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The hull of the "Berne" was merely finished so as to form a landing deck on its upper surface. The hull is very well stream-lined. It has no projections on it, and therefore creates very little disturbance in the air. It is seventy-six feet broad and five hundred and sixty feet long. Its deck is twenty-four feet above the surface of the water. The arrangements for arresting the airplanes are sacks of sand with ropes between them, the sacks being placed on each gunwale. The airplane which is landing is equipped with a hook which comes down at the proper moment and hooks on the ropes attached to the sand bags. This arrests the progress of the airplane. This hulk has been towed out and anchored in the Mediterranean, and exercises have been held with many classes of airplanes. All of them have been entirely successful, and the average run on the airplane carrier has been sixty meters.
The airplanes found to be the best for landing are those heavily loaded - with a heavy wing load - because they do not flutter about but remain on the deck when they land. They have had but one slight accident, and that was when a pilot, thinking he had not made a proper landing, attempted to take off again and did not have sufficient speed to get into the air. He fell over the side of the ship but with no serious consequences. They are now perfecting this
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