Curtiss NC-4

{{Short description|United States Navy flying boat, First aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean}} {{Redirect|NC-4}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox aircraft |name = NC-4 |image = Curtiss NC-4 four engine configuration-detail.jpg |caption = The NC-4 after her return to the United States in 1919 |other_names = |type = [[Curtiss NC]] |manufacturer = [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company]] |construction_number = |construction_date = 1917 |civil_registration = |military_serial = A2294 |radio_code = |first_flight = 30 April 1919 |owners = [[U.S. Navy]] |in_service = 1919–1920 |flights = |total_hours = |total_distance = |fate = |preservation = [[National Naval Aviation Museum]], [[Pensacola, Florida]] }}

The '''NC-4''' is a [[Curtiss NC]] [[flying boat]] that was the first [[aircraft]] to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, albeit not non-stop. The NC designation was derived from the collaborative efforts of the Navy (N) and Curtiss (C). The NC series flying boats were designed to meet wartime needs, and after the end of [[World War I]] they were sent overseas to validate the design concept.

The aircraft was designed by [[Glenn Curtiss]] and his team, and manufactured by [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company]], with the hull built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Corporation in [[Bristol, Rhode Island]].

In May 1919, a crew of United States Navy and US Coast Guard aviators flew the NC-4 from [[New York State]] to [[Lisbon, Portugal]], over the course of 19 days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cgaviationhistory.org/1919-nc-4-transatlantic-flight/|title = 1919: NC-4 Transatlantic Flight}}</ref> This included time for stops for numerous repairs and crewmen's rest, with stops along the way in [[Massachusetts]], [[Nova Scotia]] (on the mainland), [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], and twice in the [[Azores Islands]]. Then its flight from the Azores to Lisbon completed the first [[transatlantic flight]] between North America and Europe, and two more flights from Lisbon to northwestern [[Spain]] to [[Plymouth, England]], completed the first flight between North America and [[Great Britain]]. This accomplishment was somewhat eclipsed in the minds of the public by the first [[transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown|''nonstop'' transatlantic flight]], made by the [[Royal Air Force]] pilots [[John Alcock (RAF officer)|John Alcock]] and [[Arthur Whitten Brown]] two weeks later.{{#tag:ref|Alcock and Brown's flight was between Newfoundland and [[Ireland]]—both of which are islands—whereas the NC-4 flew from [[Long Island]] (also an island) via Massachusetts (on the mainland), Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the Azores to the mainland of [[Europe]], in [[Lisbon, Portugal]], assisted in navigation by 21 [[U.S. Navy]] warships spaced on the average about {{convert|57|nmi|km}} apart along the route over the open [[Atlantic Ocean]].|group=N}} {{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Background== {{more citations needed section|date=May 2017}} The [[transatlantic flight|transatlantic capability]] of the NC-4 was the result of developments in [[aviation]] that began before [[World War I]]. In 1908, Glenn Curtiss had experimented unsuccessfully with floats on the airframe of an early ''[[AEA June Bug|June Bug]]'' craft, but his first successful takeoff from water was not carried out until 1911, with an ''A-1'' airplane fitted with a central pontoon. In January 1912, he first flew his first hulled "hydro-aeroplane", which led to an introduction with the retired English naval officer [[John Cyril Porte]] who was looking for a partner to produce an aircraft with him to attempt win the prize of the newspaper the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' for the first [[transatlantic flight]] between the [[British Isles]] and any point in the United States of America, Canada, or Newfoundland—not necessarily nonstop, but using just one airplane. (e.g. changing airplanes in [[Iceland]] or the [[Azores]] was not allowed.)

Emmitt Clayton Bedell, a chief designer for Curtiss, improved the hull by incorporating the Bedell Step, the innovative [[Hydroplane (boat)|hydroplane]] "step" in the hull allowed for breaking clear of the water at [[takeoff]]. Porte and Curtiss were joined by Lt. [[John H. Towers]] of the U.S. Navy as a test pilot. The 1914 [[Curtiss Model H|''America'' flying boat]] produced by Porte and Curtiss was a larger aircraft with two engines and two pusher propellers. The members of the team hoped to claim the prize for a transatlantic flight,<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%201723.html "The Felixstowe Flying-boats."] ''Flight Magazine archive'', 2 December 1955.</ref> however their ambitions were curtailed on 4 August 1914 with the outbreak of [[World War I]] in Europe.

