• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

HS-1

Under the insistence of the American Navy the convoy system for cargo ships and for troopships was being put into operation. It was still during its early days. Previously, ships had taken their way alone through waters rendered as safe as possible by the ceaseless patrol of such vessels as were available for the purpose. The ocean is enormous; patrol vessels were few for the tasks set them; and the patrol system was gradually being given up for the convoy system.

The intention was to establish upon the coasts of France and of the British Islands a number of air stations so close together that their patrol activities would interlock, and there would be created in this way sea areas off these coasts of as great an extent as possible, free from submarines, and safe at any point for slow-moving ships. These intentions required for their fulfillment very large numbers of flying craft. This need for numbers, and for numbers with the least possible delay, determined the recommendation for flying boats by the hundreds, motored with single Liberty engines, and as many of the large two-motored boats as could be built without interfering with the building of the smaller ones.

The Navy program consisted of the HS-1, the single-motor type and the H-16, a twin flying boat about 50 feet broad. These were supported by the F training flying boat and the N-9 pontoon training ship. These were all Curtiss designs, except H-16, an English adaptation of an old Curtiss type.

As soon as aircraft began to be employed for antisubmarine purposes, these aircraft were equipped with depth charges of this TNT, and with means whereby these charges could be dropped as near as possible to the submarine attacked, or to the submerged position in which the submarine was thought to be. These aircraft charges were, at first, very small and of a very limited radius of action. As aircraft grew in size, however, chiefly due to increase in engine power, these charges increased in weight until they became sufficient to be of positive menace to submarines within 75 to 100 feet of their points of detonation. The limit in the size of these charges was due to the limit in the size of aircraft.

The Curtiss HS-1 flying boat was developed from a Curtiss design known as H-14, which was brought out in the summer of 1917. It was a typical Curtiss type of flying boat having a length of 38 feet and a wing span of 62 feet. The gross weight in the air of 5,900 pounds, included a crew of 2 men, one machine gun and two 180-pound bombs. The maximum speed of 87 miles could be maintained for 4 hours.

After production had got well underway, information was obtained that the 180-pound bomb was not really effective against submarines and that heavier bombs as well as a radio set would be needed. In order to permit the carrying of this extra load, it was necessary to increase the wing area. This was done by designing a 6-foot wing panel to be inserted out board of the engine section on each side. The result of this change was an increase in the span to 74 feet and an increase in the total weight to 6,500 pounds. A larger rudder was also provided for the planes thus modified and these modified planes were designated model HS-2.

Production of airplanes in appreciable quantities was first reached in April, 1918, at which time the single-engine flying boats were being received from the various manufacturers at the rate of six per week. By the summer of 1918 aircraft production was well underway and had reached its height about September 1, when single-engine flying boats were being delivered at the rate of 38 per week.