50

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1921-Continued

1 August A World War I high-altitude bombsight,

mounted on a gyroscopically stabilized base, was tested

by the Torpedo Squadron, Atlantic Fleet at Yorktown,

Va., marking the successful completion of the first

phase of Carl L. Norden's development of an effective

high-altitude bombsight for the Bureau of Ordnance.

9 August Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, USN (Ret.),

proposed as a landing surface for aircraft carriers, "a

nice soft cushion" so mounted "that it would take up

the forward motion of the airplane and not check its

forward velocity at once."

10 August A General Order established the Bureau of

Aeronautics, and defined its duties under the Secretary of

the Navy as comprising "all that relates to designing,

building, fitting out, and repairing Naval and Marine

Corps aircraft;" gave it authority to recommend to the

Bureau of Navigation and the Commandant of the Marine

Corps on all matters pertaining to aeronautic training and

the assignment of officer and enlisted personnel to avia-

tion; described the scope of its relationships with other

bureaus having cognizance of aeronautical materials and

equipment; and also directed that special provision be

made in its organization to furnish information "covering

all aeronautic planning, operations and administration

that may be called for by the Chief of Naval Operations."

11 August Practical development of carrier arresting

gear was initiated at Hampton Roads as Lieutenant

Alfred M. Pride taxied an Aeromarine onto the dummy

deck, and engaged arresting wires. These tests result-

ed in the development of arresting gear for Langley,

consisting essentially of both athwartship wires

attached to weights, and fore and aft wires.

-

24 August During its fourth trial flight, the R-38

(ZR-2) rigid airship purchased by the Navy from the

Royal Air Force, broke into two parts and fell into the

Humber River at Hull, England. It carried to their

deaths 28 British nationals and 16 Americans, includ-

ing Air Commodore E. M. Maitland and Commander

Louis H. Maxfield, the latter the prospective American

commanding officer.

1 September The Bureau of Aeronautics began func-

tioning as an organizational unit of the Navy Department,

under its Chief, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett.

26 October A compressed air, turntable catapult, in

its first successful test, launched an N-9 seaplane pilot-

ed by Commander Holden C. Richardson from a pier

at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pa.

3 November A Curtiss-Navy racer, powered by a

400-hp Curtiss engine, on loan to the builder and

piloted by Bert Acosta, won the Pulitzer Race at

Omaha with a world record speed of 176.7 mph.

1 December The first flight of an airship inflated

with helium gas was made at Norfolk, Va. The airship,

the C-7, was piloted by Lieutenant Commander Ralph

F. Wood.

16 December Wright, a seaplane tender and balloon

carrier, was commissioned the AZ 1 at New York,

N.Y., with Captain Alfred W. Johnson in command.

20 December To meet requirements expressed by

several Pacific Fleet commands, the commanding offi-

cer of NAS San Diego, Calif., was authorized to estab-

lish a school for training Naval Aviators in the use of

landplanes.

-. .. -'

Wright, AV1

with sea-

plane on

board; the

first U.S.

Naval vessel

especially fit-

ted as an

aircraft ten-

der 1053778