Frederick William Lanchester

“ Now this slope and motion, as is well known, are so co-ordinated that the normal to the wave slope is always the apparent plumb, and so it may even turn out that the flying-machine, on taking the deck of a vessel studied as a raft rather than as a ship, will (even when the motion is severe) have no tendency either to side-slip overboard or turn turtle. ”

“ The same conditions which are favourable to alighting, as from the point of view of relative motion, are also favourable to the machine when getting away. Thus, with a 40-mile-per-hour wind and a vessel at full speed, head to wind (as already assumed) , a machine will be able to leave the deck with a relative motion of only some 10 or 20 miles per hour and a flight velocity of 70 or 80 miles per hour. ”

“ Without doubt, under extreme conditions operations will become frankly impossible; but, under similar conditions, it will be also impossible to employ a machine designed to rise from the water. The conditions in the case of the pontoon-ship, however, are not really so unfavourable as might be thought; the vessel can always be brought head to wind, when the relative velocity of the machine on alighting will be reduced by the velocity of the wind ”

“ When the operations in contemplation are far removed from home, beyond the radius of action of aeroplanes operating from a coast station or from friendly territory, we find ourselves confronted with difficulties of a kind for which there is no parallel in land operations. ”

“ Whilst it is evidently desirable that all machines in the service of the Navy should be able to rise from the sea, the conditions are evidently altered when an immersion is to be regarded as an accident rather than as part of the regular routine. ”

“ For the primary function of the aeronautical arm in the Navy, whether it be scouting, or attack on the submarine, or torpedo work, there is no outstanding advantage in the employment of machines in great numbers.
For the latter duty (when the machine for this class of work has been developed) , it may be found desirable to attack by squadrons or flights rather than by individual machines. ”

“ So far as coastal work is concerned, there appears to be no present difficulty in effectually patrolling the whole of the home waters to a distance of some 200 or 300 miles from our shores, other than the want of the necessary machines and the requisite organisation—that is to say, there is no difficulty of a technical or engineering character. ”

“ To provide an upper deck of sufficient area to act as an "alighting ground" completely free from obstruction—i.e., there may be no masts, funnels, ventilators, cranes, searchlight platform, or wireless apparatus such as would form a permanent projection above the flying-deck level. The conditions as to deck area, etc., must be such as to give ample room for alighting or getting off to a pilot of ordinary skill. ”

“ To some extent, as touching more especially points of strategic importance, aircraft are already occupied in this duty; the extension of the system is mainly a matter of increase in materiel and personnel. ”

“ Unfortunately the demand and pressure for increase are felt in all branches of the aeronautical services, and it cannot but take some considerable time to build additional machines, apart from the time which must be expended in the training of the personnel and in accumulating the experience necessary to determine what types and establishment are really necessary. ”

“ We may anticipate that, apart from such mechanical detail as alighting gear, relative petrol capacity, etc., the requirements of the naval and military machines for the destruction of hostile aircraft will not differ greatly. Bach will rely mainly on the gun in some shape or form for its power of offence, and will depend upon its speed to force the enemy into engagement. ”

“ A cruiser, well served by its air scouts, in pursuit of an enemy (if not fast enough or strong enough to give battle) , would be able, having located the enemy, to warn merchantmen of their danger and at the same time to call for the requisite reinforcements. It would also be no longer possible for an enemy cruiser to secure concealment amongst the islands of an archipelago or in a river mouth or estuary.
§ 80. Points in Favour of the Double- Float. For the duties of bomb and torpedo air-craft, discussed in detail in the preceding chapter, the boat type of machine is ill-suited ”

“ Both types will be sent into action in the greatest numerical strength that circumstances permit, or as limited by the number that can be handled or manoeuvred without undue danger to themselves, in order to bring the heaviest fire concentration upon the enemy, and to take full advantage of the n-square law. ”