In the pre-war period, long-range flying boats in the United States operated largest airline of that time, Pan American Airways, which actually became the pioneer of long-distance transoceanic communications. Initially, the boats were operated on flights connecting the United States and the Caribbean, then, as the flight range increased, Brazil, the US-China line through the Pacific Islands and, finally, flights across the Atlantic became PanAm's interests. This happened in 1938. Already during the war, the American Overseas airline entered the New York - Ireland transatlantic line (it was acquired by PanAm in 1950).
The first large mainline flying boat can be considered Sikorski S-40, with a capacity of 38 passengers, which went on line on November 19, 1931, when the first of three built examples of this aircraft flew from Miami to the Panama Canal Zone under the control of Charles Lindbergh. PanAm made it a habit to call its flying boats "Clippers", so the three S-40 boats became known as "Caribbean Clipper", "American Clipper" and "Southern Clipper".
The aircraft flew on the lines for 10 years before the outbreak of World War II, after which they "went to military service" as training for the training of pilots of four-engine bombers.
The S-40 had a length of 23.4 meters, a wingspan of 34.8 meters, 4 Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines with a power of 525 hp. carried this boat of unusual shape at a speed of 217 km / h for a distance of up to 1408 km.
The passengers were accommodated in comfortable cabins, the design of which, according to legend, was dreamed of by Sikorsky in a dream. If the flight was at night, then the seats turned into sleeping
During the flight on November 19, 1931, Sikorsky and Lindbergh dreamed of an even larger boat, capable of flying over the oceans. Their dreams resonated in the practical heart of the young PanAm President Juan Trippe, and he proposed to Sikorsky to create a flying boat with a capacity similar to the S-40, but capable of flying continuously 4000 kilometers against the wind at 20 miles per hour. Fulfillment of this condition would allow flying from Ireland to Labrador, that is, to cross the Atlantic along the shortest route. One can only marvel at his progressive thinking. Indeed, only three years before this conversation, the plane first flew from Europe (Dublin) to America, and just a year before the first commercial flight of the S-40, the plane flew for the first time from continental Europe to America. During such attempts, pilots were still killed, and Trippe offered to start carrying passengers.
In general, on March 30, 1934, it first flew into the air Sikorski S-42... It had a more compact fuselage, just over 20 meters long, but its wingspan increased to 36 meters. The S-42 took 37 passengers on board, on night flights up to 18. Four Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines with a capacity of 660 hp. provided a speed of 300 km / h and a range of 3,088 km.
On July 6, 1937, Pan Am Clipper III began its inaugural flight en route from Labrador to Ireland. On the same day, the British boat Short Empire of the BOAC airline went to meet him. For this first flight, it was planned to start regular passenger air travel (postage at this time was dominated by the Germans), but it turned out that neither the S-40 nor the Empire were able to fly across the Atlantic at full commercial load. Empire, flying empty, plunged into Bothwood Cove with its tanks practically dry. Therefore, the organization of regular passenger air transportation across the Atlantic was postponed until more powerful airliners appeared.
Interestingly, the topic of not record-breaking, but regular flights across the Atlantic on airplanes (on airships at that time it was already quite commonplace. True, exactly until the Hindenburg burned down). In 1937, the US screens even released the science fiction film Atlantic Airways Flying Boat, which took place aboard a huge six-engine flying boat rushing across the Atlantic, the passengers of which were located in separate cabins.
More S-42 on transatlantic lines did not go out, flying in South America and the Caribbean and a little later in Pacific... Three aircraft were lost before the end of World War II, when their operation ended.
On November 11, 1938, the Samoan Clipper exploded over the bay of the capital of Eastern (American) Samoa, there were no passengers on board, but the crew died. Then, in 1943, another plane burned down in Manaus, Brazil and on August 8, 1944, another plane crashed while taking off in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killing 17 of 26 passengers. The entire crew survived.
Some time after ordering the S-42, Juan Trippe ordered a similar boat from Glen Martin, the owner of the Martin company. Martin M-130 flew on December 30, 1934. M-130 was originally sharpened for postal and passenger Transportation between the USA and Asian countries. A total of three aircraft were built - "Hawaiian Clipper". "Filipino Clipper" and "Chinese Clipper".
The M-130 was significantly larger than the S-42. The hull length was 28 meters, the wingspan was 40 meters, the aircraft was equipped with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines with a power of up to 950 hp, the range was huge for that time 5,150 km. The maximum speed is 290 km / h. The plane took on board 9 crew members and 36 passengers (18 on night flights).
On November 22, 1935, the "Chinese Clipper" set off on the first trans-Pacific voyage with a cargo of mail. On October 14, 1936, the Filipino Clipper flew from the United States to Hong Kong, and a week later, the Hawaiian Clipper flew to Manila. It was the farthest route for American airlines at the time. The flight from Alameda, California to Manila and back took two weeks.
