First Flight From Europe to the South Atlantic - Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, André
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Barata, Jorge M M, Morgado, Cândido M. P., Neves, Fernando M. S. P.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/12196
• topic: Gago Coutinho; Aeroplane; Transatlantic Flight; Aviators; Fixed Wing Aircraft; Submarine Warfare; Propulsion and Power; Aeronautics; Fuel Consumption; Rolls Royce Eagle

The history of the transatlantic flights goes back to 1919, and began with a flight between Newfoundland and Lisbon, and another between Newfoundland and Ireland. Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral crossed the South Atlantic Ocean by air in 1922. This last flight was the first that used only internal means of navigation, and a new instrument that consisted in a type of sextant incorporating two spirit levels to provide an artificial horizon was invented. The flight began with a Fairey hydroplane that did not have enough fuel capacity to make the entire trip so some stops were made along the way. Several problems had to be solved and near the Brazilian coast he aviators were forced to stay some time in the ocean water, having been rescued by a Bristish ship called "Paris City". Finally, the 8,300 km trip was concluded, only with internal means of navigation, after 62 hours of flight using another plane, with a most enthusiastic reception at Rio de Janeiro, and the new artificial horizon sextant had proven itself.