1936-Contin ued

loons and sent aloft to measure pressure, temperature

and humidity of the upper atmosphere, and to trans-

mit this information to ground stations for use in

weather forecasting and flight planning.

22 January Ranger, with 23 aircraft on board,

arrived in Cook Inlet, Alaska, and began three weeks

of operational tests to study the effects of cold weath-

er on operating efficiency and to determine material

and other improvements necessary for increasing carri-

er capabilities under extreme weather conditions.

18 March The flight test of the XN3N-l, prototype

of the Yellow Peril, a primary trainer biplane, was

completed at NAS Pensacola, Fla.

1 April The Marine Corps Aviation Section, which

had been set up independently under the

Commandant in the previous year, was established as

a Division. With the change, the Officer-in-Charge was

given the title Director of Aviation and as such contin-

ued to serve in the dual capacity of advisor to the

Commandant on aviation and head of the Marine

Corps organization in the Bureau of Aeronautics,

under an arrangement which had been in effect since

the establishment of that Bureau.

28 April R. C. Guthrie and Robert M. Page, at the

Naval Research Laboratory, began testing a laboratory

model of a pulsed radio wave detection device (pulse

radar). As tests proceeded, aircraft were detected at

distances up to 25 miles.

6 May Construction of the facility, which was later

named the David W. Taylor Model Basin, was autho-

rized by legislation, providing buildings and appli-

ances for use by the Bureau of Construction and

Repair in investigating and determining shapes and

forms to be adopted for U.S. vessels, including aircraft.

11 June In an effort to adapt commercial airplane

maintenance techniques to naval use, the Bureau of

Aeronautics authorized Commander, Aircraft Base

Force, to provide patrol squadrons with an extra air-

craft for use as a rotating spare to replace squadron

planes that were undergoing maintenance inspection.

10 July The Chief, Bureau of Aeronautics, approved

a program of improvements to the F4F and F2A fight-

ers being developed by Grumman and Brewster. Most

important were the conversion of the Grumman

design from a biplane to the monoplane XF4F-2 proto-

type for the F4F Wildcat of World War II, and the

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

91

installation of larger engines in both, which promised

a top speed of 300 mph.

21 July Lieutenant Commander Delmer S. Fahrney

received orders to report to the Chief of the Bureau of

Aeronautics and the Director of the Naval Research

Laboratory for duty in connection with an experimen-

tal project. This marked the initial step in implementa-

tion of a recommendation made by the Chief of Naval

Operations the preceding May that radio controlled

aircraft be obtained for use as aerial targets. Fahrney,

in his subsequent report, not only proposed a proce-

dure for developing radio controlled target planes but

also recognized the feasibility of using such aircraft as

guided missiles.

23 July A contract was awarded to Consolidated for

the XPB2Y-l four-engined flying boat. This aircraft

had been selected for development as a result of a

design competition held late the previous year, and in

later configurations, it became the Navy's only four-

engined flying boat to be used as a patrol plane dur-

ing World War 11.

7 August A change in the flight syllabus was

approved which placed more emphasis on instrument

flying. The new course, which was inserted between

the service seaplane and fighter courses, was given by

a new instrument flying unit formed at Pensacola, Fla.,

for the purpose, and included six hours in Link train-

ers, nine hours of modified acrobatics in NS aircraft,

and two hours radio range flying under the hood.

19 August Lieutenant Boynton 1. Braun, pilot and

ACOM W. B. Marvelle completed test bombing against

the submarine R-8 off the Virginia Capes. Flying a

T4M-I at an altitude of 2,500 feet, they dropped

twelve 100-pound bombs in a 2-day period and

obtained four near-misses with a cumulative effect

which caused the submarine to sink.

15 September Langley, first aircraft carrier of the U.S.

Navy, was detached from Battle Force and assigned to

Commander, Aircraft Base Force, for duty as a seaplane

tender. After a brief period of operation, she went into

the yard for conversion, from which she emerged early

in 1937 with the forward part of her flight deck removed.

1937

27 February Expansion of the Working Committee

of the Aeronautical Board and the extension of its

functions to include work in aeronautical standardiza-

tion, were approved by the Secretaries of the War and

Navy Departments. By this decision, interservice