Flying three hundred thousand pounds through the air at more than four miles per minute may seem fantastic but present design trends indicate that we may expect flying boats of this size and speed within the near future. Larger and faster flying boats with long range and commodious passenger facilities for fast inter-continental transportation at lower cost.
Our Engineering Department has made a study of a flying boat based on characteristics of racing type seaplanes which have attained speeds of 440 miles per hour. Making appropriate changes in size and improvements consistent with present day knowledge the general appearance and performance of a large flying boat has been determined. A maximum speed of 260 miles per hour with a cruising speed of 230 miles per hour are attainable.
One hundred and fifty passengers can travel in this air liner amid luxurious facilities for recreation and traveling comfort. Extra-fare passengers can enjoy the privacy of staterooms while others will be provided with commodious pullman seats convertible to sleeping berths for overnight travel. The state rooms and recreational facilities will be housed in the wing. The twin hulls will carry a majority of the passengers and part of the crew of twenty, as well as tons of express and mail. Fuel tanks in the outer wing panels will carry over 1 5,000 gallons of gasoline which will be sufficient for 4000 miles of flight.
The design of the twin hulls is based on the most advanced type tested by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at Langley Field, Virginia. This type gives very low water and air resistance. Each of the six 16 '4 foot propellers is driven by two 1 500 horsepower engines housed in the leading edge of the wing where they can be serviced in flight. The streamlined structure supporting the propellers will contain the power plant accessories. The total combined output of the engines will be 18,000 horsepower approximately half of which could be disconnected for servicing in flight.
Although this design study was based on light gasoline engine design, great strides are being made in Diesel engine development so that it is reasonable to believe that they also may be available for airplanes of this size. The Diesel engine would give even greater efficiency resulting in lower cost of operation. A landing speed of 60-75 miles per hour (dependent upon loading) will be obtained by the use of wing flaps and is considered entirely safe for a flying boat of this size. The application of twin hulls to this design permits a wider distribution of weight along the wing span with a corresponding reduction in wing weight.
An initial wing loading of 46 pounds per square foot will insure riding comfort hitherto unknown. Although the range of the airplane would permit circumnavigation of a storm area, it is not believed that the craft would be uncomfortable if driven through mild storms. Wing loadings have successfully increased from 15 to 30 pounds per square foot with increase in size of much smaller flying boats. This increase in loading has been accompanied with increased comfort and therefore, a still further increase is logical especially for long range where a considerable change in weight occurs due to consumption of fuel.
More technical data are accumulating daily toward the solutions of the problems accompanying the development of large aircraft. Devices for control of super-sized aircraft are rapidly being worked out so that great forward strides are inevitable.