The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1859-10-24
IIsw 10 Nay,ssfe n. Air.

A correspondent" vospcrtilio"-- writes TO
tho London TIMES - follows IL bolieve It cannot
| b. too absolutely stated that balloons ara, and
must I've, incapable Of being directed. They
/ are, and must be, entirely at ,he mercy Of tho
current of air in which thoy float. This il nee
/ esssry condition Of their buoysncy. Al the
snalogiss by hich In vent ors have bsen cueour.
aged in tho dolusivo hopo Of b,iug abls TO guide
balloons are false arsiegiss. Tbs rnddsrs Of
ships and the tails Of birds have been mis-. quoted
1 sadly. ships do not itoat Suspended In ono ell
eB,nt aono, as balloons float In tito nir. Ca the
other hand birds aro not buoyant, nor do ihsy
| guide themselvs by their tsiis. A ship iocs
rot float IN the water, but on II; and anoi her
81, u,cnt, on which sho does not float, Is inst in
wi ich she main movai. A bird Goes not float
at all, si her In tho air or on II, In the proper
senSe Of hat term, that 10 TO say, IL Is not lht
| or, as a balloon is than tho e'etnent In which
| it moves, bat Immensely heavier, Tie ecu
di ion OF fish under wsor IL more nesrly like
| the condition ~ balloon in tho air; bat thsrs
sw hs'c also ~ sential differences. Wa may
depend upon It that II are over desi yuei to
navigate the air Il will b. by q strict adherencs
10 the pfLc,plo and TO c.oss imi, All Of the
| means which have boom designed %, the Creator
for cecting tho same purpose IN ily ing animals,
Tn. probl, IN cf aerial navigation will never
be solved un'l the principles Of ignt arc clearly
erstood nor until recognise precisely
wha. arc the obstacles which prevent US from
acting upon them by artificial means. At 10, OF
course, possible u at these obstacles may prove to
10 II suprrnble. ! entertain . different i'm
preston; but, at all events, THY cannot be
overcome until hey are exactly known. | be-
lcyo them TO bc Sll summed up In ono great d.
hctt IL our pressnt mechanical knowlsd,.o--a
light motive po~st. | have very little hope
that, until hghtoi mnige power than stoam 1,
discovered aerial navigate ion III be aeon plishod
But even With steam somo experiments might
DO tried which would test tho principles If flight,
and at least lead tho way ia q right direction
for the progress OF discovery Iassums that it
would bs easy &c derive r. IN a steam engine tho
PEI psndiCuiar aci ion ~ bird. wing. In truth,
ihc direct action o. piston would give this
movement. | think this Il the simple prinsipio
Of Nssnlyth's steam banner, Would there DO
any difficulty in making such . piston work
pair Of wings constructed on some such model
velocity with which such . piston could bs
maze To work at given ,elocityi
Whom these Questions have osen answered by
ejaculation or oSperiinenr tho next stop would
10 To ascertsin tho lifting poser " such action.
have no hope that any steam engine can b,
msdo s" light and so powerful as to work wing
cSIsblo Of lifting Its own weight. In cefault Of
snv o.h.r means of dealing with II, l would sug-
| rsst that it 10 balanced by the lining power of
| a balloon. In this comhinsti,n n, be observes,
the whole machine would not bc buoyant. Even
| this modified use Of balloon Is opan to great
| objections, because tho povsr exercised over It
| by tho slightest current Of air would no very
great, sno tho experiment could only bo tried IN
/ . tranquil atmosphere bu', in default Of any
\ machine capsule Of lining the rhol, n its own
weight, thors srnins TO la no alternative but TO
take of part Of tho weight by balloon. My
belief Is that such q machine, when It ross from
the ground, wonld DO found capsble of bsing
directed, and tnAt tho dircc'isn of Its flight
would TO dotermued by that in which Its wing
wera act