Batson Flying Boats

hesham

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Hi,

Mr. Matthew Arlington Batson formed the Batson Air Navigation Co. in USA during 1912,he designed and built two flying boats,the Air Yacht and Dragonfly,he also created some patents.

Aero WW1 (103)
 

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Last edited:
And;
 

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Hee!
Hee!
Looks like he suffered an overage on one size of wings and just kept bolting them together until he used up his surplus stock.
Sort of like the Caproni sort of flying houseboat.
 
Some details from Scientific American Volume 109, Issue 24, 13 Dec 1913

"The machine is equipped with twelve large wing planes, one pair having a spread of 39½ feet, and four pair with a spread of 37½ feet, while a sixth pair has a spread of 30 feet. The wings are peculiarly designed with the purpose of guiding the air currents inwardly toward the body of the machine and there banking them under the base portion of the wings, which are concaved underneath and carried back along the chassis, so that the currents of air are conducted along the parts nearest the chassis. Any wing, or set of four wings or all twelve may have their angle of incidence changed at the will of the pilot by the turn of a wheel while the machine is in full flight.

The machine is equipped with three Emerson aeroplane engines, of six cylinder type, installed in the floor of the pilot house. Combined, these engines will supply 250 horse-power, driving the propellers at 1,000 revolutions per minute. Any one of the engines may be thrown out of or into action by the operation of a clutch.

The cabin of the machine is 27 feet long, and is constructed of cypress paneling 3/8 of an inch thick, over which is a covering of canvas. The lifeboat is made of three ply cypress and ash with inter-layers of canvas. The length of the machine is 74 feet and the boat 33 feet.

It is by far the most elaborate hydro-aeroplane ever attempted. The inventor expects to fly across the Atlantic in this machine. We have yet to learn what it will do in flight."

riggerbob: According to contemporary newspaper (eg: The Tacoma Times, 5 Dec 1913, pg 12), wing incidence could be varied in flight. The goal of the multi-plane arrangement was "perfect stability and security from accident, according to Captain Batson."

Hesham: I realize that the names Air Yacht and Aero Yacht refer to the same aircraft. I was wondering about which spelling was correct ... ie, which spelling did the Batson Air Navigation Co. employ?

The New England Air Museum refers to it as the Aero Yacht. So does William E. Scarborough (WW1 Aero, #103 Feb 1985) and a local area history (Isle of Hope: Wormsloe and Bethesda, Polly Wylly Cooper, Arcadia, 2002).

On the other hand, Aerofiles and ER Johnson (in American Flying Boats and Amphibious Aircraft: An Illustrated History) use Air Yacht.
 
From le Fana 197.
 

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Hello All,

Here are some photos of the Batson Aero Yacht model, now housed at the New England Air Museum. Next to the model is a large information board, providing detail about Matthew A. Batson and his aeronautical ambitions. These images come courtesy of a Flickr album:

Flickr - Robert Rouse - New England Air Museum

Cheers,
Paul
 

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Hello All,

A couple of sketches of the Batson Aero Yacht, showing it flying through the air. These were included a contemporary article about Batson's machine, and which can be accessed here:

Archive.com - "Popular Electricity Magazine" - December 1913 - pages 932-933

The first illustration is essentially the same as the one used for the Batson Air Navigation Company's prospectus, though with minor differences.

Cheers,
Paul
 

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