the United States Coast Guard.-Biography:...
, the two pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
; James L. Breese and Eugene T. "Smokey" Rhoads, the two flight engineer
Flight engineer
Flight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
s; and Herbert C Rodd, the radio operator. Earlier, E.H. Howard had been chosen go as one of the flight engineers, but Howard had one of his hands cut off by an aircraft propeller in a bad accident in New York, consequently, he was replaced by Smokey Rhoads in the crew.
After the crossing
After arriving at Plymouth, England, the crewmen of the NC-4, who had been reunited with the crewmen of the less-successful NC-1 and NC-3, went by train to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and there they received a tumultuous welcome. Next, they visited Paris, France, for more acclaim.
The NC-4 was dismantled in Plymouth, and then loaded onto the aircraft tender USS Aroostook
USS Aroostook (CM-3)
The USS Aroostook — a minelayer — was built in 1907 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the coastal passenger steamer SS Bunker Hill. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy in November 1917, and then renamed within a few days...
, the base ship for the Curtis NC's transatlantic flight,
for the return journey to the United States. The Aroostook arriving in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
on 2 July 1919.
Following the return of the three aircrews on board the USS Zeppelin
USS Zeppelin (1914)
USS Zeppelin was a passenger liner launched in 1914 as SS Zeppelin by Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack, Germany, for Norddeutscher Lloyd . Due to the First World War she never entered NDL service...
, a goodwill tour of the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and the Gulf Coast was carried out by the crewmen.
In 1929, to honor the men of this first transatlantic flight, the U.S. Navy created a special military decoration
Awards and decorations of the United States military
Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...
known as the NC-4 Medal
NC-4 Medal
The NC-4 Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was created by an act of the United States Congress on February 9, 1929. The medal was intended to recognize those members of US Naval aviation which had performed the first Transatlantic flight.The NC-4 Medal was presented to six...
.
The NC-4 is property of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, since it was given to that institution by the U.S. Navy after its return to the United States. However, the aircraft was too large to be housed in either the older Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, or in its successor, the National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
, also in Washington. A model of the NC-4 is kept in the Milestones of Flight Gallery in the National Air and Space Museum, a place of honor, along with the original Wright Flyer
Wright Flyer
The Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, 1903 near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.The U.S...
of 1903; Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
's Spirit of St. Louis
Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single engine, single-seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt...
of 1927; and Chuck Yeager
Chuck Yeager
Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...
's Glamorous Glennis X-1 rocket aircraft of 1947. The fully reassembled NC-4 is on loan from the Smithsonian to the National Museum of Naval Aviation
National Museum of Naval Aviation
The National Museum of Naval Aviation is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The museum opened in 1962....
in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
.
Specifications
External links
- First flight across the Atlantic
- Forgotten Flyers of 1919
- NC-4 on Naval Aviation Museum site
- Albert C. Read and the NC-4 on Early Aviators site, with good photographs
- Navy-Curtiss NC-4 Flying Boat on aviation-history.com
- History Detectives . Investigations - NC-4: First Across the Atlantic - PBS