The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-02
AFLYING MACHINE.
Prof. Rftchell's Proposed Aerial
Voyage to the North Pole.
Mo- yc~

Voyage to the North Pole.
New York Herald
Professor Ritchell made flying ma
chine about two years ago that would
really fly. 1t went up or came down at
the wish Of the operator, went forward
and backward, turned around, remained
in one place, or went to any desired
point-in short, it proved that flying
machine was possible, although it fell far
short of realizing what its protector
hoped for, and that while navigation in
the air was possible under certain condi-
tions, there were circumstances when it
was not practicable.
The machine was exhibited at Phila-
delphia at the Permanent Exposition, at
Hartford, and subsequently at Boston.
Its performances excited wonder and
surprise and indicated the correctness of
the principle upon which its construc-
tion was based even if it did not go
further. But even the flying machines
lose their novelty as show-piece, and
Professor Ritchell is now in the field
with new project, suggested, perhaps,
by Commander Cheyne's grand scheme
Of reaching the north pole by aeronautic
voyages. Professor Ritchell says:
II will 60 to the north pole in my air
ship, and the very reasons that will keep
Captain Cheyne from reaching there will
be the ones by which I will be able to
succeed. In carrying out this idea, he
has built working model of the airship
he proposes to send to the arctic regions.
1t does not materially differ from the one
exhibited few months ago. The lifting
power is in horizontally placed cylin-
der of gossamer cloth-fne linen coated
with india-rubber. 1t Is charged with
hydrogen gas, made by the usual process
from iron turnings and sulphuric acid.
Broad bands extend over the cylinder,
which is about twenty-five feet long and
thirteen feet in diameter, narrowing to-
ward each end. The bands are fastened
to light, strong rod, from which the
car is suspended. The machine is shaped
something like the skeleton Of cutter
sleigh, on the top Of which is the opera
tors seat.
In front of the seat is cog-edged steel
wheel about ten inches in diameter, with
double handles, geared to a four-bladed
fan, moving horizontally beneath the op-
orator. 1t can be turned $500 times a
minute. The blades of. the fan are of
strong wood, and each has superficial
area Of about fifty square inches. The
blades are set like those of propeller
that is, at small ANGLE with the screw
which turns them. This constitutes part
of the lifting and drawing-down power.
The gas raises ninety-nine pounds Of
every hundred to be lifted; the fan takes
care of the other pound. The operator,
wishing to descend, reverses the wheel.
From the front of the frame reaches out
two rods, carrying at their extremity a
vertically working fan, revolving $500
times a minute.
1t is exactly like the propeller Of a
steamship, except that it can be turned
by the operators foot from right to left,
and vice versa, and thus IL becomes a
rudder as we'll. 1t will send the machine
forward or take it backward, and also
change it's direction. The two fans can
be worked together Or separately, the
machinery being simple and quite with
in the control Of the operator Such is
the plan in the diminutive by whichP Pro-
fessor Ritchell hopes to reach the North
Pole. The machine he now has will carry
one man. 1t has been tried, and although
much like the one exhibited before, it
has many improvements, is more easily
controlled and perfectly balanced.
Instead of worsted bands around the
gas cylinder, the Professor proposes to
have steel adjustable bands on the bag
ship, which will compress the gas in the
bag or allow it to expand at will. This
arrangement will, he says, counteract
the influence Of the cold weather in the
high latitudes. He believes he can make
Roadway against wind blowing at the
rate Of ten miles an hour, The machine
has already travelled against six mile
wind at fair speed. Further details
of his proposed pleasure trip to the pole
the professor has not vet formulated.