She Launches Seaplanes and She's Unsinkable 



A ship which is built to serve as a 

 starting platform for airplanes and 

 to combat the submarine menace 



IF water is reasonably clear, a submarine, 

 not too far submerged, can be seen from 

 an airplane. Unfortunately an airplane 

 cannot rise from rough water. Hence, 

 even when used as a scout for a battle fleet 

 in order to determine the number and posi- 

 tion of an enemy's ships, the seaplane has 

 its limitations. 



Mr. John L, Bogert, a mechanical and 

 consulting engineer of New York city, has 

 designed what seems to us the most 

 practical and brilliant plan thus far pro- 

 posed for coping with the problem of 

 detecting submarines as well as increasing 

 the possible applications of the seaplane in 

 rough weather. We doubt whether sub- 

 marines can be detected under water 

 except in the most favorable conditions, but 

 apart from that Mr. Bogert's plan has 

 genuine merit. 



Like an eagle, an airplane must be in 

 motion before it can fly. It must run along 

 the ground or the water until it gathers 

 momentum. Since it is impossible to 

 gather speed in rough water, Mr. Bogert 

 proposes first of all to eliminate the super- 

 structures and deck houses found on every 

 ship. All smokestacks, ventilators, masts, 

 boat cranes, deck houses, and obstructions 

 that might injure the returning or departing 

 airplane are either eliminated entirely or 

 made so that they can be stowed away. 

 The wireless masts, as well as the derricks 

 for hoisting the seaplanes- on board after 

 their flight, are made to swing from a hori- 

 zontal to a vertical position. The hatches 

 are flush with the deck. 



Incline deck forward 

 to launch seaplanes 



fcbmRapid-fire guns 

 Wireless masts 



Bow-on view of the Bogert mother-ship 

 showing seaplane ready for its flight 



Since the airplane must have a good 

 start, the ship is 560 feet long. Toward the 

 bow, the runway rises so as to provide a 

 good take-off for the airplane. Beneath 

 the take-off is the pilot house. 



It is possible for a skilful aviator to land 

 on the deck of Mr. Bogert's vessel. But it 

 is more likely that he would prefer to alight 

 on the water. Should he do so, a crane will 

 hoist him on board again. 



Mr. Bogert's mother-ship for airplanes 

 (it can carry at least a half dozen of them) 

 is torpedo-proof. The hull is subdivided 

 by transverse bulkheads and is provided 

 with cellular sides to distribute the force of 

 the explosion of at least two torpedoes. A 

 battery of four six-inch rapid-fire guns is so 

 mounted on the ship that any three can be 

 trained on an object ahead of the stern. 



Landing on a deck is not easy, par- 

 ticularly if the speed of the seaplane is 

 thirty-five or forty miles an hour. Mr. 

 Bogert would therefore provide the sea- 

 planes with brakes which would bring them 

 to a stop in about one hundred and eighty 

 feet. This rate of retardation is about 

 twice as great as that of the emergency 

 brakes used on most railways. 



Mr. Bogert's ship is to be driven by 

 Diesel engines. Steam, however, could be 

 used if folding smokestacks are adopted. 



Cabins.livinq quarters and 

 repair shop for seaplanes 



The masts, funnels, derricks, of Mr. Bogert's mother-ship for seaplanes can be swung down. 

 An absolutely unobstructed deck is thus provided for the launching of the seaplane. The ship 

 is to be 560 feet long and about 80 feet beam. It will be driven either by Diesel or steam engines 



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