In July 1938, the Hawaiian Clipper disappeared somewhere between Guam and Manila. After the outbreak of war, the remaining two M-130s began to carry out transportation in the interests of the military command. The Philippine Clipper crashed in San Francisco in July 1943, and the Chinese in Trinidad and Tobago on January 8, 1945. In both cases, there were no survivors.
As I wrote above, S-42s were also used on trans-Pacific lines. There is a good documentary about how such a flight went, showing the rapid progress of passenger air transportation in the mid-30s.
Soon, Pan Am became interested in a larger aircraft, which it planned to deliver on the Pacific lines, as well as on the line across the North Atlantic, which, after a relative failure in 1937, was still planned to be launched.
Glenn Martin suggestedMartin M-156, which, by redesigning the interior space and increasing the wingspan, could carry 26 passengers in a night configuration (M-130 16 people) from San Francisco to Hong Kong or 53 from San Francisco to Hong Kong .. The fuselage externally remained almost unchanged, but the wingspan grew from 39 to 47 meters.
The plane took off in 1937, but Juan Trippe had already made a choice in favor of the Boeing 314 as a promising airliner on long-haul routes. Then Glenn Martin sold it to the USSR, where it was planned to deploy its mass production. This history is long, production was never launched, and the only copy of the aircraft nicknamed "Soviet Clipper" flew until 1944 on Far East with a cabin converted for 70 passengers.
Probably, there he could meet another large flying boat, also built in the mid-30s in the USA, intended for long routes and did not find customers in the USA. It's about boats Douglas DF... The aircraft was somewhat more compact than the S-42 and M-130 (length 21 meters, wingspan 29 meters, but had the same capacity as the M-130 and approximately the same speed and longer range - 5,300 km.) The main difference was that that it had only two motors, but with a capacity of 1000 hp .. The plane took off in September 1936. However, no one was interested in the plane, and the manufacturers sold 2 aircraft to the USSR and two to Japan. Both aircraft flew in the North and Siberia , one of them was lost during the war, the second flew until 1946
The success of air transportation on flying boats was such that the capacity of the available flying boats was simply not enough, and Juan Trippe ordered even larger devices from "Martin" and "Boeing". As you already know, Martin M-156 did not meet the customer's requirements, but a real monster Boeing Clipper 314 matched them one hundred percent! Boeing designed a wing-by-wing aircraft from the giant XB-15 bomber, replacing the 850-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines with 1,600-horsepower. The aircraft took off on June 7, 1938, but on July 21, 1936, Pan Am signed a contract for the supply of 6 such aircraft, and after reviewing the specification for another 6.
It was the largest flying boat used on regular passenger routes until then. The hull length was 32 meters, the wingspan was 46 meters, the speed was up to 340 km / h, and the range was up to 5,900 km. She could take 74-77 passengers on board during daytime flights and 36 during night flights.
Before the war, only six aircraft entered service. Flights from San Francisco to Hong Kong and on to New Zealand's Auckland began in January 1939, and flights to Great Britain began on April 24, 1939. In 1941, 6 more aircraft were ready, three of which were transferred to the British after the outbreak of the war in the Pacific. Under the designation C-98, Boeings began operating in the interests of the Allied armed forces. Roosevelt and Churchill flew on them. It was the only Allied aircraft capable of transporting 10 tons of cargo over 3,500 kilometers.
During the war, the Americans lost three of these aircraft. After the war, the rest were returned to Pan Am, and three British ones were in operation until 1948, after which they were sold for scrap. The same fate awaited the remaining 6 American. They were cut to metal in 1950. In October 1945, American Overseas Airways began transatlantic flights on the DC-4, and there the Lockheed Constellation was on its way. Flying boats were much less economical and difficult to operate. The pilots of these boats themselves were happy to change to the Douglases and Lockheeds.
The last long-range flying boat made in the United States was the Sikorski VS-44, originally built as an XPBS-1 naval patrol bomber, losing out to the Consolidated PB2Y Coronado. Sikorsky's last boat took off for the first time on August 13, 1937. Although these boats were not serially built for the needs of the Navy, the prototype itself was bought by the Navy and was operated as transport aircraft until June 30, 1942, when it crashed while landing at a naval base in Alameda, California with Admiral Nimitz aboard. The admiral himself was not injured, only one of the crew members died.
And then the following story happened. In 1940, Sikorsky's company merged with Vought, part of the United Aircraft corporation, and there was a hope that it would be possible to return the Pan Am contracts, the logic was simple - the S-40 and S-42 were aging and they needed to be replaced, and why not replace them with new ones Sikorsky's boats? A boat was built on the basis of an unlucky bomber Sikorski VS-44... The Boeings were larger, flew faster, but the VS-44 had an advantage - a fantastic flight range - 6100 km. In addition, the new boats were superior in comfort to the Boeing Clippers. Passengers were accommodated in them in separate air-conditioned cabins and could sleep on normal, hotel-sized beds during the entire non-stop flight from New York to Lisbon with a duration of 20.5 hours (for example, now the world's longest route is New Arc to Singapore . Its duration is 18.5 hours). On day flights, the plane took on board 40 passengers traditional for Sikorsky boats, and on night flights no less traditional 16.
