plane ▁in ▁flight ▁when ▁the ▁C - 1 ▁dropped ▁a ▁Curt iss ▁J N - 4 ▁over ▁Fort ▁T ild en , ▁New ▁York ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁C - 1 ▁also ▁tested ▁a ▁job ▁which ▁Navy ▁bl im ps ▁would ▁also ▁perform ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁their ▁service . ▁It ▁was ▁flow n ▁to ▁Key ▁West , ▁Florida ▁where ▁it ▁track ed ▁tor ped o es ▁fired ▁in ▁practice ▁from ▁sub mar ines . ▁The ▁most ▁notable ▁C - type ▁was ▁the ▁C - 5 , ▁which ▁was ▁flow n ▁to ▁St . ▁Joh ns , ▁New found land , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁to ▁attempt ▁a ▁trans at l antic ▁flight ▁in ▁competition ▁with ▁the ▁US ▁Navy ' s ▁heav ier - than - air ▁Curt iss ▁NC ▁flying ▁boats . ▁In ▁the ▁race ▁to ▁be ▁first ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁C 5 ▁and ▁NC ▁flying ▁boats ▁there ▁were ▁two ▁British ▁entr ants . ▁This ▁uno fficial ▁" race " ▁drew ▁much ▁public ▁interest ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁received ▁extensive ▁coverage ▁by ▁the ▁press ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁Europe . ▁The ▁attempt ▁ended ▁when ▁a ▁sudden ▁wind st orm ▁t ore ▁ ▁the ▁un mann ed ▁C - 5 ▁from ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁ground ▁crew ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁blow n ▁out ▁to ▁sea ▁and ▁lost . ▁Two ▁C - type ▁bl im ps ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Army . ▁C - 8 ▁suddenly ▁expl oded