Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-09
FLYING MACHINES.
Prof. Langley Says We viii Yet
Travel Through the Air.
HOW BIRDS MANAGE TO FLY.


Written for The Evening Star
MEN WILL YET LEARN NOW TO FLY.
AAA Prof. Langley, secretary Of the Smith
sonian Institution, 20 declared the other day in
an address delivered here before the National
Academy of Sciences, q synopsis Of which was
published in THE STAR at the time. This ought
to give much encouragement 70 thinkers
who hope that mankind will some day secure
domain in the element of birds, Just as it has
already done, thanks to the evolution of sub
marine boats and diving gear, in that Of fishes.
The distinguished scientist referred to
expressed confidence that the contrivsncs of
the future for aerial navigation would be on
the kite principle.
ELEMENTS or BuoYAScY.
The air possesses elements Of buoyancy which
have not been recognized hitherto. There is
no truth in the popular conception that q body
heavier than the atmosphere cannot be sus-
pended in that medium without motion. A
kite, of sticks and paper. is much heavier than
the fluid which II displaces, but IL IL sustained
aloft. You can find an example much
more striking. however; IN the eagle
or the frigate bird, which, though an
poised in the sky upon extended pinions mo-
tionless for hours together, SO that o telescope
may be trained on it. Thousands of feet above
the earth. II Is sustained without movement Of
feather, though in rarefed atmosphere.
This is possible because the suspended fowl
has an instructive knowledge OF the way in
whlcn to utilize the air currents for
Its support. When man has learned how
tins can be done, he Will be able to fly. The
most advanced investigators In this subject re-
1ect the balloon and all other such lifting de-
vices as impracticable; gas lighter than air
can never De safely confined within acceptable
.has no. ~eignty, and the same objection aP
about where IL was when e was srst
invented, and in the nature of things
It can never getmnch further. Aluminumislight
tor metai, put II Is several times too heavy to
D. ..Sst Ii1ea lor sucn purposes
,-a;y, n1ns nas peco"e VI those aluminium
s ~, ., cars tnat we're 70 De run through the
a q. s tr9m Udeago 70 new iork SIX months ago
AZ Sky minutes 'ne 'rlpF
There is q school Of flying machine inventors
VIM NAV he 6ss;or.<sd a. ~. .A.r,o., >, a,
.srorob .. th.s- a.. = :. p r.
.smuou As ne'r 'oea IL 70 sustain tner con-
Bot they doubtless forget that the best flyers
among birds DO not support themselves by
mapping. On the contrary, they only resort
70 that performance when it is necessary
ior start. The eagle, II launch
ing himself from level ground, is
Spheeo 20 take quite run nfst; then,
mapping MS wings with violent muscular
enort when ne could not keep up for long, he
cams sumclent attitude to render 1t pos
siDIe Ior Nun 10 strike along the plane OF an air
S Earsen, ~a,en noas nun up; fiostlng with
hDraung pihions from one air current TO an
otnes ne Is hised, with an occasional broad
sweep OF MS powerful wings, to the upper
aerlai regions, where ne simply hoats, opposing
20 eacn Movement OF tne suspended ether the
s,"s; ,o.ce neeesssfy 70 MAINTAIN MIN IN his
Bt0uO0ary DOaltlOn.
UNDERSTOOD m THEORY.
These PRINCIPLES which the eagle snr,;.e for
the theory of mechanics. It is only necessary
to adapt them with suitable apnsratns in order
to give to human beings like powers True, the
Dira Is hgn'er IN proportion TO Its size than
man; lts bones are hollow and filed
with warm air from the lungs. But
the dinsrenee In this respect is
Rehsa:eo ZOE Dy Digger wings: Power to hap
mem IL NOT what Is required, inasmuch as the
start can De made from q height; what is
wanteo ss tne kn9wiedge which Inherited ex-
Perlence, vulgary termed instinct has
given the fowl a. to how to adapt the
angles OF the wings to the air currents.
Ihis 10 precisely what Prof. Langley has been
experimenting with What he Ii attempting is
70 produce a machine adapted TO aotation upon
the air currents, like kite. You can find q
very simple Illustration OF the principle he is
wornng on Ia the trick done with playing
throv. them oya tSa .ts~s in,o ,ha h;Hh VINO s
lery OF the biggest theater in the United Stssas
distributing them one after another among the
gods OF that select circle How does he do
iH simply by skillfully utilizing the air cur
rents. The scrap Of pasteboard Is heavier
than the atmosphere, but judiciously projected
1t mounts to great height and distance with
very little force. 1t would stay up, too, even
II thrown outdoors, supposing that it possessed
the intelligence necessary to accommodate its
surface to the winds.
IN AusrnALrA.
What csn h done in th;. INV NAV h.
..r,,I;.h.s - ,-
"n = .ser sca'e' Lest tnis propo-
sition be disputed 1t will be sufficient to refer
to o flying machine recently patented in
Australia 1t weighs altogether nineteen
pounds and its backbone Is q long copper
cylinder two inches IN diameter, filed with
compressed air. The compressed air supplies
power for Q small engine. weighing ten
Poands, at the rear end OF the
hae,, Mnicn w3rks ian propeller. 10
wing of I;cbt ms.sr;o, On ,Sa. ths mhoI great
| ratus resembles q big butterfly. with two fans
for q tail This contrivanee has been made to
ny horizontally $50 feet. Of course, 1t is only
beginning; but all the same, here is the near
est approach to the practicable flying machine
| OF sne future thus far attained.
fhoS. LANaLEXs MACHINE.
With the help Of . money bequest from a
4 A.