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Charles Lindbergh (1902 - 1974) was interested in aviation since early years... When he was studying in Wisconsin, in his sophomore year he realized that he wanted to do flying business much more. He decided to leave his studies and study to be a pilot. After graduating from the courses, Lindbergh went to serve, and then began working in airmail.
Many daredevils had already tried to make transatlantic flights before Linberg, but until then no one had succeeded, largely due to the imperfection of flight technology. After all, it was required to overcome more than 7 thousand km without landing, and, therefore, without being able to refuel. The problem was that it was impossible to take too much fuel on board, light aircraft of that time simply could not take off with such a load. Nevertheless, the interest in crossing the Atlantic Ocean was huge, one big businessman even appointed a prize of $ 25,000 to anyone who can do it. There were many attempts, but none were successful.
Lindbergh simply could not help but accept the challenge and get involved in this exciting, albeit dangerous, adventure. He placed an order with Ryan Aeronautical for the manufacture of a motor-plane, independently developed by him, which, in the pilot's opinion, was capable of this flight. The resulting car was named the Spirit of St. Louis.
The pilot had to sacrifice brakes, a parachute, a radio and even a flashlight for an overview, all in order to take on board as much fuel as possible.
Preparation
To test the plane, Lindbergh flew from San Diego to New York in May 1927, but landed once in St. Louis. Nevertheless, the flight time was 21 hours 45 minutes, and this was already a transcontinental record.
In New York, it turned out that the weather could force the pilot to postpone the flight for several days. Nevertheless, relying on the forecast, which promised a little clarification, Charles courageously decides to fly out on May 20.
He arrived at the airfield before dawn. At 7:40 am the engine was fired and at 7:52 am the Spirit of St. Louis took off from Roosevelt airfield. The event was widely covered by all the media in America, the whole country was worried about the hero. A lot of people went out to see him off.
Due to the fact that on May 20, due to the rains, the ground on the takeoff field was slightly soft, the plane gained speed very slowly. He even nearly touched the power line when. But in the air, the situation leveled off, and Lindsberg slowed down to save fuel.
Flight
The difficulty was created by the fact that the additional tank changed the center of gravity of the monoplane, because of it the aircraft could easily leave. Lindsburg was accompanied by a plane to Long Island, on which a photographer was present. But soon he left the pilot, turning back.
In the evening, Lindbergh already flew over Nova Scotia... Soon he met bad weather. Thunderclouds, upon hitting which the plane froze over and threatened to fall into the water, forced Charles to maneuver, sometimes he flew a few meters from the water.
The daredevil was expected to receive numerous awards not only from his own country, but also many European states awarded him with orders and honors.
Soon Lindbergh saw the coast of Ireland in the distance. The weather improved markedly, and by the evening of the second day the pilot was already overcoming France. By about 22 o'clock, the pilot noticed Paris, and soon he had already passed the Eiffel Tower. At 22:22 Charles Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget airfield. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean, covering 5809 km in 33 hours and 30 minutes.
The Wright brothers made their first plane flight in December 1903. But it took another five years before the planes began to fly in real. An important psychological barrier was overcome on July 25, 1909, when Louis Bleriot first crossed the English Channel. The conquest of a significant water barrier has shown that the aircraft is capable of being not only a new circus attraction, but also a serious vehicle. Flight training for all comers was carried out by many private aviation schools, airplanes were continuously improved.
Bleriot's flight stimulated further assault water space... On September 11, 1910, Robert Loraine flew the Irish Sea for the first time in a Farman airplane. True, due to engine problems, he did not reach the Irish coast 60 m.His business was completed by Denys Corbett Wilson in April 1912. A year later -23 September 1913, Roland Garros on a monoplane of the company Morane-Saulnier crossed the Mediterranean for the first time, his journey was 730 km. Then it was the Atlantic's turn.
However, several aviators from Great Britain, USA, Denmark and other countries began to prepare for a transatlantic flight back in 1910-1912. After the failure of Wellman's airship, pilot Harry Grahame Carter decided to challenge the ocean. He set the launch date for March 19, 1911. On a plane of his own design, Carter was going to fly from Sandy Hook, USA, to Queenstown (now Cove), Ireland. The aviator expected to cross the Atlantic in 49 hours.
According to the project, Carter's plane had an all-metal frame and skin made of material, which the author called parchment. As a power plant, two 30 hp engines were used. unspecified model with two-blade metal propellers. The engines had a lifespan of only 27 hours, but Carter hoped to bring it to 54 hours. He believed that 136 liters of gasoline would be enough for him to cover the distance of 3860 km.
Hollow tubular frame structures served as gas tanks. To build the car, Carter rented a garage in Jamaica Plain, a suburb of Boston. Nothing is known about what happened next, even, perhaps, the most complete guide to US aircraft, but the available description of the design makes it very doubtful that Carter's plane could fly long distances.
