HMCo #341p [NC-4 Seaplane Hull]

"... I have among my samples a piece of the hull of the N.C. 4, the first aeroplane to fly the Atlantic, the hull of which was built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company ar Bristol, Rhode Island in 1917. These pieces of laminated wood were made by the Haskelite Company (one of the original makers of laminated wood) and, strange to say, I believe it is lighter, stronger and more water resistant than any of the highly advertised brads on the market today. ..." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. The Common Sense of Yacht Design. Vol. I. New York, 1946, p. 97.)

"Unfortunately during World War I the Herreshoff Company was looked upon as a Republican concern and so never received desirable contracts but rather were handed the jobs others did not want. Among these were building hulls for seaplanes, which included two of the N C class, the first type of craft to fly the Atlantic, although they did land to be refueled on the way." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. The Wizard of Bristol. The Life and Achievements of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, together with An Account of Some of the Yachts he Designed. New York, 1953, p. 304-305.)

"The boat hull of the NC-4, the seaplane which Lieutenant Commander Albert C. Read navigated across the Atlantic by way of the Azores, was built at the shop of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol. The company officials were delighted yesterday when assurances reached them that it was the Bristol hull with which the plane was fitted.
The boat was constructed last January, and it was thought it was fitted to the NC-3, but the company was notified that the NC-4 was the one equipped with the hull. It is 40 feet in length, 7 feet wide, and 9 feet deep. It is substantially constructed, having a double system of wood planking." (Source: Anon. "Boat Hull of NC-4 Built at Bristol by Herreshoff. Constructed Last January for Plane of That Type." [Unknown newspaper.] 1919.]

"The big naval flying boat, NC-4, the hull of which was built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, of this town, flew over Bristol Wednesday afternoon, about 3.15 o'clock, on its trip from New Bedford to Providence, Lieut. Commander Albert C. Read, in command. A trip to boost recruiting in the navy air service from Maine to Florida was begun last Saturday, starting from Portland. The NC-4 arrived in Boston at 3.45, and remained until Wednesday morning when the sea-plane flew to New Bedford remaining six hours before starting for Providence.
Besides Lieut. Commander Read the crew of the NC-4 included Lieut Walter Hunton, pilot, Lieut. H C. Rodd, radio expert; Ensign P. Talbot, Chief Boatswain's Mate Daniel Moore, Chief Machinist's Mate C I Kessler and Chief Machinists Mate C. S. Rhodes, and 'Brownie,' the boat's mascot and pet dog. Lieut. Hinton and Ensign Talbot took turns at the steering wheel in the flight to Providence Lieut Hinton was the man who actually piloted the NC-4 on her famous trip across the Atlantic. Chief Boatswain Moore was on the NC-1 and repaired the engines of the machine three times while in flight in mid-ocean. The flying boat passed directly over the plant of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company on the trip to Providence, Wednesday afternoon. Flying at a low altitude the seaplane was seen by thousands along the route. The powerful Liberty motors made a tremendous noise.
The hull of the NC-4, built at Herreshoff's is 45 feet long and about 10 feet beam. It is of cedar, one-eighth of an inch thick, strengthened by canvas. While the hull was being built here it was known as the NC-1, but after it had been shipped to the Curtiss Aeroplane Corporation where the frames for the wings were made and the machine put together it was renamed the NC-4. The Curtiss Corporation officials considered the hull built here as the best of the lot, and it is of course a source of satisfaction to the local firm that their boat was the first to be carried across the Atlantic in an air flight.
Yesterday a parade of naval men was given in Providence in the interests of recruiting." (Source: Anon. "NC-4 Flies Over Bristol. The Boat of the Famous Craft Was Made at Herreshoff's." Bristol Phoenix, October 3, 1919, p. 4.)

