The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-16
Progress Of AerOnautics.

-.,; Progress Of AeroHautics.. :"
There is now on exhibition at the Crystal
Palace, Sydenham, England, under. the
auspices of the Aeronautical Society, a Gu
rious collection of machines which are in
tended to aid man in navigating the air.
The following description, taken from the
London Daily Ne.ns, indicates the progress
which English inventors have made in
solving that difficult problem ::
"Mr. Charles Spencer is the author Of o
flying machine which, it is alleged, when
attached to the body, will enable man to
take short flights. The man-fyer /. has to
take short run to begin with, and then up
and away. We have waited patiently to
see this performance, but delay is excused
by the difficulty of adapting perfect ap-
paratus to novel experiment, and the pos
sibiity that when complete it may not prove
upon trial to be the best form of con-
struction which could have been devised.
This is slightly inexplicable when the ex-
hibitor in the catalogue tells US he has with
less perfect apparatus flown leo feet. There
is, too, the model of a balloon, with ring or
belt attached. This in ascent or descent is
placed in an inclined position, the current
of air rushing through the open side urging
the structure in that particular direction.
There is the model of an aeromotive con-
structed for rising in and steering through
the air by the rapid rotation of screw on
each side of the machine, which, by crea-
ting a rejection in the air, oyercomes gravi-
| tation, and rises accordingly. This machine
is propelled by screw, on the principle OF
Rennie's conoidal, and is guided like an
ordinary sea-going vessel; but the model
bears the extraordinary notice, { Not quite
perfect, for want Of time
"At the end of the basement there is q
model of on aerial steamship. 1t is a clum-
ily-shaped hull, propelled By twowings on
each side, working from where the main
chains would &C. Screws are placed under
the stern. Then there is model of an
aerial boat to- be propelled by, hot air or
steam-engine, or possibly by treadles acting
upon two double screws; another Of a
steam or hot-air engine, chiefly constructed
of vulcanized India-rubber another Of 9
balloon that is to dispense with gas and
ballast. Mr.. G. F. Ansell, Of the Royal
Mint, demonstrates proposition to omit
ballast in balloon ascents, by it gas would
be withdrawn by,an air-putnp, which would
compress the gas into chamber when a
descent becomes necessary The advantage
claimed for this plan is that the natural
balance used by fishes would be applied to
balloons, in which the gas would be re-
served for use, instead of escaping, as il
now does. A curious and go far perfect
model Of an aerostet, or aerial float, is
shown by Mr.. D. Brown, Of Stoke Newing-
ton. 1t is eighty inches long, twenty inches
broad, and one and half deep, and is
rendered rigid by imitation. When the two
shorter ends are doubled together it as;
sumes the form Of aa open boat or canoe
and will then balance itself in the air, and
can be used as parashute, for 1t will al
ways descend with it's convex side down
wards, and in, doing SO may be propelled
and steered in any direction. 1t is expect
ed, however, that when made on large
scale, inflated with gas, and propelled
horizontally, it will support itself.
Ehe"engine' intended to be employed is
ian ammoniacal ore. Among the working
models is one to illustrate mode of flying
vertically by direct action on the air with
out any ecrew motion in the wings. The
ascent is vertical. Another model, whose
flight IS horizontal, will illustrate natural
flying. A gentleman from Vienna shows
the model of an air-ship, and if finished in
time the Duke OF Argyll would have ex-
hibited model showing progressive motion
| by tapping action of the wings. Mr.. Il,
Heron, of the Crystal Palace, has the model
of cigar-shapcd balloon. Several other
! l., -, Il TO-,
selves by flight are in the catalogue. The
largest appears to be one shown by Mr..
Kaufman. of Glasgow. This engine, which
is about two-horse power, is Of a total weight
! Gncluding machinery, boiler, she'll, wings.
aGroplap, Sea- not exceeding ll5 pounds
working pressure is l2O pounds per
square. inch, the boiler tested to 250
pounds per square inch the aeroplanes,
sixteen feet over the tips and the wing, arc
fourteen feet; speed Of wings is from l5U
strokes per minute to 200 stroke of piston,
three and q half inches j; diameter, one and
seven-eightlis of an inch. The speed cal
culated is twelve miles per hour, carrying
TWO persons in the car but the car could
not be got ready in time for exhibition
This. model is;made to represent an engine
of 200 horse power, Of 5000 pounds, of an
average speed of 500 miles per hour, taking
with it one tank-car and three other cars,
containing in all forty persons. These cans
are each of them sustained by aeroplanes or
sustainers, as seen in addition with the
wing on this machine. The exhibition also
includes kites; and mortars, and drawings,
and diagrams, of various kinds"