The more serious contender was Hugh Armstrong Robinson (1881-1963), the former chief pilot of Curtiss. He began to prepare for the transatlantic expedition in September 1911. But after making preliminary calculations, Robinson came to the conclusion that the available technologies did not yet allow the implementation of such a project. In 1912, Robinson switched to the development of the Benoist XIII flying boat, on the basis of which the Benoist XIV aircraft was later developed, the first in the world to begin regular passenger air travel in January 1914.
Robinson's refusal to storm the Atlantic did not prevent his former boss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (1878-1930) from bringing the matter to an end. More precisely, almost to the end. In August 1913, he began building the Curtiss N. twin-engine flying boat. The project was sponsored by Rodman Wanamaker, owner of a chain of department stores in New York and Philadelphia. The transatlantic flight was planned to be carried out in the summer of 1914.
The flying boat, named America, was a classic three-post biplane. Ailerons were located only on the upper wing. The aircraft had two Curtiss ОХ 90 hp engines. between the wings with pushing two-bladed propellers. The boat is slightly keeled. The cockpit, designed for two pilots and a flight mechanic, was closed. The fuel supply allowed non-stop flight at a distance of 1770 km.
The prototype Curtiss H-1 was launched on June 22, 1914, and the first flight took place the next day. In the course of intensive testing, a number of shortcomings were identified that required design improvements. But even after that, the car could not raise the required fuel supply. Therefore, a third engine with a pulling rotor was installed on the upper wing.
Having solved technical problems, the organizers of the flight set the start for August 5, 1914 (the sources also give the date August 15). The expedition was to start from St. John's, Newfoundland. The further route passed through the islands Azores archipelago Faial and San Miguel, where stopovers were planned. From there "America" \u200b\u200bwas to fly to Portugal, then cross the Bay of Biscay, English Channel and reach the British coast near the city of Plymouth.
The crew included the aircraft designer and his friend, naval pilot John Henry Towers. But the flight of Curtiss was categorically opposed by his wife, and the flight of the Towers - by the command of the US Navy (five years later, he still took part in the transatlantic expedition).
Then Waynameker appointed retired lieutenant of the British fleet John Cyrill Porte (1883-1919) as the commander of the crew, and American George Hallett as co-pilot. But the First World War broke out and the flight was canceled. The port went to serve in the Royal Navy, and there he persuaded the Lords of the Admiralty to purchase the "America" \u200b\u200band her backup. On the basis of these machines, more powerful flying boats were developed, built in a large series, but that's another story.
One of the incentives for the creation of the Curtiss H-1 "America" \u200b\u200bwas a prize established on April 1, 1913 by the British newspaper magnate Alfred Harmsworth, Lord Northcliffe. The owner of the Daily Mail promised to pay £ 10,000 to the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean from anywhere in the United States to anywhere in the UK or Ireland on any aircraft without landing in 72 hours. Both an Englishman and a foreigner could become the owner of the prize. The high prize money stimulated the work of many designers, most of whom turned out to be fellow countrymen of Lord Northcliffe.
Photo by Curtiss H-1 America.
One of the main contenders was Samuel Franklin Cody, the creator of the first real-life British aircraft. He developed the project of the float monoplane Cody monoplane No.VII with a giant wingspan of 36.58 m at that time and a cabin designed for three crew members. Such an aircraft required a 400 hp engine, which did not exist in nature at that time. Cody ordered an unnamed French firm to develop the motor. But the death of the aviator on August 7, 1913 stopped work on the project. In the aviation press of 1913-1914, one can also find reports about the construction of transatlantic aircraft by the British firms of the James Bros. brothers and A. V. Roe and Co. (Avro), however, no details are given.
Another nominee for the prize was Handley Page. In December 1913, the company's chief designer George Rudolph Volkert (1891-1978) developed a project for the single-engine biplane L / 200 - in the 1920s it was retrospectively designated HP.8, on which a woman first decided to conquer the Atlantic. Lady Anne Savile / Anne Prinzessin zu Lowenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (1864-1927) was going to fly with Roland Ding (William Rowland Ding, 1885-1917). The pilot and the aviatress were to be placed side by side in the cockpit. Power point - 14-cylinder liquid-cooled Salmson (Canton-Unne) 200 hp engine with pulling screw. The fuel supply is designed for a 23-hour flight. But until the outbreak of the First World War, the plane was never completed, and later the company was fully loaded with military orders.
Specifications aircraftunsuccessfully tried to cross Atlantic by air
| Model | Curtiss H-1 | Handley Page L-200 | Martin-Handasyde Transatlantic |
| Engines, power, h.p. | Curtiss ОХ-5 3 × 90 | Salmson 1х200 | Sunbeam 1 × 215 |
| Upper wing span, m | 22,55 | 18,29 | 20,12 |
| Lower wing span, m | 14 | ||
| Length, m. | 11,43 | 12,5 | 14,12 |
| Height, m. | 4,87 | 4,87 | |
| Wing area, sq.m. | 83,6 | 71,5 | |
| Takeoff weight, kg | 2268 | 2722 | 2177 |
| Empty weight, kg. | 1360 | 1270 | 1089 |
| Max speed, km / h | 105 | 129 | 137 |
| Ceiling, m. | 1372 | ||
| Flight range, km | 1770 | ||
| Crew | 3 | 2 | 2 |
The British company Martin-Handasyde Ltd also created the transatlantic plane. The sponsor of this project was the Canadian financier E. Mackay Edgar. The wooden monoplane with a trapezoidal wing received the quite understandable name Martin-Handasyde Transatlantic. The flight across the Atlantic was planned from Newfoundland to Ireland. The pilot was named Gustav Hamel (1889-1914), who had previously made the first official mail flight in Great Britain.
