Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-24
AIR NAvaGArIoN.


Professor Baranowski, Of Russia, has invented
new flying machine, small model Of which
has been repeatedly tried with much success, It
is said. In st. Petersburg.
The apparatus is thus described BY the Revue
MiIta,re of Paris. 1t consists Of great cylinder
intended to have the form Of Q gigantic bird
The interior is provided with steam machinery,
having power proportioned to the size of the
apparatus, with space for working the same ; 1t
has two lateral propellers, and one rear pro-
peller; and their rotation determines the direc-
ton OF the machine, whether IL shall be vertical
or horizontal; at one extremity Of the cylinder
Is seen species OF oar which serves as rudder;
TWO great wings, composed Of strong mem
branes, give an ascending motion to the appa-
ratuS, and keep It afoat In the air; the part
which represents the beak Of the bird ia so ar
ranged as to permit the entrance of air to the
interior the cylinder, to supply the crew and
for the combustion of the tuel the smoke. gases
and steam issue from the end, which, when the
structure passes through space will give the
appearance of the tall Of brilliant comet From
the underside hangs pendulum weight that
In respect to the general problem Of aerial
navigation by flying machines the Engineer, Of
London, makes the following observations:
1t may be urged that there is nothing mystic
rious about wing motion, and simple up and
down Tapping will at least suffice to raise bird
in the air. Why should not men f1y2 The an
swer is that they are not strong enough. If we
consider birds as machines We see I'm the first
place that they are all comparatively small.
There Is no bird Of flight which weighs as much
as even very light man; but there are many
birds which are far stronger than men. The
aibatross is, we believe. the largest-we do
not mean the heaviest-bird of fight in ex-
istence. Its wings measure sometimes as much
as Ii feet from tip to tip. but the total weight
OF the bird seldom. II ever, exceeds e pounds.
or one-sfXth that Of powerful man. But the
aibatross can keep its wings in motion for q
whole day, while the strongest man would be
exhausted if he had to keep beating the air with
them for half an hour.
A great deal has been written from time to
time about the effect Of the wind on inclined
planes In Keeping birds afoat in the air. Those
who have competent knowledge Of the laws
OF dynamtcs are, however, aware that the In
clined plane action cannot alone keep bird
from falling to the ground. The action IN at
best just that Of the wind on a kite; and the
equivalent Of the string must be provided or the
bird will be carried away, just as the kite Is
when the string breaks. Birds, when sailing,
are either going with the wind or are using up
momentum acquired by previous rapid motion.
The work done by the bird will vary contin-
ually; but 1t is strictly analogous to that of
swimmer, who, carrying a load, has to keep
himself afloat by his own exertions. There is
no way out Of this. Nothing is got from the
ar IN the way OF help save when upward cur
rents strike the flying bird; and that such cur
rents exist, every engineer who has seen the
decking of bridge lifted in gale well knows.
returning then to our albatross, the work It
does Is equivalent to continually lifting IS
pounds. The idea that the bird is buoyant in
the Dir is delusion. If 1t weighs dead %
pounds it will weigh living % pounds. and the
variation in the displacement OF the dead and
living bird cannot represent more at the most,
than an ounce. In round numbers 13 cubic
feet of air weigh pound. The albatross there
fore. represents no less than 13x2S-364 cubic
feet of air, while its entire displacement is
probably at most cubic feet. An increase in
Dimensions OF one-fourth when alive as when
compared with the same bird dead would rep
resent about 1850 OF its weight saved by extra
buoyancy, which is nothing. The weight of
the bird then may be regarded in exactly the
same light as the weight on a brake driven by q
portable engine. The brake wheel is ALWAYS
trying to lift it up. The power expended is
measured by the distance passed over by any
polht IN the rim OF the brake wheel in one min
ute, multiplied by the weight and divided by
$1,000 per horse power. Now. If we could tell
the distance passed over by the birds wings at
each stroke. and the number of them, we
should, knowing its weight, be able to estimate
the power expended. We cannot do this In the
case of the condor or albatross, but bearing in
mind tie small specific gravity of air, we shall
not be very far wide of the mark if we say that
an abatross probably possesses as much muscu-
lar energy as man.
There is no engine in existence certainly no
steam engine and boiler combined which,
weight for weight, gives out anything like the
mechanical power exhibited by, let us say the
albatrOss.
1t is simply for lack Of muscular power that
man can never fly. There is no combination of
wings or arrangements Of any kind which will
compensate for this fact. Whether he can pro-
duce machine to supplement his own want of
force remains to be seen. Such motor can
not, we think, be driven by steam 1t is. how
ever, not impossible that machine might be
made which would be caused to fly by means of
a small electric motor run at a very high speed.
and worked by the aid of a couple of wires from
the ground: This. however. would hardly be
nyihg ID the true sense Of the word. That
wings and such like things can be made we
have no doubt; and experiments enough have
been made to prove that, If power enough be
available. flight can be achieved When ma
chine can be made, each pound of which will
develop as much energy as each pound of q
bird, flying may be pOssible-not till then