Development continued in the U.S. and Porte now back in the [[Royal Navy]]'s flight arm the [[RNAS]], commissioned more flying boats to be built by the [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company|Curtiss Company]]. These could be used for long-range [[antisubmarine warfare]] patrols. Porte modified these aircraft, and he developed them into his own set of [[Felixstowe F.2|Felixstowe flying boats]] with more powerful engines, longer ranges, better hulls and better handling characteristics. He shared this design with the Curtiss Company, which built these improved models under license, selling them to the [[U.S. Government]].

This led in a set of four similar aircraft, the NC-1, NC-2, NC-3 and the NC-4, the [[U.S. Navy]]'s first series of four huge [[Curtiss NC]] flying boats made for the Navy by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. The NC-4 made its first test flight on 30 April 1919.<ref name=flightacross>[https://archive.org/stream/flightacrossatla00curtrich#page/n0/mode/1up ''The Flight Across the Atlantic.''] Hammondsport, New York: Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1919. Retrieved: 12 September 2010.</ref>

[[World War I]] had ended in November 1918, before the completion of the four Curtiss NCs. Then in 1919, with several of the new floatplanes in its possession, the officers in charge of the U.S. Navy decided to demonstrate the capability of the seaplanes with a transatlantic flight. However it was necessary to schedule refueling and repair stops that were also for crewmen's meals and sleep and rest breaks—since these Curtiss NCs were quite slow in flight. For example, the flight between Newfoundland and the Azores required many hours of night flight because it could not be completed in one day.

==Transatlantic flight== [[File:The National geographic magazine (Page 516) BHL40563513 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Crews of the NC-4, NC-3 and NC-1 immediately before the departure of the first transatlantic flight]] The U.S. Navy's [[transatlantic flight]] expedition began on 8 May 1919. The NC-4 started out in the company of two other Curtiss NCs, the NC-1 and the NC-3 (with the NC-2 having been [[Cannibalization (parts)|cannibalized]] for spare parts to repair the NC-1 before this group of planes had even left [[New York City]]). The three aircraft left from [[Naval Air Station Rockaway]],{{#tag:ref|The Rockaway Naval Air Station was later abandoned by the Navy and made a part of the [[Gateway National Recreation Area]]|group=N}} with intermediate stops at the [[Chatham Naval Air Station]], Massachusetts, and [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]], before flying on to [[Trepassey]], Newfoundland, on 15 May. Eight [[U.S. Navy]] warships were stationed along the northern [[East Coast of the United States]] and [[Atlantic Canada]] to help the Curtiss NCs in navigation and to rescue their crewmen in case of any emergency.<ref name="Turnbull and Lord p. 125">Turnbull and Lord 1949, p. 125.</ref>

The "base ship", or the [[flagship]] for all of the Navy ships that had been assigned to support the flight of the Curtiss NCs, was the former [[minelayer]] {{USS|Aroostook|CM-3|6}}, which the Navy had converted into a [[seaplane tender]] just before the flight of the Curtiss NCs. With a displacement of just over 3,000 tons, ''Aroostook'' was larger than the Navy's [[destroyer]]s that had been assigned to support the transatlantic flight in 1919. Before the Curtiss NCs took off from New York City, ''Aroostook'' had been sent to Trepassey, Newfoundland, to await their arrival there, and then provide refueling, relubrication, and maintenance work on the NC-1, NC-3 and NC-4. Next, she steamed across the Atlantic meet the group when they arrived in England.