For the aircraft, the 215 hp Sunbeam engine was chosen. - 12-cylinder V-shaped liquid-cooled with a pulling 4-blade Lang propeller with a diameter of 3.66 m.
Although the Transatlantic had a wheeled chassis, the design allowed for a safe landing on the ocean surface. The fuselage of a triangular cross-section had watertight bulkheads. In front of the fuselage was a fuel tank 2.74 m long and 0.91 m in diameter. Behind it was a two-seater cockpit with side-by-side seats. The landing gear was separated after takeoff, reducing the weight of the structure. Regular landing was provided for water.
Construction of the aircraft began in May 1914. Shortly thereafter, on May 23, 1914, Hamel disappeared without a trace while flying another airplane over the English Channel. Nevertheless, the construction of the aircraft and the search for a new pilot continued until the beginning of the First World War.
The outbreak of war prevented a number of projects to conquer the Atlantic from being realized. At the same time, it stimulated the development of aircraft designs. Strength and reliability have increased, engine resource and airplane speed have increased. Flight range has increased, especially for bombers. The latter could already, with sufficient fuel reserves, cover a distance of more than 4000 km without landing. This was enough for a non-stop flight from Newfoundland to Ireland. An obstacle to the implementation of the idea was only the involvement of the main aviation powers in hostilities. But in industrially developed countries that did not take part in the war, or that were far from theaters of military operations, attempts to fly resumed already in 1917.
In August 1917, the Italian pilot Silvio Resnati arrived in the United States. The main purpose of his visit was to prepare a serial production in the United States and train American pilots to fly on it. On the same machine, equipped with three Isotta-Fraschini engines, the Italian pilot planned to make a transatlantic flight in 1918. This was not destined to come true - on May 16, 1918, Resnati died in the crash of his Caproni Sa.3 near Hampstead, New York.
Two months later, on July 15, 1918, forty American military pilots at once filed a petition on command with a proposal to carry out a transatlantic flight in an American-made Caproni or Handley-Page bomber. The idea was supported by US Secretary of Defense Baker. At a military airfield in Elizabeth, New Jersey, preparations began for an expedition that was to take place in the same year on a Handley-Page bomber. The expedition was thoroughly prepared. It was planned to deploy ships along the entire route from Newfoundland to Ireland at intervals of 200 nautical miles, in order to quickly assist the pilots in the event of an accident. However, the land pilots were overtaken by sailors on the Curtiss NC flying boats.
Sources: V.O. Bykov. "Conquest of the Northern Alantica".
NON-LANDING FLIGHT THROUGH THE ATLANTIC
Turning to the historical events that glorified the beginning of the last century with legendary air travel, the question naturally arises: who was the first to make a non-stop flight across the Atlantic alone?
One hundred years ago (in 1913) a popular English print publication announced a reward of £ 10,000 for a flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The Daily Mail prophesied glory to the aircrew or lone pilot who would be the first in 72 hours to make a non-stop flight across the Atlantic in any direction from America to the shores of Ireland or Great Britain.
At that time, flights over such long distances seemed fantastic, because airplanes were just beginning to master the sky, and their structural elements were often destroyed even when they tried to get off the ground.
Attempts to conquer the Atlantic sky
The crew of the Martinsyd Raymore was preparing to conquer the three thousandth distance, but the plane did not take off. The failure was caused by a landing gear failure, in which the nose of the aircraft was buried in the ground.
Likewise, on takeoff, another plane broke the nose ("Handley Page").
The attempt by the crew of the Sopwith Atlantic was almost successful - they did not have the strength to cover the last 850 miles to the coast.
The first pilots who made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic (they did not fly alone at that time) were the British crew of the Vickers Vimi winged aircraft. The pilot, John Alcock, and the navigator, Arthur Whitten Brown, received the well-deserved cash prize in 1919.
Much more famous is another pilot, namely the one who first made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic alone. But this flight took place already in 1927.
Charles Lindbergh's flight
In 1926, a wealthy New York hotel owner, Raymond Orteig, awarded a $ 25,000 prize for a non-stop New York-Paris flight.
Charles Lindbergh was 25 years old and served as a pilot for an air mail company. Lindbergh decided that the existing models were not suitable for such flights and a special aircraft was needed. According to his calculations, such an aircraft should be a monoplane containing the required amount of kerosene. Maybe someone would have doubted, but Charles Lindbergh decided to fly alone and a year later he was the first to fly non-stop across the Atlantic.
