Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-07
THE MACHINE NEARLY FLEW
Mr. Aaxim's Flying Machine and Its
Recent Test.
IL Was Wrecked Because Il Csula
Not BE Held Down - The In
ventor's own Story.

Probably the most important recent
event In the world of mechanics was the
test made on July 81 at Baldwyn's Park.
| Fear London, of the flying machine In
vented by Mr.. Hiram s. Maxim This re-
markable man. whose experiments in the
direction of invention seem to have been
confined to mechanical devices for use I'm
war. has been engaged for a long time I'm
studying the problem of aerial navigation
or. more explicitly. human flight. ana the
results attained in July seem to poin, TO an
apparently successful solution OF the aues-
ton being assured I'm the near future Mr.
Maxims machine has not yet essayed a
real flight i'm the atmosphere. although A
very eaergetically attempted 10 do 40 nm
the occasion of the before mentioned tests
Inc machine used was composed of aero
planes. having total area of s.e0 sauare
ieeI Ihere was one main plane. as a NAV
be called for illustrative purposes. with an
| area OF i. 400 square feet with fore ana AZ,
steering planes. and two side wings The
total length Of the machine was l25 feet
while the width to the outside of the side
wings was the same distance
The fore and aft steering planes were con-
nected with and made adjustable TO a steer
ing wheel super vised by the operator ana
The whole AFFAIR was driven by two anor
nous propellers, each seventeen feet ten
riches In dismefer and Of sixtesn-foot pitch,
and each having two blades sixty-two inch
es In maximum width The driving power
was furnished by two compound engines
which ran at $40 revolutions a minute and
osVeiooed about 800 horse power. The thrust
6f the prcpellers at this speed was esti-
| mated at 1000 pounds. ard the lifting force
| OF the aeroplanes when full speed was On
vas looo pounds owing TO this thrust. As
the weight OF the machine was but 5000
pounds. a considerable amount of lifting ef-
! fort was left as a margin. The machine
was attached to a car. which ran on a
straight track about 1000 feet in length.
rails being SO adjusted at an elevation
above the car as to hold the machine down
4 when the lifting force exerted became sum-
| Gent to make IL otherwise rise.
| On July 81 The tests were made in the
press nee OF a large party. The first run of
the machine was made with 40 pounds Of
| steam. and a lifting force of $50 pounds
was recorded. With 240 pounds steam pres
sure the lifting force Increased to a maxi
mum OF 400 pounds. A third run was then
| made un Ter full boiler pressure. with a
steam pressure OF about 80 pounds. When
800 feet of the track had been passed over a
lifting force Of 500 pounds. equal to the
4 weight of the machine, was attained. AMI
| this rapidly Increased 70 500 pounds when
the rails refused to hold the machine down
| any longer one OF the rails breaking loose
| and swinging the car violently around at
| right angles TO the track, fortunately, how
| ever, without injuring the inventor or any
4 CT the Oth er passengers on DOaru-
| MIR. Maxim. story of N.
In the course of an extremely interesting
article on THE Development Of Aerial Nav
igatior" in the current number Of the
North American Review MIR. Maxim him
self thus describes the third test made on
July 81:
Everything was made ready for a final
test with practically the full power OF the
engines. Careful observers were stationed
on each side of the track. and took two
men with me on the machine the duty OF
one being TO observe the pressure gauges.
and II at of the other TO observe and note
the action of the wheels on the upper
| track. The machine was tied UP 10 dyn-
| amometer the engines started at a boiler
pressure of $40 pounds and with a screw
thrust of little more than 2.loo pounds.
ward with great rapidity, while the screws
| rotated at a terrific rate. i turned on
slightly more gas. and the pressure almost
instantly rose TO 320 pounds TO the square
inch, and blew OF at the safety valve at
that pressure. After running a few hundred
feet the machine was completely lifted on
the lower rails, and all four OF the upper
wheels were engaged on the upper or safety
rail. After running a few hundred feet In
this position the speed OF the machine
greatly increased. and the lift became 50
great that the rear axle trees holding the
machine down were doubled up and the
| whole broken of. The machine then be-
came liberated, the front end being held
down only one side This swayed the
machine TO one side. brought II violently
against the upper rails and stopped IL N
the air. the lift breaking the rails ard
moving them outward about ten feet.
Steam was. however, shut on before the
machine stopped
'.The machine then fell to the earth. inn
bedding the wheels in the turf showing that
il had been stopped in the air had come CT
rectly down, and had not moved after Il
| l,..1 tf,.a al Ia pxr -
ment been made with a view to free flight.
and had the upper rail been removed or the
wheels taken off, the machine would GER
tainly have mounted in the air and have
Travelled a long distance, n necessary As
| Il was, the lift certainly exceeded the fun
| weight of the machine, the water the fuel
| and the men by 900 pounds. and was far
beyond the registering limit Of the dyns-
graphs. the pencil being drawn completely
across the paper on the recording cylinders.
These experiments at Baldwyn's Park
are the first that have ever been attempted
With a machine running In a straight line.
The prime object of these experiments has
been to demonstrate whether IL is possible
or not fer a large machine to be constructed
sufficiently light. powerful and efficient 20
actually lift into the air its own weight
| and the weight Of one or more men. An
other flying machines which have ever been
built in the world have persistently stuck
| TO the earth, and this is the first occasion m
which a machine has ever been made 20
raise itself clear Of the earth IL has been
| admitted by all scientists that as soon as a
machine could be made with motors power
full enough to actually lift Il In the air.
aerial navigation would become practical
i have demonstrated that a good and relia-
BILE motor can be made with sufficient power
for its weight 60 drive a flying machine,
that a very heavy flying machine may be
made to raise itself in the air with water
fuel and three men on board. and that Il
may lift, in addition 20 all this, 20O
pounds. IL now only remains TO continue
the experiments with a view OF learning the
art of maneuvering the machine: and for
this purpose it Will be necessary for me to
seek some lsrge, open and level plain. and
to commence by making flights so near to
the ground that any mistake in the steering
cannot result In a serious mishap."
One OF the most remarkable qualities
about Mr.. MaXim's machine is its small
weight for its immensely and power The
engines weigh Go pounds. the boilers l.2o0
including water. furnace ana other equip
ments, the total weight OF the steam plant
being about five pounds FOR each horse pow
er. Naphtha is used as fuel. and the weight
OF 500 pounds given that of the machine
Isei in the tests included 40 pounds Of the
fuel and CO.. pounds of water fo- the boiler