"... Preparation of Plans.
On Sept. 9, 1917, Glenn H. Curtiss was requested by wire to come to Washington to discuss the proposed design. ...
The design being worked upon was of dimensions so far beyond any previous experience in this country or any of the designers in the United States that much unfamiliar territory would have to be covered. In order that the design might be successful, new methods of construction would be required, as otherwise the weight of the design would increase with such rapidity as to make success impracticable. ...
Contract for Designing
A contract was ... made with the Curtiss Co. for the performance of ... the drafting and designing work. Under the terms of this contract they were to carry out all the work directed by the Navy Department, furnishing in connection therewith all facilities necessary. The Bureau of Construction and Repair reserved to itself the direction and oversight of all Work coming under that bureau, and for this purpose placed in charge, as its field representative, Naval Constructor Gr. C. Westervelt. U. S. N., whose headquarters were at the plant of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corp. in Buffalo. Active work on the detail design was begun in Buffalo early in October [1917]. Shortly after the commencement Naval Constructor H. C. Richardson. U. S. N., was ordered for temporary duty in connection with the design of the hulls for the boats, and temporarily left his station at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla., to go to Buffalo.
Hull Design
The hull designed by this officer was of novel form and construction, and embodied directly information obtained from his successful seaplane pontoons. The trial later showed that the form adopted represents a very important improvement over the conventional flying boat hulls. The lines were based on model experiments. A series of models of hulls were made up and tested by Naval Constructors McEntee and Richardson in the towing basin at the Washington Navy Yard, and the planing properties of each investigated. The best of the series was adopted for the lines of the flying boat, with confidence that there would be no disappointment in the breaking away from the water. To the working out of the structural details of the boat's hull W. L. Gilmore of the Curtiss Co. contributed much valuable assistance.
This large flying boat was very shortly designated as the NC-1. In this designation the 'N' is for the Navy, the 'C' for Curtiss, and the '1' is intended to indicate the first of a series of combined Navy-Curtiss designs. As the name would indicate, the design itself is a composite of ideas, these ideas being contributed by many persons, and being chosen and incorporated into the design on the basis of suitability and merit and without any reference to source.
...
Contracts for Construction
A contract was thereupon made with the Curtiss Engineering Corp. for the building of four flying boats of the NC type. Due to the large size of these boats, and to the many novel features of construction involved, it was impossible to estimate with any degree of accuracy the probable cost, and, accordingly, the contract awarded the Curtiss Co. was on the basis of cost of work plus a percentage for profit. This required the placing of this work under the close supervision of the department, and this supervision through the building of these flying boats was exercised for the Bureau of Construction and Repair by Naval Constructor C. C. Westervelt.
The plant of the Curtiss Engineering Corp. at Garden City, N. Y., was of insufficient size for the building of flying boats of the dimensions of the NC-1. It was accordingly necessary for the Navy Department to authorize the building, at its own expense, of a building attached to this plant of sufficient size for the complete assembly of two of these flying boats at one time. In addition, as the ordinary facilities of the Curtiss Co. were such that it was certain that the attempt of that organization to carry out in complete detail the entire construction of these flying boats would be productive of most serious delays in completion, it was decided to build them on the assembly basis.
That is to say, the various elements would be built by various manufacturers building a product of somewhat similar nature, or one requiring workmen of similar qualifications to those ordinarily employed for work of the nature of that in contemplation. These different elements would be shipped to Garden City, to be there assembled into the completed flying boats. As a result of this decision, different parts were built at the following places:
Boat Hulls --- Curtiss Engineering Corp., Garden City, N. Y.; Lawley & Sons Boat Co.. Boston, Mass. [NC-3 hull]; Herreshoff Co., Bristol, R. I. [NC-4 hull]
....
Hull Construction
The hull or boat proper is 45 ft. long by 10 ft. beam. The bottom is a double plank Vee, with a single step somewhat similar in form to the standard navy pontoon for smaller seaplanes. Five bulkheads divide the hull into six water-tight compartments, with water-tight doors in a wing passage for access. The forward compartment has a cockpit for the lookout and navigator. In the next compartment are seated side by side the principal pilot, or aviator, and his assistant. Next comes a compartment for the members of the crew off watch to rest or sleep. After this there are two compartments containing the gasoline tanks (where a mechanician is in attendance) and finally a space for the radio man and his apparatus. The minimum crew consists of five men, but normally a relief crew would be carried in addition.
The hull is designed to have an easy flaring bow, so that it can be driven through a seaway to get up the speed necessary to take the air, and a strong Vee bottom to cushion the shock of landing on the water. The combination of great strength to stand rough water, with the lightweight required of anything that flies, was a delicate compromise and it is believed that a remarkable result has been obtained in this design.
The bare hull as completed by the yacht builder and ready for installation of equipment weighs only 2.800 lb., yet the displacement is 28,000 lb., or one tenth of a pound of boat per pound of displacement. This lightness of construction was attained by a careful selection and distribution of materials. The keel is of Sitka spruce, as is the planking. Longitudinal strength is given by two girders of spruce braced with steel wire. To guarantee watertightness and yet keep the planking thin, there is a layer of muslin set in marine glue between the two plies of planking. ..." (Source: Anon. "Development of the NC Seaplanes." Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering, June 1, 1919, pp. 468-471.)