The plane (Spirit of St. Louis), named after St. Lewis, was fully loaded with all 1,700 liters of fuel and barely took off on May 19, 1927. They say that during the climb, the telegraph wires were cut off, this flight began so low above the ground. 
The pilot had to determine the course, doing the calculations in his head, based on the flight time in any direction, and he estimated the wind speed from the waves! To do this, Lindbergh had to descend to get out of the clouds and fog. On top of that, the plane was heavily iced up and much heavier. Flying in these conditions, fighting sleep, was incredibly difficult and dangerous.
However, luck accompanied the brave pilot, and after 28 hours, Charles Lindbergh's plane was near Valentine's Island, which is located near Ireland. It's amazing that the deviation from the chosen course was within 5 km!
And six hours later, Lindbergh was received by the Paris Bourget airport. In Paris, over 200,000 French people greeted him as a hero, and about 4 million compatriots awaited his return to New York. We can compare this event with the meeting of the first cosmonauts by our fellow countrymen.
There was no end to the rave reviews of contemporaries: someone admired the courage and courage of the first lone pilot who made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic; someone was carefully analyzing the modernization of an aircraft produced for Lindbergh.
Lindbergh's innovation was that he preferred a single-engine aircraft, although multi-engine aircraft were considered safer. He also demanded an increase in the wingspan and additional fuel tanks. It was important for him to reduce the weight of the aircraft as much as possible, so he fought for every gram. Eyewitnesses claimed that Lindbergh refused to take a parachute and a walkie-talkie on board, he replaced the massive leather seat with a wicker one, special light boots were made to order, and even the map lost its "unnecessary" part.
The flight of Charles Lindbergh made him a legendary pilot forever, and for society marked a breakthrough into previously inaccessible areas. He gave aviation a strategic importance, bringing the distance between the European and American continents closer.
FIRST ATLANTIC FLIGHT PERFORMED BY A PLANE CREW
The first flight across the Atlantic Ocean was made by a brave British crew. The first non-stop flight across the Atlantic on 14 June 1919 was made by the crew of the Vickers Vimi of the British Air Force. Their names are Captain John Alcock (pilot) and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown (navigator).
There were other daredevils who flew over the Atlantic Ocean. Eight years after the British flight, everyone started talking about the American pilot Charles Lindbergh, the same one who made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic alone. People loved Lindbergh's youth and courage. In 1927, the public was already able to appreciate such a flight. Nevertheless, pilots Alcock and Brown were ahead of everyone.
Overcoming obstacles and difficulties
It was decided to fly from Canada to the shores of Ireland. At first I had to look for a suitable place for take-off for a long time. The choice of the site was approached carefully - after the accident of other Britons (the crew of the Martinsayd Raymore), it was clear what the risk was when lifting a bomber overloaded with fuel into the sky.
When an airfield near the Canadian city of St. John's was found, Alcock named it the first transatlantic airfield. They waited for the right weather to come and were very nervous because they feared that others might outrun them.
Once, on the first fine day, a military plane flew right over them towards the ocean. John and Arthur only later learned that it was a test flight. And at first it seemed to them that they were having a terrible dream - another plane had already taken off first to fly across the Atlantic before anyone else.
The pilots were nervous, as everything was ready for the flight, but they had to postpone the start because of the squall wind. Added excitement and came from England a telegram with accusations of indecision.
Finally, on June 13, a favorable weather situation was established. At the command of Captain Alcock, refueling began. First, the fuel was filtered through a sieve, and then it was pumped using a hand pump into aircraft tanks. It was a tedious and lengthy process. Toward noon, a shock absorber break was discovered on one of the chassis. It could not withstand such a heavy load, and the plane began to roll on its side.
To eliminate the defect, it was necessary to raise the plane, and for this it was necessary to drain all the previously filled fuel. People worked the rest of the day until midnight, then poured fuel into the tanks again, working without interruption with the headlights on and lighting the site with paraffin lamps.
The weather report, received on the morning of June 14, promised a strong westerly wind, which will intensify in the coming hours. The pilots who arrived at the airfield decided that if they did not take off now, then they would have to give priority to someone else who would fly across the Atlantic Ocean earlier than they did.
Brown and Alcock climbed into the cockpit, warmed up the engines, brought them to full power, and Alcock signaled to the mechanics to release the wings of the plane. The bomber was slowly rolling along runwaywithout gaining sufficient speed or lifting off the ground. The long-awaited start came at the end of the runway, when the plane with great difficulty climbed over the fence and trees, and then disappeared from view over the hills.
All observers decided that an accident had occurred and ran towards the alleged plane crash. People were worried, and most of all the doctor shouted, asking to give way to him for first aid. The panic subsided when the silhouette of the plane was again visible in the sky, gradually gaining altitude.
The crew went through excruciatingly tense moments, it seemed that the car would crash down, so hard it climbed. But now St. John's was left behind. The ships honked off the departing plane, which with a roar overcame the 400-meter mark and went away from the coastline. The navigator headed for Ireland.