On 16 May, the three Curtiss NCs departed on the longest leg of their journey, from Newfoundland to the Azores Islands in the mid-Atlantic. Twenty-two more Navy ships, mostly [[destroyer]]s, were stationed at about {{convert|50|mi|km|adj=on}} spacings along this route.<ref name=firstacross>[http://www.bluejacket.com/usn_avi_nc4.html "First across the Atlantic."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222105515/https://www.bluejacket.com/usn_avi_nc4.html |date=22 December 2017 }} ''bluejacket.com.'' Retrieved: 12 September 2010.</ref> These "station ships" were brightly illuminated during the nighttime. Their sailors blazed their [[searchlight]]s into the sky, and they also fired bright [[star shell]]s into the sky to help the aviators to stay on their planned flight path.<ref name=stringofpearls>[http://www.patspalace.com/nancy1.htm "... the Atlantic fleet, strung out like pearls, with its {{Sic|?|hide=y|brightly|-}}illuminated ships posted fifty miles apart along the Nancys' flight path... clearly marked by Navy destroyers' search lights and star-burst shells."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210022958/http://patspalace.com/nancy1.htm |date=10 February 2006 }} ''patspalace.com.'' Retrieved: 13 May 2011.</ref>

After flying all through the night and most of the next day, the NC-4 reached the town of [[Horta (Azores)|Horta]] on [[Faial Island]] in the Azores on the following afternoon, having flown about {{convert|1200|mi|km}}. It had taken the crewmen 15 hours, 18 minutes, to fly this leg. The NCs encountered thick fog banks along the route. Both the NC-1 and the NC-3 were forced to land on the open Atlantic Ocean because the poor visibility and loss of a visual horizon made flying extremely dangerous. NC-1 was damaged landing in the rough seas and could not become airborne again. NC-3 had mechanical problems.

The crewmen of the NC-1, including future Admiral [[Marc Mitscher]], were rescued by the [[Greece|Greek]] [[cargo ship]] SS ''Ionia''. This ship took the NC-1 in tow, but it sank three days later and was lost in deep water.<ref name=stringofpearls/><ref>[http://www.aviation-history.com/navy/nc4.html "NC-4."] ''Aviation History website.'' Retrieved: 12 September 2010.</ref>

The pilots of the NC-3, including future Admiral [[John Henry Towers|Jack Towers]], taxied their floatplane some {{convert|200|nmi|lk=in|0}} to reach the Azores, where it was taken in tow by a U.S. Navy ship.<ref name=stringofpearls/>

[[File:NC flight path.jpg|thumb|right|US Navy warships "strung out like a string of pearls" along the NCs' flightpath (3rd leg)]]

Three days after arriving in the Azores, on 20 May, the NC-4 took off again bound for Lisbon, but it suffered mechanical problems, and its pilots had to land again at [[Ponta Delgada]], [[São Miguel Island]], Azores, having flown only about {{convert|150|mi|km}}. After several days of delays for spare parts and repairs, the NC-4 took off again on 27 May. Once again there were station ships of the Navy to help with navigation, especially at night. There were 13 warships arranged along the route between the Azores and Lisbon.<ref name=firstacross/> The NC-4 had no more serious problems, and it landed in Lisbon harbor after a flight of nine hours, 43 minutes. Thus, the NC-4 became the first aircraft of any kind to fly across the Atlantic Ocean – or any of the other oceans. By flying from Massachusetts and Halifax to Lisbon, the NC-4 also flew from '''mainland-to-mainland''' of North America and Europe. Note: the seaplanes were hauled ashore for maintenance work on their engines.

The flight from Newfoundland to Lisbon took a total time of 10 days and 22 hours, with an actual flight time of 26 hours and 46 minutes.

