58

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1923-Contin ued

4 November Lieutenant Alford J. Williams, flying an

R2C-l equipped with a Curtiss D-12 engine, raised the

world speed record to 266.59 mph at Mitchel Field,

Long Island, N.Y., bettering the record set by

Lieutenant Harold 1. Brow only two days before.

5 November A series of tests, designed to show the

feasibility of stowing a seaplane aboard the submarine

S-l and launching it, were completed at the Hampton

Roads Naval Base, Va. A crew from Langley, super-

vised by Lieutenant Commander Virgil C. Griffin, had

cooperated with the S-l's Commanding Officer,

Lieutenant Powel M. Rhea, in carrying out the tests

which involved removing a disassembled Martin MS-1

from a tank on the submarine, assembling it, and

launching it by submerging the submarine.

6 November Lieutenant Alford J. Williams, in an

R2C-l, climbed to 5,000 feet in 1 minute, bettering the

best previously reported climb of 2,000 feet in the

same time.

16 November The Bureau of Aeronautics directed

that all aircraft attached to vessels of the fleet be over-

hauled once every six months.

3 December The establishment of a special service

squadron, for the purpose of developing long-distance

scouting planes, was approved by the Chief of Naval

Operations. The squadron, designated VS Squadron 3,

was initially based at NAS Anacostia, D.C., and com-

manded by Lieutenant Commander Charles P. Mason.

7 December The Bureau of Aeronautics established a

new designation system for catapults whereby a type let-

ter, "A" for compressed air, "P" for powder, and "F' for

flywheel, indicated the energy source while major design

modifications were indicated by Mark numbers. Under

this system, the compressed air, turntable catapult

demonstrated at the Naval Aircraft Factory and installed

aboard Maryland (BB 46) was designated type "A" Mark

I, and Langley's catapult was designated type "A", Mark

III. This designation system was subsequently extended,

with some modification, to include other energy sources,

notably the type letter "H" for hydraulic catapults.

1924

3 January VT Squadron 20, commanded by

Lieutenant Commander George D. Murray, sailed from

San Diego, Calif., on board Vega (AK 17) for transfer

to the Philippine Islands to operate from Ajax (AG 15)

as the first air unit of the Asiatic Fleet.

4 February The Bureau of Aeronautics directed that

the practice of striping or camouflaging aircraft be dis-

continued and that by 1 July all aircraft should be

painted in accordance with the prescribed naval gray

except stretched fabric on wing and tail and some

fuselage surfaces which were to be aluminum. The

one exception permitted was that all squadrons of a

station, force, or fleet could uniformly paint the upper

wing chrome yellow or other color to increase visibili-

ty in case of forced landing.

26 February VS Squadron 3 was authorized to fly

one division of CS seaplanes from Anacostia, D.C., to

Ai Williams, speed record holder with R3C-1 459589

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