Incredibly challenging flight
They walked in solid clouds, and below were drifting faint accumulations of ice. It was getting incredibly cold; even special heated suits did not save from the low temperature. At first, on the ground, they received messages from Brown on the radio about following the route, but then the wind generator broke down and they were left with a useless radio station. 
At about seven o'clock the pilot was driving the bomber blindly. Of course, they had to fly in dense clouds before, but not for such a long time, besides, problems began with the right engine. At first, frequent claps were heard, the sounds of which resembled machine-gun bursts, and then the unit "spat out" some part of its structure. The exhaust pipe quickly became hot: at first it turned red, then turned white and was blown off by a stream of air. The exhaust flame of a running engine reached the wire, which was heated, but withstood the temperature and did not change its shape.
At seven o'clock the pilots decided to have a snack, their dinner consisted of sandwiches and coffee. Now they could orient themselves by the starry sky, so Brown wrote a note to Captain Alcock about the need to see the stars. The pilot took the plane out of the clouds only at an altitude of 1800 meters. The navigator was able to determine their location: after eight hours of flight "Vickers Vimi" retired from the shores of Newfoundland by almost one and a half thousand kilometers. The first half of the journey was completed. It turned out that their ground speed was slightly higher than the calculated one. It was decided to descend and go further under the edge of the clouds at an altitude of 1200 meters.
At about three o'clock in the morning, their car began to be thrown by strong gusts of wind, a thunderstorm front appeared in the plane's path. In conditions of poor visibility, orientation was lost, the aircraft's speed dropped sharply. The bomber went into a tailspin. Flashes of lightning made it difficult for the pilot to determine the position of the car in the stormy space and to align the plane. Alcock tried to put the rudders in a neutral position - nothing worked. The only thing he could see was the readings of the altimeter, which showed an ever-smaller distance to the ground: first 900, then 600, 300, now 150 ...
There was still nothing to be seen, but Alcock heard the sound of the ocean raging beneath them, and at the same moment the low sky around the plane cleared. They flew upwards on wheels, incredibly close to the surface of the ocean, huge shafts rolled over their heads. A split second remained for making decisions.
In this critical situation, the pilot talent of Captain John Alcock passed the most stringent test. An experienced pilot instantly regained spatial orientation and last seconds leveled the plane, giving the engines full throttle. It seemed to both aviators that from their cockpit they could reach the foam ridges. Moving away from the ocean waves, which were at a distance of some fifteen meters, the car picked up a saving speed.
The heavy rain continued to fall, and with the climb it began to snow. The weight of the aircraft grew rapidly - dangerous icing began, which caused interruptions in the operation of the right engine. Its carburetor was clogged with snow, and the aircraft began to lose altitude due to lack of power when one engine was running. The situation was becoming critical.
Alcock looked back at his navigator, but he was not there. It turned out that Brown went along the wing to the failed engine. He clung to the racks with all his might and cleaned the ice with a knife. In their position, this was the only saving decision. After a while, the left engine began to fail. Brown had to repeat his feat on the left wing. His courageous actions saved the engines and saved the lives of both pilots. In total, Lieutenant Brown made 5 such exits.
June 15 "Vickers Vimi" jumped out of the cloud layer in the morning, and after another half hour the crew saw two small islands, behind which the Irish coast was already guessed. They flew along the coast and found a green landing field. The Clifden radio station was located not far from this place. People noticed them and began waving their hands, showing that it was impossible to sit on the field - it was swampy.
However, it seemed to the pilots that they were being greeted, they waved back and continued landing. As a result, the plane buried its nose in a swamp and got stuck in the ground, but the guys were lucky: the damage to the plane was insignificant, and they themselves did not suffer (except for Brown's scratched nose).
Their legendary flight lasted 16 hours and 28 minutes. Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown were the first to conquer the Atlantic skies, covering 3,040 kilometers. The average speed of the Vickers Vimi was about 190 km / h. Interestingly, after landing, the supply of fuel in the tanks remained quite impressive, they could have reached the English coast.
The current model of the first airplane "Bird of Prey" in flight
In the center of Rio de Janeiro, on the waterfront near the ultra-modern Museum of Tomorrow, a model of the world's first 14-bis airplane or "Oiseau de proie" (in French "bird of prey") is installed.
Today Brazil is one of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers. Brazilian Embraer (E-Jet) leads the world in the medium-haul (regional) aircraft market.
Thanks to the dominance of the American media in the world, the belief was formed about the priority of the Wright brothers, who made the first flight in an airplane. In Brazil and France, the indisputable primacy is given to the native of Brazil, the Knight of the Legion of Honor, aeronaut, pilot and inventor Albert Santos-Dumont (1873 - 1932), who lived in France for some time. The Brazilian was the first in the world to prove the possibility of regular, controlled flights. Santos-Dumont made a public airplane flight in Paris on October 23, 1906. It was the first heavier-than-air vehicle to take off, fly and land, which, unlike the Wright brothers, did not use catapults, strong winds, launch rails and other external devices. The inventor was against using aircraft for military purposes.
