St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
PROBLEM OF FLYING.
Aerial Navigation Seems at
Last Very Near at
Hand.
WORK OF LANGLEY'S MOTOR.
The Machine Has Easily
Passed All Previous
Attempts.
MACHINE OF HARGRAVE.
Some Of the Notable Achieve
ments Recorded in Re-
cent Times.

William A. Eddy in New York Herald.
Inactive theorists, those visionary men
who promise great things and do moth
ing, have blocked the way for flying
machine inventions. But when the.
facts of aerCplane flight were all worked
ont eXperimentally and reduced to
mathematical estimates that could not
be escaped, there came an awakening
of the science within ten years, from
1884 to 1894, that has been simply
astounding. The impulse came, not
through visionary theorists. but through
three harG-headed physicists ana prac-
teal inventors-a remarkable trio
Langley, Hargrave and Maxim, names
destined to be historical. Prof. Lang
ley's discoveries in physics, astronomy
and in the science of aerO-dynamicS
were fitting preparation for his clreer
as one of the founders of the far-reach-
ing science Of aerial navigation, a sci
ence of such vast import that its ad-
vance must result in terrific power TO
be attained by the nation that masters
it first.
AS announced exclusively in the
Herald of Dec. 9, Prof. Langley's flying
machine made a fight on the previous
afternoon. 1t had, doubtless, already
made others not reported, owing to
danger Of infringement of patent and
the necessary secrecy. On March 4,
1894, Frof. Langley>yisited my house at
Bergen Point, n. j., for the purpose of
taking the measurements of my Malay
kite aeroplanes. and with view Of Sug
costing some Improvements in my plans
for reaching great height in the air.
had already, Oh Feb. II, 1894. invented
a paper aeroplane few inches in di-
ameter, which, when weighted down
with pins, made long downward flight,
but without motive power. l after
wards found that the position of the pin
weight in my aeroplane correspondent
to the position taken by LilienthaPS
body beneath
His Flying Acceptance.
Prof. Langley at the time suggested
that if horizontal bar were projected
through the spine of the aeroplane 1t
would give steadiness of position, and
spoke of some toy butterflies made by
Joseph Pine, of Paris, which reversed
in the air and floated in a wonderful
menner.
Wings have been used for aeroplane
flight during several hundred years, as
shown by the elaborate researches Of
Mr.. Chanute, and this characteristic
can be observed in the various minor
N.,l,A Il lodi
ceSsfuI short flights have been
made with tapping wings. The
rigid wing flights have not, however,
been so numerous, and for more than
half century it has been an open queS-
ton as 10 whether rigin wing aero
plane could be managed in the air with
a motor. 1t was generally believed that
anything with fixed planes propelled by
a motor would promptly become un~
manageable. This impression doubtless
is still held regarding MaXim's machine
by Prof Carl E. Myers, the aeronaut,
and probably by many others. Prof.
Lafgley's aeroplane is, however, prac-
tically rigid so far as tapping wings are
concerned, and his recent experiments
must encourage MaXim's followers
greatly. Probably Maxim himself
needed little encouragement, since he
had so carefully worked ont the actual
result by calculation.
Langley's machine makes its start in
the face Of the wind All such ma
chimes are assisted by the sustaining
force Of an opposing breeze. 1t was
launched from workshop on scow,
and it was SO made that it could not in
jure itself by alighting on water upon
which it is especially built to enable it
to float and 10 be rescued by rowboat
in attendance. The principal material
used in its construction is aluminium.
Since its wings are rigid, its motion
through the air, propelled by rapidly
revolving screws, is like that of q kite.
The wings are not meant to enhance
the motion, as III Hargrave's machine
to be noticed presently-but are to be
used for guidance by means of slight
reflections of surface. A very slight
change in the slant of the wings will
produce a decided change in the direc-
ton of any kite aeroplane, as shown by
my own experience during hundreds Of
kite aeroplane aScenSions, as we'll as in
the twenty years devoted to sailing
flight, without motor, by Lilienthal.
Langley's machine is twelve feet in
length and eight feet wide, measured
across the front wings. A rear pair of