Novel Engine May Solve Ocean Flight.

New York Times 100 years ago today, December 1, 1912:
William Dartnell Believes Grahame-White's Project Will Be Proved Feasible.
FUEL WEIGHT BIG PROBLEM
New Type of Motor, Having Characteristics of Marine Engine, Uses Minimum Amount of Oil.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Nov. 30.— Great interest in Claude Grahame-White's project of crossing the Atlantic by hydroplane is being taken in aeronautical and scientific circles where the general opinion is that the feat will be accomplished before long.
    William Dartnell, a well-known engineer and member of the Aeronautical Society, expresses confidence in Mr. Grahame-White's ability to execute the task.
    "I notice," said Mr. Dartnell, "that Grahame-White is designing a huge hydroplane in which he purposes to install a power plant of 1,000 horse power in four units of 250 horse power each. He states that the question of the carriage of fuel is a very important one, and he is quite right. " The distance to New York by steamer is 3,100 nautical miles, and to fly this distance at the rato of 100 miles an hour at average speed would take thirty-one hours, while to produce 31,000 horse power hours of work in propulsion with the existing types of engines would consume no less than 700 pounds of petrol an hour.
    "This means that at the start the weight of fuel alone would amount to 9.687 plus tons, but it should be remembered that the machine would get 700 pounds lighter every hour on its voyage, so the speed for the same engine power would rise.
    "As Mr. Grahame-White points out, the main difficulty will be to get the engines. So far as seen, there are at present no types of engine in this country of which it can be truthfully stated that they would be capable of successfully accomplishing a feat of this nature.
    "A new type of engine is, however, now to be had for aeronautical work in which are embodied the characteristics of the marine engine rather than those of the automobile engine, and which will stand the load right through the voyage. Only 500 pounds of fuel an hour would be required, and instead of starting with a fuel weight of 9.687 plus tons it would be only 6.91 plus tons.
    "Drawings are out for this engine up to 260 horse power at 900 revolutions a minute, and the weight per horse power developed is very low." If, as is generally supposed, the question of the engine is the pivotal point for a successful transatlantic flight, Mr. Dartnell's statements, should they be proved exact, point to the feat being accomplished at an earlier date than had been expected.