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The first transatlantic direct flight was made from the island of Newfoundland (Canada) to Ireland by British pilots John Alcon and Arthur Brown on June 14-15, 1919 in 16 hours 28 minutes at an average speed of 190 km per hour. The effect of a jet air flow in the Northern Hemisphere from west to east was used. In the opposite direction, it would take more time, and there were no planes with the corresponding resource then. The first non-stop 36-hour flight across the Atlantic from Europe (Dublin) to North America took place only a decade later in April 1928.
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Today, a flight across the Atlantic to South America is an everyday matter and requires only patience (up to a 14 hour flight from Paris to Santiago). The monument to the first plane (seaplane) and the crew that flew from Europe to South America, I first saw many years ago in Lisbon.
On the British-made Fairey 17 seaplane, Portuguese pilots Gago Coutinho and Sakadura Cabral made the first dramatic flight from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, dedicated to the centenary of Brazil's independence. Aircraft of this type were produced from 1918 to 1941, and took an active part in the Second World War.
During the flight to South America, a new artificial horizon device was tested, which makes it possible to control the position of the aircraft out of sight of the earth or sea surface.
On March 30, 1922, the pilots took off from the naval base of Lisbon and reached the Canary Islands (Las Palmas) late in the evening for refueling. On April 5, another rush was made to the Cape Verde Islands (São Vicente), where an engine repair was required. On April 17, the pilots continued their journey to the rocky uninhabited island of Sao Paulo (St. Peter and Paul). Here, during a splashdown in a stormy sea, the airplane lost one of its floats and sank. The aviators were rescued by the Portuguese cruiser República, which supported the flight. The cruiser took the pilots to the port of the Brazilian island Fernando de Noronha.
But the epic did not end there. The enthusiastic Brazilians and Portuguese watching the flight forced the government in Lisbon to send another seaplane to the airmen.
The new plane was delivered to the island and on May 11, the pilots took off ... back side to Sao Paulo Island to resume the flight from the crash site. However, an engine failure forced them to make an emergency landing in the ocean. The seaplane successfully sank again, and the pilots were picked up by a British freighter and brought them back to Fernanda de Noronha.
But this time, with the support of the Brazilian government, the brave aviators receive a third plane, on which they were able to complete the flight with landings in Recife, Salvador da Bahia and Vitoria. Finally, on June 17, the flight was completed in Rio de Janeiro, where the seaplane landed in Guanabara Bay. Brazil greeted aviators as heroes, and aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont made a welcoming speech at a rally on the embankment of many thousands. The journey lasted 79 days, of which the actual flight time was 62 hours and 26 minutes. The aviators covered a distance of 8383 kilometers (5209 miles) by air.
Flight map 
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In 1930, a French pilot Jean Mermoz made the first ever non-stop flight across the South Atlantic.
From Toulouse, France, he flew to the African port of Saint Louis (Senegal) located on the Atlantic coast. From here, he made a transatlantic flight to Rio de Janeiro with 130 kg of mail on a converted plane in 21 hours. In 1936, the pilot with the plane disappeared on a regular flight over the South Atlantic.
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Over time, regular passenger flights from Europe to South America began. On July 10, 1962, the Soviet Aeroflot began regular transatlantic flights to Latin America to Cuba on the route Moscow - Conakry (technical landing) - Havana, and then across the North Pole with a stopover in Murmansk. The specially modernized Tu-114 accommodated only 60 passengers, but had a large supply of fuel. The flight took over 20 hours.
On May 27, 1973, regular flights began to Peru and Chile on the route Moscow - Rabat - Havana - Lima (Peru) - Santiago (Chile). At that time, it was the longest passenger airline in the world (18,000 km), travel time - 23 hours. Today they fly from Moscow to South America connecting flights via Paris, Amsterdam, Istanbul and other aviation hubs.
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On the air route between Europe and South America On June 1, 2009, one of the largest air crashes occurred. Airbus airliner A330-203 air France operated flight AF447 en route Rio de Janeiro - Paris, but after 3 hours and 45 minutes after takeoff, it crashed into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and completely collapsed. All 228 people on board were killed (12 crew members and 216 passengers). This is the largest disaster in airline history Air France and the biggest disaster passenger aircraft from 2001 until the Boeing 777 disaster in the Donetsk region (July 17, 2014, 298 dead).
As the causes of the disaster, the freezing of the Pitot tubes, the subsequent shutdown of the autopilot and the uncoordinated actions of the crew, which led to the stalling of the aircraft, from which the crew could not withdraw, are indicated. Inconsistency of actions, poor preparation and panic of the crew (co-pilot and trainee who were in the cockpit during the commander's rest). The summoned commander made the right decision and at an altitude of about 600 meters the plane began to pick up speed, but it was not possible to stop the stall in time. Experts point to flaws in the design of modern aircraft and in the training of crews. Computer systems control the aircraft for the overwhelming flight time, deprive pilots of direct flying experience and reduce their preparedness for emergency situations.