The NC-4 later flew on to [[England]], arriving in [[Plymouth]] on 31 May to great fanfare,<ref>Nevin 1980, p. 23.</ref> having taken 23 days for the flight from Newfoundland to Great Britain. For the final flight legs – from Lisbon to [[Ferrol, Spain]], and then from Ferrol to Plymouth – 10 more U.S. Navy warships were stationed along the route. A total of 53 U.S. Navy ships had been stationed along the route from [[New York City]] to Plymouth.<ref name=firstacross/>

Most of the flight route taken by the NC-4 was indicated on the map of the North Atlantic published by ''Flight'' magazine on 29 May 1919, while the NC-4 was still on the mainland of Portugal.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200694.html "The Transatlantic Flight: Hawker and Greive retrieved (Map of the North Atlantic)."] ''Flight,'' 29 May 1919. Retrieved: 10 November 2012.</ref>

The feat of making the first transatlantic flight was somewhat eclipsed shortly afterwards by the first ''nonstop'' transatlantic flight by [[John Alcock (RAF officer)|John Alcock]] and [[Arthur Whitten Brown]] in a [[Vickers Vimy]] [[biplane]], when they flew from Newfoundland to [[Ireland]] nonstop on 14–15 June 1919, in 16 hours and 27 minutes. Consequently, Alcock and Brown won a prize of £10,000 offered by the newspaper, ''[[Daily Mail]]'', which had been first announced in 1913, and then renewed in 1918, to "the aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight from any point in the United States, Canada, or Newfoundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland, in 72 consecutive hours."<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1913/04/01/100392550.pdf "50,000 for Flight across Atlantic."] ''[[The New York Times]]'', 1 April 1913. Retrieved: 12 September 2010.</ref><ref name="DailyMail1918">[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%201315.html "£10,000 for first transatlantic flight (in 72 consecutive hours)."] ''Flight magazine'', 21 November 1918, p. 1316. Retrieved: 12 September 2010.</ref> The conditions also stipulated that "only one aircraft may be used for each attempt." Hence, there was no possibility of changing to a fresh aircraft in [[Iceland]], [[Greenland]], the Azores, and beyond.

Alcock and Brown also made their flight nonstop, even though this was not specified in the rules given by the ''Daily Mail''. Conceivably, any aviators could have made stops on Iceland, Greenland, or the Azores along the way for refueling, as long as they completed the entire flight within 72 hours. The rule that "only one aircraft may be used" eliminated the possibility of having fresh aircraft, with their fuel tanks already topped off, and new oil in their crankcase(s), waiting for the pilot or pilots to change from one exhausted airplane to a fresh one.

The Curtiss NCs were never entered into the above competition – because the U.S. Navy never planned for their flight to be completed in fewer than 72 hours.

[[File:First flights in aviation history.ogg|frame|center|A 1945 newsreel covering various firsts in human flight, including footage of the flight across the Atlantic]]

==Flight crew== [[File:NC4Crew.jpg|thumb|The crew of the NC-4, posing before Howard was replaced. ''Left to right:'' Read, Stone, Hinton, Rodd, Howard, Breese.]] The crewmen of the ''NC-4'' were [[Albert Cushing Read]], the commander and [[navigator]]; [[Walter Hinton]] and [[Elmer Fowler Stone]] (Coast Guard Aviator #1), the two [[Aviator|pilots]]; James L. Breese and Eugene S. Rhoads,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/Naval%20Aviation%20News/1960/pdf/jul69.pdf |title=A Time for Reminiscing: NC Crew Members, Designers, Guests Celebrate Golden Anniversary of First Trans-Atlantic Flight |first1=Izetta Winter |last1=Robb |first2=James |last2=Johnston |date=July 1969 |magazine=Naval Aviation News |page=12 |accessdate=22 February 2019}}</ref> the two [[flight engineer]]s; and [[Herbert C. Rodd]], the [[radio operator]]. Earlier, E.H. Howard had been chosen to go as one of the flight engineers, but on 2 May, Howard lost a hand in misjudging his distance from a whirling propeller.<ref name=flightacross/> Consequently, he was replaced by Rhoads in the crew.

==After the crossing== [[File:NC-4 Dismantling landscape.jpg|thumb|right|The ''NC-4'' being dismantled in June 1919 at Plymouth, England, before being shipped back to United States]] After arriving at Plymouth, England, the crewmen of the NC-4, who had been reunited with the crewmen of the less-successful NC-1 and NC-3, went by train to London, and there they received a tumultuous welcome. Next, they visited [[Paris, France]], to be lionized again.

