, 1878-05-24
Navigation in the Air.

Mr. c. F. Ritchel, of Cory, has been
perfecting a flying machine on a new
plan in the Riverside Hotel, East Bridge.
port; the machine stands in the hall
nearly completed. 1t consists of black
silk cylinder twenty -four feet long and
twelve feet in diameter, holding 5000
feet Of gas, and car suspended from the
silk cylinder by cords and rods. This
car is of slender brass rods, and extends
the whole length Of the cylinder, taper
ing to point at each end. In the cen
ter is a platform, upon which the occu-
pant sits. la front Of the seat are two
cranks attached to wheel, which in
turn is connected with an upright shaft,
Mt the lower nd of which is u fan similar
to the screw of propeller. This fan is
about level with the bottom of the plat
form, and is made Of thin brass plates.
At the front end Of the long car is an
other brass fan, which is so constructed
that it can be turned in any direction by
the feet of the occupant OF the car, while
the center fan is at The same time worked
by his hands.
A man of ordinary strength can revolve
the handles at the rate of 100 minute,
which gives the fan $500 revolutions.
The silk cylinder, filled with hydrogen
gas, which is the lightest that can be
used to sustain all but fraction of the
weight to be carried, and the central fan
is expected to lift the rest by pressure
upon the air similar to that which pro-
peller wheel has upon the water. The
air being much less dense, the fan or
erial screw is given a rapidity of mo-
ton sufficient to partially overcome this
difference. by reversing the motion OF
the fan the power Is so exerted as to raise
or lower the machine at will. The fan
at the end of the framework is also re.
voved with great rapidity by foot power,
and can be turned straight ahead or on
either side, working on a plan similar to
that of the Fowler steering propeller.
BY the use of the fan the machine can be
steered like a ship, and the inventor cx-
poets that erial navigation will be ac-
complished in the same manner that the
ocean is traversed by ships, the gas-tilled
cylinder serving the purpose of sail,
and the fans guiding the machine through
the air.
Mr., T. Bsrnum, who is interested
in the invention, was present at yester-
days test There was flaw in the
steerage apparatus, by which the fan was
caught and broken; nevertheless the ma
chine raised as high as the ceiling, and
was lowered at the will of the operator.
We are informed that the machine was
tested day or two ago in the presence
of an expert from New York, and that
it worked perfectly, sailing about the
room, and all the time under the perfect
control of the operator. Mr.. Ritchel
has been working upon the invention
since 1871, and is confident he has found
the much-sought- principle to be
safely applied in erial navigation. He
has applied for patent in the United
States, Canada, Great Britain, and France.
He expects that larger machine, capa-
BILE of carrying several men, would work
even more successfully than the small
one now being tested, as more power
could be employed, and he even has hopes
of a still larger one, in which the motive
power will be furnished by small en-
gine. He informs us that the model of
his invention has been shown to the ed
itor of the Scientific american, who said
he believed it might be made so success.
full that trip could be taken to the
North Pole in it. Mr.. Ritchel is very
intelligent-looking gentleman, apparently
about thirty.Gve years of age. He claims
that all other inventors have failed with
their flying machines because they have
trusted entirely to the lifting capacity of
the balloon appendage, rising by throw
ing out ballast and falling by letting out
gas. Another defect has been the plac-
ing of the steering apparatus il the
center, where only comparatively
small amount of power could be ex-
rcised.--Bridgepor Standard.