Author(s)

André R. R. Silva, Jorge M. M. Barata, Cândido M. P. Morgado, Fernando M. S. P. Neves

Aerospace Sciences Department, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.

The History of the transatlantic flights goes back to 1919 and began with a flight performed from Newfoundland to Lisbon; two weeks later another flight was performed between Newfoundland and Ireland. On 1922, the Portuguese airmen Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral crossed the South Atlantic Ocean by air in a flight performed exclusively with internal means of navigation: a new instrument that consisted in a type of sextant improved with two spirit levels to provide an artificial horizon and also with the help of a “path corrector”. Despite this journey had lasted 79 days to cross South Atlantic Ocean, their flight time was only 62:26 minutes, and they’ve flown 8,383 nautical miles, using 3 different hydroplanes christened: Lusitania, Pátria and Santa Cruz. Despite this journey had lasted 79 days, their flight time was only 62 h 26 m; they’ve flown 8,383 nautical miles using 3 different hydroplanes christened: Lusitania, Pátria and Santa Cruz. The new artificial horizon sextant had proven itself while flying over the ocean, without external references.

Sacadura Cabral, Gago Coutinho, Precision Sextant, Aerial Navigation

Silva, A. , Barata, J. , Morgado, C. and Neves, F. (2016) First Flight from Europe to the South Atlantic. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 6, 696-713. doi: 10.4236/ojapps.2016.610064.