"One of the great moments in aviation history will be recalled next Thursday, when the U.S. Navy and the Smithsonian Institution commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
The event will have a Bristol flavor, in that the body of the NC-4-which was the plane that made the flight was built in Bristol. ...
The NC-4 has been preserved, and recently its four Liberty engines were rebuilt and its wings recovered with new Irish linen. ...
The NC-4 hull measuring 45 feet in length, was built at the Herreshoff Mfg Co. in 1918, then shipped by railroad flatcar to the Philadelphia Naval Yard where its wings and engines were installed. On May 8, 1919, the NC-1, 2. 3 and 4 took off from Rockaway, Long Island on the historic flight. Only one of the 'Nancies,' the NC-4 made it to Europe.
Construction Remembered
Several Bristol residents remember the NC project at Herreshoff's, but the man most familiar with its construction is probably Thomas P. Brightman, former general manager at the yard.
Mr. Brightman, who lives on Gibson Road, recalled the other day that once the hull was complete, it was taken by the lighter 'Useful' [#190402es] from the boatyard to the railroad depot at the foot of Franklin St. to be loaded.
He recalls that the boom lifting the large hull onto the railroad car struck a 600-volt electric wire, and that there was a huge flash of electricity. 'I thought that was the end of the NC hull as well as me. Somehow there was no damage, and we got the hull loaded.'
He recalls also that the hull design was difficult to build, because of reverse curves in the bow. Herreshoff's nevertheless turned out their product, while the competing Lawley yard got approval from the Navy to alter this difficult design. Whether this detail had anything to do with the fact that the NC-4 was the plane which came through safely is only conjecture at this point, but it is a fact not forgotten by Bristol boatbuilders. Two other hulls were manufactured at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
International Rivalry
The planes were part of an international rivalry to cross the Atlantic first, as well as a result of aviation advancements during World War I. The British were pushing a trans-Atlantic race, and lost out to the NC-4 by only a few months.
The big planes were basically designed for anti-submarine work, and in many respects were the progenitors of the famed PBY's which were used extensively in World War II.
There is also a similarity in the design profile between the NC's and the China Clippers which were used in commercial aviation in the 1930's." (Source: Anon. "First To Cross Atlantic. NC-4 Commemoration in Washington May 8." Bristol Phoenix, May 2, 1969, p. 30.)

"NC-4 ANNIVERSARY
Sixty years ago, an American plane, the NC-4, became the first to fly the Atlantic, Glenn H. Curtiss, inventor of the flying boat, had developed this plane for the U.S. Navy. The Curtiss plant subcontracted many of the components of the plane in order that the plane be completed to meet the Navy's construction deadline. The hull of the NC-4 was subcontracted to the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company.
The role of the Shop in the NC-4 saga began on December 31, 1917, when Ernest E. Alder, Superintendent of the Wood Department, was sent to the Curtiss plant on Long Island, New York to get the plans of a Navy flying boat. Accompanying Mr. Alder on the trip was his young son, Albert. After spending two days at the Curtiss plant, the Alders returned to Bristol with all the blueprints needed for hull construction. Albert Alder, now 78 and residing in Grand Island, New York, recollected recently that he worked on the hull in 1918 when he went to work at the Yard and also helped to load it on the railroad flatcar when it was shipped to New York.
Other NC-4 workers included Harry Town of the Wood Department, and the late Thomas P. Brightman. These two men had an opportunity to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the flight at the Smithsonian in May, 1969. Charlie Sylvester now living in Portsmouth, N.H., recalled that although he did not work on the hull, he had an opportunity to watch it under construction when he was on furlough in 1918. Ernest Alder recalled, 'The hull was built in the small boat shop and the end of the building had to be taken out in order to get it out.'
The double-planked mahogany hull of the NC-4 once bore a Herreshoff hull plate #341, but officials at the Smithsonian say it is missing. The biplane hull was 45 feet long and had a beam of 10 feet. The NC-4 had a 126 feet wingspan and was propelled by four Liberty engines at speeds of about 80 to 90 miles per hour. Its total length was 68 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
The flight from Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland to Lisbon, Portugal, with stops at Fayal and Sao Miguel, Azores, took nineteen days. During the 3,322 mile trip, the NC-4 was in the air for 41 hours and 58 minutes. The Atlantic had been conquered by a plane whose hull had been built by men who were old hands at conquering the Atlantic." (Source: Pinheiro, Carlton J. "NC-4 Anniversary" In: Herreshoff Marine Museum Chonicle, Spring 1979, p. 3.)

