A NEW SEADROME

Evening Star, Issue 22539, 6 January 1937, Page 1

A NEW SEADROME

FOR THE ATLANTIC • PROJECT EXAMINED Proposals for the construction of * new type of seadrome which would provide an alighting place in mid-ocean fop seaplanes and land aircraft are about to' be submitted to a full engineering examination as a preliminary to a scheme for placing two such floating docks 600 miles apart on the air route between Ireland and Canada (writes the aeronautical correspondent of ‘ The Times w The basic idea is to support the landing platforms on 72 pillars built up of steel tubes and braced with tubes front which the greater part of the buoyancy would be derived, and to secure stability by attaching stopper buoys of large capacity to 12 of the pillars at a depth of 180 ft below the surface of the seaIt is not proposed to anchor the seadrome, but to provide it with a certain measure of stately mobility and control by equipping it with 12 propellers and two large rudders. , The plan of this seadrome is that of the big letter U. One of the longer legs of the U would serve as an aerodrome for land aircraft and the other as_ a lake with a depth of JOft for the alighting and taking-off of seaplanes. Along the shorter side would be built a superstructure to give .various kinds of accommodation . and to .provide on its roof a catapult deck-from which heavily-loaded aircraft might be shot into the air. This deck would bo raised 117 ft above sea level to allow _ ample vertical margin to cover the risks of catapult launching. Between the two longer legs would be an area of sheltered water, 2,000 ft by 400 ft. in extent, which might serve as a harbour in mid-ocean for fishing fleets or as a base for naval vessels.,' _ The dimensions r of each of the alighting areas on either side of it would he 2,000 ft by 2Soft. Between decks beneath the take-otf surfaces hotel accommodation for passengers and room for aircraft and store* would be provided. Below the catapult deck would be arranged a set of air inlets, through which the wind would be admitted to turn a series of windsails. These would drive generators to supply electricity for the purposes of wireless apparatus and _ for working the propellers, which, with the aid of the rudders, should keep the " seadrome heading constantly into the wind. The whole structure would be supported on the tubular pillars, each built around a central tube 12ft: in diameter and set beneath the 'decks ■at intervals ‘of 70fc. The "provision for stability in Tonga seas is based on the 12 stopper buoys, which are to bs ;300ft long, 125 ft wide, and 30ft deep. As these will bo located TSOft below the surface, it is estimated that an aggregate pressure of more than 20,■'XX),000 tons will be exerted on them, and that this will he more than sufficient to. counteract the force exerted on the superstructure by a gale of wind at 100 miles ah hour and by 50ft waves along its windward front. Tbs seadrome would also depend on this large stability element and on its own small motive power to avoid being drifted seriously out of position, and it would no doubt equip itself with the usual apparatus for warning vessels of their proximity to it in thick weather. All these things at present are matters of theory, which will bo made the subject of close expert examination. J , , , If the present assumptions should, be proved accurate, it is estimated that such a seadrome would cost £3,000.000 to build and place in position. The company which would have to be formed for the exploitation of the idea would seek to find a return on this large capital by offering services in midocean to the aircraft of all nations, to the passengers they will carry, and possibly to the cable companies by supplying relay current for submarine cables. It would rely on serving as . a port of call for , all the Atlantic services, because it would reduce the stages of an Atlantic flight to about 600 miles, and so enable the aircraft to carry much bigger loads of passengers, mails, and goods. ■ ' The idea is being put forward by Mr M. E. Heiser, and is being handled ai the present stage by British and Dominions Industrial .Constructions Ltd-