- John Cyril Porte
Lieutenant Commander John Cyril Porte CMG RN (26 February 1884 -22 October 1919 [http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1919/1919%20-%201425.pdf Notice of Death, Flight PDF Archive] ,30 October 1919 ] ) was aflying boat pioneer associated with theWorld War I Seaplane Experimental Station atFelixstowe .At an early age Porte joined the
Royal Navy submarine service, but contractedtuberculosis and was discharged in 1911. Instead he learnt to fly and participated in air races, before becoming interested in flying boats. He met American aircraft designerGlenn Curtiss at Volk's Seaplane Base atBrighton , and they worked together on a design in the USA for the "America" flying boat, in which they intended to cross the Atlantic, but the commencement of hostilities in 1914 stopped this plan.War service
His health not withstanding, he returned to England and was recommissioned a Wing Commander in the
Royal Naval Air Service and given command of a training unit inHendon and later the naval air base atFelixstowe . While in this position he encouraged the purchase of Curtiss H-4 flying boats, a military version of their earlier twin 100 h.p. "America" flying boat design.These early flying boats did not have sufficient power, and were soon re-engined withAnzani powerplants. More Curtiss aircraft were ordered, but their 160 h.p. Curtiss engines were soon replaced with 250 h.p.Rolls-Royce Falcon engines, being known as H-12s or 'Large Americas'.Porte's first design to be implemented in Felixstowe was the
Felixstowe Porte Baby , a large, three-enginedbiplane flying-boat powered by one central pusher and two outboard tractorRolls-Royce Eagle engines.Porte modified an H-4 with a new hull whose improved hydrodynamic qualities made taxiing, take-off and landing much more practical, and called it the
Felixstowe F.1 . Porte then modified the hull of the largerCurtiss H12 flying boat, creating theFelixstowe F.2 , which was greatly superior to the original Curtiss boat. Under his supervision the Seaplane Experimental Station continued to enlarge and improve the design of the Felixstowe aircraft independently of Curtiss, through the F.3 and the F.5; Porte's final design was the 123' span five-enginedFelixstowe Fury triplane (also known as the "Porte Super-Baby").The Felixstowes were mainly used on long range patrols to look for the German fleet or submarines, however the aircraft were also initially used successfully to intercept Zeppelins. To keep away from this danger Zeppelins were forced to fly higher, resulting in Porte developing the first composite aircraft experiments in 1916, with a Porte Baby carrying a small
Bristol Scout fighter piggyback. The flying boat would provide the long range while the fighter would be able to climb rapidly to engage the enemy. Porte successfully flew the Baby launch craft in its one and only trial flight, and, although the parasite was successfully released, the scheme was abandoned as impractical forNorth Sea conditions [http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1937/1937%20-%203093.html Composite Aircraft, Flight PDF Archive] ,11 November 1937 ] .Several hundred seaplanes of Porte's design were built for war-time patrolling the east coast of England, for naval reconnaissance around the
Mediterranean Sea , and were even sold to the US for coast patrols. Armed with torpedoes and depth charges they could attack ships andU-boats . A measure of the success of Porte's work is that theCurtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company manufactured the F.5 as the F5L and Aeromarine 75.In November 1917 Porte and William Augustus Casson were indicted in London's Central Criminal Court on charges of profiteering under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1906. Before the war, Porte had arranged to receive a 20-25% commission on all Curtiss flying boats that he sold. Porte continued to receive monies secretly through Casson, as a commission agent, when he was in the position of ordering aircraft on behalf of the Navy, and was accused of receiving £48,000 in this mannerAdmiralty Aircraft Contracts "The Times" 13-20 August 1917] . Casson was found guilty but, on the return of the money, charges against Porte were dropped in light on his failing health and important war service [http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1917/1917%20-%201240.html The Admiralty Contracts Case, Flight PDF Archive] ,
22 November 1917 ] .Death
Porte was in
Brighton in 1919 when his tuberculosis at last overcame him and he died on 22 October. He is buried inWest Norwood Cemetery where his monument is a cross and anchor.Sir Walter Raleigh, quoted in Flight Magazine in 1955, summed up the importance of Porte's work during the
First World War as follows: "The shortest possible list of those who saved the country in its hour of need would have to include his name." [http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1955/1955%20-%201809.html Felixstowe Flying Boats, Flight PDF Archive] ,23 December 1955 ]He was not quite 36 when he died.
On the 12 December 1919 the President of the United States awarded Porte posthumously the Distinguished Service Medal. [LondonGazette |issue=31691 |date=16 December 1919 |startpage=15614 |supp=x ]
References
External links
* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/companypage.php?ID=32 Felixstowe Seaplane Designs] accessed 28 June 2007
* [http://www.earlyaviators.com/eporte.htm Early Aviators] accessed 28 June 2007
* [http://www.rodenplant.com/HTML/014.htm Rodenplant - development of the Felixstowe F2] accessed 28 June 2007
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