"[Item Description:] Navy Dept. ordered ten aeroplane lighters [#191801es, #191802es, #191803es, #191804es, #191805es, #191806es, #191807es, #191808es, #191809es, #191810es], 58ft x 16ft, sort of a small floating dock arranged to carry an aeroplane, $15,000 each, built special construction shed [sketch], want six if possible by March 1, first class job for Brechin, will delay #323p [SP-2840] which is framed and being plated, #306p [SP-1841] and #308p [SP-2232] are finished and waiting for gov't action, Tod has paid for his boat [#308p SP-2232] in full, #321p [SP-2235] is almost done, one 40-fter [apparently #324p C365] has been delivered to Newport but ice is holding the other two [apparently #325p C366 and #326p C367] here and I had them picked up by shears and put on wharf, the last two [apparently #327p C368 and #328p C369] are nearly finished, they have proved expensive boats and we shall no more than make overhead on them, store house is done except cement work in vault, destroyer launch [#330p] is almost finished and is a fine little boat, hope we can build more like her, order for an aeroplane hull or pontoon [#341p NC-4], [Ernest] Alder has gone to Curtiss Works to observe and is now laying the boat down, work has commenced on Richards boat [#329p Carola], the RESOLUTE launch has been sent to Bob's [Emmons] ship the Mt. Vernon as tender" (Source: Swan, James. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_50930. Subject Files, Folder [no #]. 1918-01-08.)
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"[Item Description:] Navy Dept. requesting new authority to sign on behalf of HMCo after death of JBH, are now getting #321p and #322p for trials and delivery, flying boat [#341p NC-4 Seaplane Hull] is along, 24 deries[?] are about completed, #323p (J.P.M.) [SP-2840 for J. P. Morgan / Navy] is about ready for machinery and one boiler was put in today, the 10 Barges [#191801es, #191802es, #191803es, #191804es, #191805es, #191806es, #191807es, #191808es, #191809es, #191810es] are progressing but we are bothered in obtaining witus[?] but hope to overcome this in a few days, Mr. Francis made us a short call this morning, he seemed to be well" (Source: Young, Charles Wesley (Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. Secr.). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_50710. Subject Files, Folder [no #]. 1918-03-06.)
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"[Item Description:] Printed poster titled 'Curtiss NC-4' with text about and photos of the #341p NC-4 airplane model built by Don Bousquet in about 1996 and now at the Herreshoff Marine Museum." (Source: Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE14_01960. Printed Poster. Folder [no #]. 1996 or later.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #341p [NC-4 Seaplane Hull] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Sea Plane Hull NC-4 (HMCo-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Name: N. C. 1.
Type: Seaplane
Owner: U.S. Navy

Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "A Partial List of Herreshoff Clients." In: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff Yachts. Bristol, Rhode Island, ca. 1931.

• Sea Plane Hull NC-4
• Note: The L. Francis Herreshoff index cards comprise a set of some 1200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and / or ownership information. Apparently compiled in the early 1930s, for later HMCo-built boats like the Fishers Island 23s or the Northeast Harbor 30s are not included. Added to in later decades, apparently by L. F. Herreshoff as well as his long-time secretary Muriel Vaughn and others. Also 46 cards of L. F. Herreshoff-designed vessels. The original set of index cards is held by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and permission to display is gratefully acknowledged.

Name: Seaplane
Type: N-C 1
Owner: U.S. Navy
Row No.: 609

Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. "Partial List of Herreshoff-Built Boats." In: Herreshoff, L. Francis. Capt. Nat Herreshoff. The Wizard of Bristol. New York, 1953, p. 325-343.

Year: 1918c
E/P/S: P
No.: 341
Name: NC-4 Sea Plane Hull

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.

"The bare hull as completed by the yacht builder and ready for installation of equipment weighs only 2.800 lb., ..." (Source: Anon. "Development of the NC Seaplanes." Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering, June 1, 1919, pp. 468-471.)

Note: Research notes contain information about a vessel that is often random and unedited but has been deemed useful for future research.