Navy Curtis (NC) Flying Boats 1919

 15 Jan 25:

NC-4, in the first photo below, was the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic back in May of 1919, flying from Rockaway, New York to Plymouth, England with a few stops along the way. The photo was taken in October 1919 at the Navy Wharf in Washington, DC. 

What is more amazing beyond the Transatlantic crossing was the logistics effort to disassemble the aircraft, safely return it to the US in a ship, reassemble and then launch on a publicity tour of the Eastern US. That's a lot of parts and pieces to keep track of. We also like the little sightseeing canoe in the photo, reminds us of something Capn Jack and Audrey would do.

NC-1 is shown here flying near Rockaway, she made it almost all the way to the Azores, and had to be abandoned at sea after being damaged in a landing, with the crew safely aboard a support ship.

We also enjoy seeing photos of the maintenance crew and flight crew, working together to make it all happen. Check out the flight crew's gear, we really didn't have aircrew flight clothing back then, so oilskins and thick long johns were the uniform of the day. The pilots could hide behind a tiny piece of glass in their open cockpit, while the navigator poked his head out of the bow cupola to take sightings with his aerial sextant. Meanwhile the Flight Engineer worked from engine to engine on the wing, checking oil and water, adjusting timing, etc...Hard core.

Flying Boat

 15 Jan 22:

A boat that flies? Or is it a plane that floats? Here is an image of the US Navy's NC-4, circa 1919, one of the few shots I know of where she is floating on air vs water. 

In May of 1919 NC-4 became the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic, stopping at several points along the way. After reaching England she was disassembled, shipped back to the United States, reassembled and she then flew a victory lap around the eastern parts of the US. Photos of that tour would be amazing.

Even more amazing, NC-4 is still around, on display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.

Log of NC-4.

Gantry

 07 Jan 22:

We don't have a gantry but we're sure that we need one. It could be tucked away nest to the Carriage House or soon to be built covered work deck. We'd use it to move boats on and off of trailers, maybe to turn over a boat.

(Image Credit: Mystic Seaport)

Not sure if we'd need one as big as the one that Herreshoff used about 100 years ago, shown here lifting an H16 Flying Boat hull outside of the "Small Boat" Shop. Our favorite flying boat, NC-4, 60 feet long, is tucked into the shop, her snout peeking out the small door just past the gantry. The flying boat hulls were lifted onto a barge, then taken to a nearby spot to be loaded onto rail cars.

(Image Credit: Herreshoff Museum)

Stay tuned.

NC-4 at Ponta Delgada, 1919

17 Dec 20: 

NC-4 at Ponta Delgada, next stop Spain, on the first Transatlantic flight.

We love the photos with the boats in them, of the non-flying type...the crew of NC-4 reported that one of their biggest concerns was having their hull damaged by one of the support boats or sightseers.

Log of NC-4.

NC-4 Podcast with East Passage Boatwrights

13 May 20:

Fun podcast we did about the Nancies with Carter and Tyler of East Passage Boatwrights and Tyler Fields Photography.

"Today, we take trans-Atlantic flight for granted; jump on a plane in the early evening on the East Coast and arrive in London, Paris, or Amsterdam by sunrise. But shortly after the Wright Brothers flew in Kitty Hawk in 1903, sights were set to reach Europe by air, and as the world was mired in World War I, this achievement became even more vital to the success of the Allies.

The Navy tasked the Curtis Aircraft Company to accomplish this feat, and with help from the boat builders of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and Lawley & Son, a revolutionary design of a flying boat was delivered — The NC, or the “Flying Nancies”. In this episode we talk with retired Marine Corps pilot and small boat builder, Kent Lewis, about the merger between these great companies and their groundbreaking achievements. Listen in!"

https://aroundthebuoy.com/ep-44-the-flying-nancies/

NC-4 Flying Boat Seminar at Herreshoff Marine Museum Sep 2019

17 Apr 20:

I spoke at the Herreshoff Seminar series September 2019 on the flying boat hull that was built in Bristol 1918-1919. The hull was used on NC-4, the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic.



