Water wings that inflate automaticallywhen an airplane is forced down at seahave been developed by the U.S. Navy for the planes attached to aircraft carriers. These planes must have wheeled gear for landing on decks, and the addition of pontoons would cut down their speed and maneuverability, hence the development of water wings. Made of tough, rubberized material, they fit into compartments on wings and fuselage and are quickly inflated from flasks of carbon-dioxide gas the moment the plane strikes the water, even if the pilot is unconscious. Automatic moisture detectors which are not affected by rain or fog start the flow of gas. One plane was kept afloat nearly twenty-four hours.