10

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1912-Continued

in evaluating an aircraft engine, consisted of three

brief dynamometer tests, followed by ground runs and

flight tests.

8 October Physical requirements for prospective

naval aviators were first defined in Bureau of Medicine

and Surgery Circular Letter 125221.

25 October Ensign Godfrey deC. Chevalier, later

designated Naval Aviator No.7, reported for flight

training at the Aviation Camp at Annapolis, Md.

12 November The Navy's first successful launching

of an airplane by catapult was made at the

Washington Navy Yard by Lieutenant Theodore G.

Ellyson in the A-3. The following month a flying boat

was successfully launched from this catapult.

26 November Lieutenant Ug) Patrick N. 1. Bellinger,

later Naval Aviator No.8, reported for flight instruction

at the Aviation Camp, Annapolis, Md.

30 November The C-1, the Navy's first flying boat,

was tested at Hammondsport, N.Y., by Lieutenant

Theodore G. Ellyson. Its performance, as informally

reported by Ellyson, was: "Circular climb, only one

complete circle, 1,575 feet in 14 minutes 30 seconds

fully loaded. On glide approximately 5.3 to 1. Speed,

eight runs over measured mile, 59.4 miles per hour

fully loaded. The endurance test was not made, owing

to the fact that the weather has not been favorable,

and I did not like to delay any longer."

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Catapult launch offlying boat, Washington, D.C 428462

Godfrey deC Chevalier 466256

2 December Ensign William D. Billingsley, later to

become Naval Aviator No.9, reported for duty at the

Aviation Camp, Annapolis, Md., and was assigned to

the Navy-Wright B-2 for instruction.

18 December Lieutenant John H. Towers reported

completion of a series of tests begun on 26 October to

determine the ability to spot submarines from the air.

He gave general conclusions that the best altitude for

observation was about 800 feet; that submarines could

be detected when running a few feet below the sur-

face, but that the waters of Chesapeake Bay were too

muddy for a fair test; and suggested that additional tri-

als be held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

19 December President William H. Taft, acting on a

recommendation made by the Secretary of the Navy,

created a "Commission on Aerodynamical Laboratory"

to determine the need for and a method of establish-

ing such a laboratory. Navy members of the commis-

sion were Naval Constructor David W. Taylor and

Captain Washington 1. Chambers.

1913

6 January The entire aviation element of the Navy

arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and set up the

Aviation Camp on Fisherman's Point for its first opera-

tions with the fleet. The assignment, which included

scouting missions and exercises in spotting mines and

submerged submarines as part of the fleet maneuvers,

served both to demonstrate operational capabilities of

the aircraft and to stimulate interest in aviation among

fleet personnel, more than a hundred of whom were

taken up for flights during the eight-week stay.