The NC-4 was dismantled in Plymouth, and then loaded onto {{USS|Aroostook|CM-3|6}}, the base ship for the Curtiss NC's transatlantic flight,<ref>[http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a12/aroostook-ii.htm "Aroostook."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040314044321/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a12/aroostook-ii.htm |date=14 March 2004 }} ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center.'' Retrieved: 12 September 2010.</ref> for the return journey to the United States. ''Aroostook'' arriving in [[New York Harbor]] on 2 July 1919.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/07/03/98287645.pdf "Mine layer brings NC-4."] ''[[The New York Times]]'', 3 July 1919. Retrieved: 12 September 2010.</ref>

Following the return of all three of the aircrews on board the ocean liner {{USS|Zeppelin|1914|6}}, a goodwill tour of the [[East Coast of the United States]] and the [[Gulf Coast]] of the Southern States was carried out by the aircrew.<ref name="Turnbull and Lord p. 125"/>

On 9 February 1929, Congress passed Public Law 70-714 (45 Stat. 1157), awarding [[Congressional Gold Medal]]s to Lt. Commander John H. Towers for "conceiving, organizing, and commanding the first trans-Atlantic flight", and the six men of the flight crew "for their extraordinary achievement in making the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, in the United States naval flying boat NC-4, in May 1919."<ref>[http://artandhistory.house.gov/highlights.aspx?action=view&intID=331 "A Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the crew of the first transatlantic flight."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916013528/http://artandhistory.house.gov/highlights.aspx?action=view&intID=331 |date=16 September 2012 }} ''artandhistory.house.gov.'' Retrieved: 14 September 2012.</ref> The Navy created a [[awards and decorations of the United States military|military decoration]] known as the ''[[NC-4 Medal]]''.<ref>[http://www.foxfall.com/fmc-nc4.htm "NC-4 Medal."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513073213/http://foxfall.com/fmc-nc4.htm |date=13 May 2017 }} ''Foxfall.com.'' Retrieved: 14 September 2012.</ref>

It is very rare that a Congressional Gold Medal in miniature form be authorized for wear on a naval or military uniform.

The NC-4 is property of the [[Smithsonian Institution]], since it was given to that institution by the Navy after its return home. However, this aircraft was too large to be housed in either the older Smithsonian [[Arts & Industries Building]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], or in its successor, the 1976-completed ''[[National Air and Space Museum]]'' main building, also in Washington. A smaller model of the NC-4 is kept in the Milestones of Flight Gallery in the National Air and Space Museum, a place of honor, along with the original [[Wright Flyer|Wright ''Flyer'']] of 1903; [[Charles Lindbergh]]'s ''[[Spirit of St. Louis]] of 1927''; [[Chuck Yeager]]'s ''[[Glamorous Glennis]]'' X-1 [[rocket plane]] of 1947, and an X-15 rocket aircraft. As of 1974, the reassembled NC-4 is on loan from the Smithsonian to the [[National Museum of Naval Aviation]] in [[Pensacola, Florida]].

==Operators== ; {{USA}} *[[United States Navy]]

==Specifications (NC-4)== [[File:NC4EnginePensacola.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Center nacelle tractor and 4 bladed pusher Liberty V-12 engines, the Herreshoff hull, and one wing of the NC-4 in the [[National Museum of Naval Aviation]], Pensacola, in 1997.]] {{Aircraft specs |ref=Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947<ref name=Bowers>{{cite book |last1=Bowers |first1=Peter M. |title=Curtiss aircraft, 1907–1947 |date=1979 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0370100298 |pages=115–120}}</ref> |prime units?=imp  |genhide=

|crew=5 |length ft=68 |length in=2 |length note= ::'''NC-2:''' {{cvt|68|ft|2|in}} |span ft=126 |span in= |span note= |height ft=24 |height in=5 |height note= |wing area sqft=2441 |wing area note= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil=RAF 6 |empty weight lb=16000 |empty weight note= ::'''NC-2:''' {{cvt|14100|lb}} |gross weight lb=28000 |gross weight note= ::'''NC-2:''' {{cvt|23000|lb}} |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general=  |eng1 number=4 |eng1 name=[[Liberty L-12]] |eng1 type=V-12 water-cooled piston engines |eng1 hp=400 |eng1 note= ::'''NC-1:''' 3x {{cvt|360|hp}} low compression [[Liberty L-12]] engines; converted to four Liberty engines ::'''NC-2:''' 3x {{cvt|400|hp}} [[Liberty L-12]] engines; converted to four Liberty engines as the '''NC-T'''

