80

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1931-Continued

XOP-I, fil:5t Navy Autogiro anjves at Anacostia 215856

Training and returned the courses in Bombing and

Torpedo, and Observation and Gunnery, dropped in

November 1929, thereby expanding the regular flight

course to 258.75 hours and, for those also taking

Advanced Combat, to 282.75 hours. The ground

school course was also expanded in some areas and

with the inclusion of a short course in photography,

totaled 386.5 hours.

2 March A propeller development program, which

led to the adoption of variable pitch propellers, was

initiated with the award of a contract to Hamilton

Standard Propeller Company for two such propellers

suitable for use on fighting planes.

3 March A recommendation that two officers from

the postgraduate aeronautical engineering group be

selected for study at the California Institute of

Technology (CalTech) was approved. As a result, the

policy of assigning postgraduate students to civilian

institutions was broadened to permit greater special-

ization, and for the next three school years students

were assigned in two groups: one to MIT where

emphasis was on aircraft engines, the other to CalTech

for study of aircraft structures.

31 March When a disastrous earthquake shook

Nicaragua and destroyed most of the city of Managua,

Lexington was ordered from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,

to assist other Navy and Marine units in relief opera-

tions. Early the next afternoon, she inaugurated carrier

aircraft relief operations in the U.S. Navy, by launching

five planes carrying medical personnel, supplies and

provisions to the stricken city.

1 April A reorganization of the U.S. Fleet into Battle,

Scouting, Submarine and Base Forces provided for the

appointment of type commanders for each type of

ship and for aircraft, and designated the aviation type

commands in the Battle, Scouting and Base Forces as

Commander Aircraft (name of Force).

2 April A contract for the XFF-l two-seat fighter, the

first naval aircraft to incorporate retractable landing

gear for the purpose of improving aerodynamic clean-

ness and thereby increasing performance, was issued

to Grumman.

9 April A contract was issued to the Glenn 1. Martin

Company for 12 BM-l dive bombers. This aircraft,

which was a further development of the XT5M-l, was

the first dive bomber capable of attacking with a

heavy (1,000 pound) bomb to be procured in suffi-

cient quantity to equip a squadron.

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FF-I, fiJ:5t fighter with retractable landing gear 1061485

II

BM-I, dive bombercanying IOOO-pound bomb 1053772