Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-09-10
SHALL WE FLYg
A s'Press" Editorial Upon Director Lang
ley's PAPER.

The answer is not yet; but a paper just
published by Mr.. s. p. Langley goes far
\ toward answering it. 1t would be hard
lto name higher authority, and Mr.. Lang
ley reaches the conclusion that the
theoretical difficulties in the problem
have now been met eXperimentally, so
that all that remains is the practical
work of the inventor and engineer in
devising flying machine on known
principles.
The problem of flying has three fac
tors, ascent, moving and steering. The
balloon solved the first at Aunonay in
1888. The century that has passed has
done little or nothing to solve the other
! two, and these are essential to flight.
Mr.. 5. p. Langley, the director of the
Smithsonian Institution, has already
added TO the distinction which attends
what Is perhaps the most useful institu
ton, and is certainly the mostimportant
scientific post in the country by point
ing out that the power needed for flight
has been greatly exaggerated. The
power exerted by the eagle in flight was
calculated by Navier at l3-horse power.
Mr.. Langley showed by ingenious eX-
pertinent it WIS only fraction of one.
This demonstration that the force needed
was only about2 per cent of the minimum
previously assumed is great practical
step forward. Following in Mr.. Lang
ley's track, Mr.. Chanute showed that
pigeon flying at 25 miles an hour uses
only one two-hundredths of horse
power per pound. This is nine and "a
half horsepower for flying machine
weighing ton. A torpedo boat engine
has been brought down to one horse
power per 100, 60, or even so pounds.
The engine attached to the flying
machine exhibited at the aeronautical
exhibition in 1868, and now in the
National Museum, produces one horse
power for 10 pounds. This is fifteen
o-hundredths Of horsepower per
pound, or seven and ona-half times the
force exhibited by pigeon. Engines
. have been made still lighter. With this
power produced by this weight, flying
becomes a simple question of the right
way of applying the power to the task.
Add to the Improvements in the
engine the storage Of power in electric
accumulators, &c, and the problem of
furnishing power in form sufficiently
light will be seen to be near solution.
The remaining factor in the problem is
the shape of the body to be propelled
and the machinery to propel it. Mr.. S.
r. Langley has just, July 18th, 1891,
contributed paper on this phase to the
French Academy of Sciences which,
without exaggeration, may DO called
epoch-making. BY series of expert.
ments he has shown that "the force
requisite to sustain inclined planes in
horizontal aerial locomotion diminishes
finstead of increases when the velocity
is augmented, and this up TO very high
vefocities." In other words, if fiat
disc is started with a high speed in the
air 1t will keep up in the air, if 1t is
kept going and very small exertion of
power is needed, while it is kept going,
to keep it atioat in the air.
The conclusion which Mr.. Langley
draws from this is that the difficulties Of
flight may now be considered both theo-
retically and expermentally solved.
The second point "that have en-
deavored to demonstrate" is, he says:
That the work necessary to sustain in
high velocity the weights Of an apparatus
composed of planes and motor may be
produced by motors as light as those that
have actually been constructed, provided
that care is taken to conveniently direct
he apparatus in free flight.
The justice of this conclusion is
shown by the table given by Mr. Lang
annears from thon, fha+ a 49,. &c oao
nonnds IN a niane ~ ,,ia ~ 49,, =. M
ilat. Or N 5 degreea angla Mn ~
y horizon. started NJ veloc;tv ~ on on
meters, or 65 feet, second, ought to be
caused to advance horizontally at this
speed about 40 miles an hour by a one
J.. horsepower engine. AS an engine has
ont ono hnrse.no,ver win n ,,a,,,,,i
wniobtNand oIe cor o oasit,. a. poun9s
WITH one horse.nower for u ,a 's
weight-tbis ,nachino e thosrap,je a,iSs
nerfent woi,ld have 10 nonnds Ia, ~,
Tor motors and other accass 11.fs go - g
This is n vorv yvido noroin r. l. 80,
szinlv snfI,cie1t 10 inyite ~ vne y p ~
and 9ro,,,isa s,,noas, rri, aM XII .ii ~
shirH gots ~ s,,.,,r, -. S 49,. on' ~
NV Tsne,Io,,s ,annr tVm =, w, iiuli
hall's s,mrostot ! evbih;tod a, Emp,
Tsiand IN Daaa,.,,,,, So 80, ~ INV
ci%ar'sharod haiiaai,, Aoai, 7 slhPly
scrotv and r,dJar y ID -, ~ VIII /,
nrator,;ans arnr.l ~ a. a. IHii,,'s.U N
Sarrnai III Il onn s a., o. sei 4 @t ~,
shaved bali6an ,Tha 49, NJ n tHG si7er
;nvantad X, gn,,toi,, a.I .. ail ~
40 nj ~ ,,.it"i, AZ ~ :. se'Sn cll
rer,artad - ,i,a E-a,ai -. 10 Ia iisVl
sciencos ,yas i for , le.i0n -hvauglly @
eithar ~ ~ n 49,, ilLis sueo NJ W .lia
exneriments. III, i tnS o,ya ~ s ,.ini,
te haiien ~ ~ - 10 oMtu supper
.en-hofSc-ppWer acculhuiators enable
=. W. ','en "s1ihat llsHt WlhV' steer %
vary h2th direction and velocity; br
me surface Of balloon Is 50 great tina