|prop blade number=4 |prop name=fixed-pitch propellers |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note=  |max speed mph=85 |max speed note= |max speed mach= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed note= |stall speed mph= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed note= |range miles= |range note= |combat range miles= |combat range note= |ferry range miles= |ferry range note= |endurance=14 hours 48 minutes |ceiling ft=2500 |ceiling note= ::'''NC-2:''' {{cvt|2500|ft}} |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude={{cvt|2000|ft}} in 10 minutes |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass={{cvt|0.06|hp/lb}}

|more performance=  |armament=* Machine guns in front and rear cockpits; Provision to carry [[depth charge]]s in wartime }}

==Notable appearances in media== Frederick Ellsworth Bigelow (1873–1929), famous for the "Our Director March", wrote a march called "The NC4" dedicated to the men of the NC4.

==See also== *[[Charles M. Olmsted]]

==References== [[File:NC-4 Naval Aviation Museum Pensacola Florida.jpg|NC-4 Naval Aviation Museum Pensacola Florida|thumb|right]]

===Notes=== {{Reflist|group=N}}

===Citations=== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography=== {{Refbegin}} * Nevin, David. ''The Pathfinders'' (The Epic of Flight series). Alexandria, Virginia: Time Life Books, 1980. {{ISBN|978-1-84447-032-7}}. * Silberg, Eric and Haas, David. ''Developing the Navy’s NC Flying Boats: Transforming Aeronautical Engineering for the First Transatlantic Flight.'' American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2011. [https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Portals/103/Documents/NSWC_Carderock/Developing%20the%20NC%20Flying%20Boats.pdf] * Smith, Richard K. ''First Across: The U.S. Navy's Transatlantic Fight of 1919''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1973. {{ISBN|978-0-87021-184-3}}. * Turnbull, Archibald D., Captain, USNR and Clifford L. Lord, Lt. Commander, USNR. ''History of United States Naval Aviation.'' New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1949. * Vance, Jonathan. ''High Flight.'' Toronto, Ontario: Penguin of Canada, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-14-301345-7}}. {{Refend}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Curtiss NC-4}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080515221553/http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/firstflight.html First flight across the Atlantic] *[http://www.aerofiles.com/nc4.html Forgotten Flyers of 1919] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20031205105647/http://naval.aviation.museum/exhibits/NC_4.html NC-4 on Naval Aviation Museum site] *[http://www.earlyaviators.com/eread.htm Albert C. Read and the NC-4] on Early Aviators site, with good photographs *[http://www.aviation-history.com/navy/nc4.html Navy-Curtiss NC-4 Flying Boat] on aviation-history.com *[https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigation/nc-4-first-across-the-atlantic/ History Detectives . Investigations – NC-4: First Across the Atlantic – PBS] * {{Internet Archive short film|id=gov.dod.dimoc.25518|name=The Great Flight (1970)}} *[http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/nc-4-flying-boat.html Navy-Curtiss NC-4 Flying Boat] on Small Boat Restoration * {{cite web | url =https://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/StoneElmerApr2010.pdf | title = Elmer F. Stone '13 and the Pioneering Role of Coast Guard Academy Graduates in Early Naval and Coast Guard Aviation | last = Thiesen, PhD | first =William H. | date =April 2010 | website =USCG.mil | publisher =The Foundation for Coast Guard History | access-date =2016-05-11 }} * [http://si.edu/object/curtiss-nc-4%3Anasm_A19270032000 Curtiss NC-4](Smithsonian) Preserving and restoration of NC-4 for 1969 50th anniversary of Transatlantic flight {{Authority control}}

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