Warships' artillery turrets used to create removable platform for the takeoff of planes
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Title (Dublin Core)
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Warships' artillery turrets used to create removable platform for the takeoff of planes
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Article Title and/or Image Caption (Dublin Core)
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They Take Their Flight from the Muzzles of Guns
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extracted text (Extract Text)
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WHEN fighting-ships took
to sending airmen aloft
instead of able seamen, it be-
came necessary for an occa-
sional cruising man-o’-war to
have an airplane all its
own. It was comparatively
easy to get the plane. The
big problem was how to fly
it; because, with all modern
improvements, airplanes are
still unable to rise vertic: lly.
They have to get a good start,
just as some of the larger birds
run along the ground with spread
wings before launching themselves
into the air.
“Mother” ships (such as were
shown on page 80 of POPULAR
SCIENCE MONTHLY for February)
solved the problem for fleets or
squadrons large enough to “rate,”
as sailors say, such a ship; but the
lone cruiser had to shift for
herself,
Oneingenious way of providing the
necessary starting platform or run-
way is shown here. The great
guns and their turrets were used
as foundations upon which remov-
able platforms could be quickly
laid down or taken up. A glance
at the pictures tells the story: The
plane is lifted by tackles to its perch
on the turret-top, the bo'sun's
whistle shrills the order to lay the
track, the ship swings so that the
platform points into the eye of the
wind, and the big plane sails out
and off.
Of course, the plane on returning
can’t land on the small platform;
but, being a seaplane provided with
pontoons, it settles down easily
in the lee of the vessel, makes
fast to a tackle, and is hoisted
on board very much as a life-boat
would be.
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Language (Dublin Core)
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eng
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Date Issued (Dublin Core)
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1919-03
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pages (Bibliographic Ontology)
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49
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Rights (Dublin Core)
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Public domain (Google digitized)
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Archived by (Dublin Core)
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Davide Donà
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Marco Bortolami (editor)
Popular Science Monthly, v. 94, n. 3, 1919
