The record-union., 1896-05-24

ifucn Onulculty. Inc eagle takes a long
run before it can rise, thus gathering
momentum. The sky searching condor
O. the Andes gets start usually by
dropping from a lofty crag. An i'm
portant part Of the problem of human
flight is the question of landing safely,
People are not going to travel in a vehi-
Gle that is apt to wind up dts journey
with smaSh-up. Professor Langley
believes he sees the way out of this
trouble, but he guards his ideas ON the
subject very carefully.
From this account by Professor Bell
we do not discover that there is any
thing new in Professor Langley's air
ship. Maxim long ago applied light
extended silk or canvas planes as the
means of support, by being driven edge
foremost against the current. A half
dozen inventors have very recently had
in the air machines Of the same charac-
ter, differing from one another only in
form of the planes and methods of
launching. From Professor Bells ac-
count one would be justified in thinking
but rises from the ground direct, or at
considerable angle, and moves in
long, sweeping curves But the de-
scription is so vague on that head that
it may be the machine is launched from
considerable hight, as have been
many such flyers.
1t is not so many years ago when
had one advanced the idea that men
would be able to sail the air without
the support of balloon, or without the
| Tapping of immense wings, he would
have been pronounced dnSane. The
wing idea was exploded quite long ago,
after bringing several unhappy fellows
to their death. The Engineering News
last year and the year before, we be-
| lieve, ran a series of articles illustrat-
ing and describing air-ship devices, all
Of which proceeded upon the support
ing principle now credited in applica-
tiOn to Professor Langley.
The use Of motor to induce propul-
sion through impact of propeller blades
upon the air is by no means new. Cover
scme years ago used a five-horse power
petroleum gas engine to propel and steer
a balloon, and with considerable sue
cess. The brothers Tisandier, and also
Renard and Krebs, used engines, and
in one case had storage batteries for the
Iinducement of motive power
Long ago. as we have said, the idea
of the use of the balloon in flying ma
chine was given up, and it was settled
among scientists that the only hope for
aerial navigation lay in a. machine that
would be lifted by it's own power. Pet
tigrew, Marcy and De Lucy studied
the motions of the wings of birds, and
came to the conclusion, along with
other investigators, that the lifting
power is largely due to the inclination
of the edge Of the plane of the wing
to the horizontal of direction So. too,
Haughton, Marcy and others, by har-
Messing birds, made them describe the
motion Of their wings, and thus evolved
law upon the subject, and ascertained
the area of plane of support necessary
to given weight and the motive power
necessary to secure the lifting quality
when the plane is projected against the
air.
Henson, Stringfellow, Maxim and
twenty others have made machines,
models Of which lifted themselves into
the air, and proceeded considerable
distances at a high rate Of speed. So,
we repeat, there is nothing new in Pro-
fessor Langley's machine. He may,
however, have been more happy in ad-
justing the supporting planes of his
ship to the currents Of air in the pro-
cess of making ascents and descents.
Unless, then, there is something In
this one feature that is novel, Professor
Langley has not made any advance
upon what was already known as to the
possibility Of aerial navigation. 1t is
improbable that the air will ever be
successfully navigated for any consid-
cradle distance, or for any great length
OF time continuously, for two reasons:
first, the impossibility of defending
against storm currents in the air; and,
second, the uncertainty that must al
ways attach to the departure and ar
rival of an air ship. But that machines
may be lifted in air by their own power;
that they may be guided in air; that
they can be made to carry considera-
bic weight, and that they can get their
ping the atmosphere and moved by en-
gines that the machine may carry in
considerable weight, these things have
been settled, and are not difficult of
achievement.
But the one great problem which 1t
is likely never will be solved Is that
involved in the practical application Of
such devices to the uses of man prof
itably. 1t is extremely doubtful If
that can ever be done. But for war and
brief observation purposes balloons
are now common. The flying ship, for
Ike purposes and short distances in
calm weather, will be more desirable
and progress has so far been made that
it may be said there are but a few ques-
tions of mechanical ingenuity to be
overcome to adapt such machines to
such purposes.
The San Francisco Examiner" with
its usual and to be expected mendacity,