NC-4 is on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.

Log of NC-4.

NC-4 Flying Boat Maintenance

05 Mar 20:

We picked up another nice vintage photograph of the US Navy Curtiss Flying Boat NC-4. She was the first aircraft to complete a successful Atlantic crossing in 1919. I like looking at the photos of the flying boat while she is getting maintenance, it must have been a challenge to maintain bot a boat and an airplane, in a saltwater environment. Flying was new, flying boats were new, the engines were new, radios, navigation gear, everything was new.

I lost count at about 12 of all the maintenance and flight crew personnel on the aircraft. She was big, 48 foot hull with a 126 foot upper wingspan. Takeoff weight was around 28,000 pounds.

We are working on a book, the Triumph of the NCs: Centennial. It will include a transcription of the 1921 Triumph of the NCs, old photos that we have collected that date 1919 and newer, and current day photos from the aircraft, which is on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. We hope to publish it this Summer.

Log of NC-4.

NC-4 Refueling and Another Wooden Boat

19 Oct 19:

NC-4 refueling from her support ship in Lisbon, during the 1919 transatlantic flight. The gents in the boat look pretty dandy.

Log of NC-4

Herreshoff Marine Museum and NC-4

17 Sep 19:

I was invited to speak about the Navy Curtiss Flying Boat NC-4 at the Herreshoff Museum, they built the flying boat hull in 1918, it was a key component of the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic in 1919. So I flew into Providence Airport, which is in Warwick Rhode Island and made my first stop on the trip to visit PRIM, an Amphicraft built by Herreshoff in 1935, hull 1276, currently on display at the airport.

Oops got distracted by the 1931 Herreshoff 15 FIREFLY. She keeps PRIM company and has some amazing bronze.

Next I checked out Herreshoff's TWO FORTY, an innovative gasoline power launch built in 1904. We might need one of these.

The rudder linkage and amazing bronze really caught our attention.

Now back to PRIM, I wanted to get some more detail shots of the A. Sidney DeWolf Herreshoff's ingenuity.

Feathering mast that carries a wishboom rig. As we go through the photos note that the rig will break down into small enough parts so that all of the spars can stow inside the boat.

The Amphicraft came with a trailer that road on Indian Motorcycle wheels.

Centerboard handle with its little uplock.

Heel rests for rowing.

There are a couple of notched wooden brackets on the inner transom, they hold the spars for road transport.

I think we have the hitch for this!

Tiedown cranks with keeper pins.

They hid the rudder so Skipper doesn't steal her, smart move.

Wishboom rig, no boom to hit folks in the cockpit and booms were set away from the sail to prevent airflow and sail shape interference.

Grooved mast for sail bolt rope.

Scarfed 2 part mast.

The Museum let me stay at their house on the bay, beautiful sunset!

18 Sep 19:

Followed by a beautiful sunrise.

Had a nice walk to breakfast and found a WPA project along the way.

I had a full day to fiddle while I waited for the evening reception and lecture, so I visited our friends at Jamestown Distributors, got to meet a lot of their fine crew and Jakie. Kristin gave me a tour, we saw the CLC Peeler Skiff that they are team building, their Amazon fulfillment area and the Tech Team call center. I also got to see where they are rerranging their showroom, setting up to film more great videos on product usage and host training classes.

Next I tracked down our web buddy Louis Sauzedde, he was working on Ken's Alden 270, incorporating some very unique materials and methods of construction. UMHW frames, planked with two layers of Philippine mahogany, the inner layer strip planked and the outer layer carvel.

Louis' design, rolling bevel circular saw.

Screw slot cleaner and reshaper, ship saw and a non descript building where no one knows a beautiful boat is being built.

Had lunch then headed over to the Museum, topic of tonight's lecture was Navy Curtiss Flying Boat NC-4, she's snuggled safe and sound down in Pensacola, Florida at the National naval Aviation Museum.

