90

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1935-Contin ued

30 July The first blind landing aboard a carrier was

made by Lieutenant Frank Akers, who took off from

NAS San Diego, Calif., in an OJ-2 with hooded cock-

pit, located Langley underway in an unknown posi-

tion, and landed aboard catching the number four

arresting wire. Lieutenant Akers subsequently received

a Distinguished Flying Cross for this flight.

26 September The president approved a joint

Army-Navy proposal for the transfer of air station

properties, climaxing several years of study and dis-

cussion of the joint use of aviation facilities in certain

areas. By this approval and a subsequent Executive

Order, the Army agreed to turn over to the Navy:

Rockwell Field on North Island, Calif., Luke Field on

Ford Island, TH., and Bolling Field at Anacostia, D.C.,

while the Navy agreed to turn over to the Army the

Naval Air Station at Sunnyvale, Calif. In this exchange,

it was understood that the Army would construct new

fields at Bolling adjoining its previous location, and

Hickam Field on Oahu, TH.

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Naval Air Station Anacostia (foreground), old Bolling Field (back-

ground) prior to acquisition by Navy 1061655

5 October The first G Class airship, the G-l, was

delivered to NAS Lakehurst. This airship, formerly the

Defender of Goodyear's commercial fleet, was used by

the Navy for training purposes.

14-15 October Lieutenant Commander Knefler

McGinnis, Lieutenant (jg) James K. Averill, NAP

Thomas P. Wilkinson, and crew of three flew an

XP3Y-l Consolidated patrol plane, powered with two

825-hp Pratt & Whitney engines, from Cristobal

Harbor, Canal Zone, to Alameda, Calif., in 34 hours 45

minutes and established new world records for Class C

seaplanes of 3,281.383 miles airline distance and

3,443.255 miles brokenline distance.

XP3Y-1 commanded by K. McGinnis set 3443-mile record on flight

from Panama to Alameda, October 1935 1053771

15 November The Chief, Bureau of Aeronautics,

approved recommendations from a fighter design

competition and thereby initiated development of the

Grumman XF4F-l biplane and the Brewster XF2A-I

monoplane. The developmental sequence thus set in

motion, although it included many subsequent

changes and modifications, provided prototypes of the

Navy's first-line fighters in

use when the United States

entered World War II.

1936

20 January The Bureau of

Engineering, acting in

response to a request from

the Bureau of Aeronautics,

initiated naval support to the

Bureau of Standards for the

development of radio mete-

orographs. These instru-

ments, later renamed

radiosondes, were to be

attached to small free bal-

First production monoplane fighter, Brewster F2A 16054