The Portland daily press., 1895-07-22
WARFARE IN THE AIR.
Proposed Construction of Flying Machine
Under Army Auspices.
(Mashington Star.


have practically decided to build a flying
machine When completed it will be used
in a series of experiments whose object
will be to determine if possible, the prac-
ticability of artificial soaring flight. The
apparatus will probably be on the aero
plane or aerocurye design, and is calcu-
lated to throw considerable light upon
the relative merits of device of that
order and the balloon. which latter vehi-
Gle of aerial locomotion has been the OBJ
ject of study by military men during the
past few years.
The construction of the flying machine
will probably be under tho supervision of
Capt. Glassford of the Department of
Colorado, who, under Gen. Greely of this
city, chief signal officer, United States
army, has been carrying on extensive ex-
periments in military ballooning for the
last three years. Capt. Glassford is max
ing preparation for an extensive exhibit
in connection with the Denver exposition
to open July 1, 1885, This exhibit will
illustrate many of the conspicuous phases
of military aerorautics A whole depart
ment of the exposition will be devoted to
aerodyamics. During the intervening
year previous to the opening of the Color
ado fair every effort will be made to con-
struct an apparatus which may actually
carry man.
The mechanism to be constructed is
what is known as theTsoaring apparatus
the only kind of flying machine on the
aeroplane order which has actually sue
ceeded in transporting mar in free air.
One of these has been built and success
fully used by Herr Lillienthal, sGerman
engine manufacturer, who succeeded in
flying several hundred yards by its
means. The same device has been made
and improved by an American engineer
living in New York city. A new appara-
tus on these lines will be constructed for
the exhibit mentioned.
THE NEW SOARING APPARATUS.
Capt. Glassford is sanguine enthu-
siast, both as to the future of his balloon
experiments and the accomplishment OF
mechanical flight by means of the aero
plane. He believes thatRrof. Maxim, in
his late experiments, has presented Ima ny
new features of the flying machine. The
new soaring. apparatus will greatly resem-
BILE gigantic butterfly, with large
curved, but fixed, wings, provided with a
flat tail, and upri ght keel projecting out
behind: 1t will be about thirty feet
across from tip to tip of wings, and about
seven feet from front to back.
1t will expose about 100 square feet of
surface. This surface will consist of fine
cloth stretched tightly over framework
of light wood, held in place by fine steel
wire. There will be no movement of the
wings whatever. The whole surface will
be rigid, without hinges or points for the
movement of one part against another.
The whole is designed to represent the
eagle in the act of soaring From the
center of the machine to the front edge
Will be left an open space, to be occupied
blythe aeropaut, who flies in standing
position.
Herr Lillienthal, the German who made
the first soaring apparatus on this pat
his flying machine, and by running
against the wind was able to sail forward
and downward, holding fast to the frame
work in the center. He made many such
| flights of several hundreds of yards, the
| hill being about 200 feet high. He has
since built an artificial conical hill, about
| fifty feet high, on which he has been ex-
perimenting during.the past year and q
half.
According to an English army officer,
who witnessed his experiments, the aver
age length of his soaring was generally
about ninety yards. Lillienthal conceived
the ideasof initiating the soaring of those
birds which appear Ito fly for hours at g
time without the slightest effort, appar
entity utilizing every change either o1
direction OR intensity of wind He be-
lieves that soaring birds, like eagles Oh
| buzzard, for instance while thus in mo
| ton, derive their entiressupport and motive
powerr from the rising currents of air be
| lieved to exist at certain attitudes. The
soaring apparatus, therefore, if perfected
and engineered by one who well under
stands the science of the birds soaring
will be sent high in the air without aid
of any motive power, either steam OF
electricity.