1992 America's Cup boat DEFIANT, just a bit big to fit inside.

Took a peek at a few of the Nc-4 display items first.

I was gathered up by Bill, one of the docents, and he gave me a great tour of the collection and workshop. First stop was WEE WINN, an 1892 1/2 Rater keel fin sloop, raced by Miss Winnifred Sutton over in England, she cleaned up 20 of 21 matches.

There is a good webpage that lists all of the collection's boats, open another tab and click on the link to have a handy reference as I take you on a speed pass. My focus was the small boats, ones that I could tow behind our van, and a few other select boats. I had a list and Bill made sure we saw all of them, plus a few more.

More on WEE WINN later. We went to over to another 15 Class, like FIREFLY at the airport, one that Bill had owned at one point. She looks fast just sitting there and has beautiful lines.

Next was EAGLET, a lapstrake sailing tender, centerboarder built 1916.

Something shiny over here, a kayak named ATTU, built 1944 from a ASDeWH design.

Back to EAGLET.

I'm not sure where ANKLE DEEP fits in the collection, but she looks mighty fine.

A peek overhead at AMARYLLIS' daggerboard trunk, more on her later. My camera battery was running low so I only snapped a few shots on the first pass, then came back later for a few more after a recharge

1859 SPRITE, Herreshoff's oldest hull and one of the oldest catboats ever designed.

AMARYLLIS II, built 1933 from NGH's 1875 design.

The Herreshoff 12 1/2, one of the most popular designs.

Bill was a great tour guide, having owned and sailed many Herreshoff designs.

Upstairs to look at the car and tiller on AMARYLLIS II.

Looking down at the 12 1/2 BULLDOG.

Next we got into detail shots on the small tenders.

JACK

GEM

COLUMBIA's tender

Next we went across the street to check out the workshop. On the way we saw a nice little 12 1/2 for sale, ZEPHYR.

We stumbled across Dan Shea, moving his shop to a bigger location and getting ready to expand his educational programs. He is the owner of Bristol Boat Company and has a great facebook page.

Next stop was the workshop, where volunteers were working on a steam launch exhibit model. The sides are cut out so the kids can see the setup.

Boiler and engine.

CHarged the camera and back into the main exhibit hall. AMARYLLIS II again, we find her fascinating.

PLEASURE, Capn Nat's Florida centerboarder.

WEE WINN.

SPRITE.

COQUINA with mizzen removed.

Rudder derigged for transport.

Sail loft display.

Then it was time for the NC-4 lecture. We had a great host and a great crowd, nice reception, lots of good questions. Afterwards we were invited up to the model room to see the NC-4 model. I had snapped a few pictures from outside earlier, not being sure if the room would be open later.

The NC-4 model is a beautiful ship, built in 1995, powered by electric motors, the builder was kind enough to donate it to the Museum. While I was looking at the model i had the good fortune to meet Mr. Halsey Herreshoff, a skilled America's Cup sailor and former President of the Museum. He lives nearby and comes over to work in the model room and check on the special events. We had a nice chat and he expressed an interest to come visit NC-4 down in Pensacola!

The half models in the room date back to the late 1800s, so the room is temperature and humidity controlled, and not always open to the public. There was a very interesting catamaran model from the 1870s, paper hulls, one of Herreshoff's "first composites" was how Mr. Herreshoff described it. He said the design was inspired by the proa next to it.

We wrapped up the evening with a discussion about catamarans and their sister ships down on the Gulf Coast. There were about 20 various sizes built and some may have migrated south, as the concepts show up in regattas around the same time period.

19 Sep 19:

See you next time PRIM!

I can't thank the folks at HMM enough for their hospitality and the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite aircraft. And can't wait to get back to visit again soon with the Skipper. The lecture was recorded and it will be uploaded soon to their website, we'll post the link as soon as that happens. In the meantime, I highly suggest that you plan a visit to this great facility.

Thanks for reading,
Clark

FMI:
Museum Collection List of Boats
Herreshoff Marine Museum