The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-24
PROBLEM OF FLYING
WHAT Is NOW BEING DONE IN THE
SCIENCE OF AERONAUTICs.
Prizes for Flying Machines Are Of
fered, Thus Showing that Darius
Green Was Born Too Soon.

all who follow that most interesting of all
the problems now before the scientinc
world-man-fiight. All of the experiments
described in it are along the same lines on
which leading aeronauts have been working
for some little time past and go TO snow
that when flying is brought TO pracucai
basis 1t will be an application of the soar
ing principle, and that, although there is
little doubt that there will have to be driv-
ing power of some kind, ii will enter but
little, for the present, at least, into the
composition of the perfect flying machine.
The information of the greatest local in
terest is that competition of the Boston
Aeronautical Society, in which field trials
of aeronautical apparatus will take place,
will probably be held late next fall some
where in the vicinity of Boston. 1t is
hoped that expermenters in man-fiight
from all over the world will take part in
this competition, and there is no question
that it will be of the greatest interest, rot
only to aeronauts, but to the general public
as we'll. Prizes will be offered for the fol-
lowing apparatus:
Prize A-For the kite showing the maxi
mum Of lift to the minimum of drift in
breeze having a velocity of more than IF
teen miles an hour.
Prize B-For the kite showing the maxi
mum of lift to the minimum of drift in
breeze having a velocity of less than fifteen
miles an hour.
Prize C-For the kite keeping its equ-
librium through the greatest extremes of
wind velocity.
Prize Dior the soaring machine in free
| flight which, after gaining velocity, shall
make the best course. The excellence Of
| the course to be judged by the maximum
of length and the minimum Of undulation.
Energy may be given to the machine by
| carrying 1t to a height.
Prize E.-For the best sef-propelled ma
| chine. 1t has not been definitely decided
| as yet what the amount Of the prizes will
| be, or what Will be the more. minute details
governing their award. The sum Of money
| already guaranteed to the experiment fund
| of the society is sufficient to provide prizes
which will be well worth contending for,
| but as ii is hoped that the funds will be
| the exact amount of the prizes will not be
| made until May 1. The code Of rules gov
| erning the trials and awards will also be
| made later. If designers of aeronautical
| apparatus are unable to attend the trials,
| their apparatus. If sent, will be tested by a
committee of the society in accordance
| signers.
The society's experiment fund is con-
| stantly growing, but it needs a good deal of
| money in order to be able to properly carry
to be able to establish a country laboratory
| where well-paid men may be kept constant
/ ly at work experimenting. For a building
| there should be large barn-like structure,
| near the center of level tract, with a
large sheet of water not far away, this
| place for the storage Of apparatus. A
small captive balloon outfit is needed, so
that on calm day small soaring machines
should be a revolving slope, such as has
| been invented by Albert A. Merrill. for
This arrangement is, roughly described, a
| sloping plane which may be turned a
| pivot in any direction, so that the machine
| may. be started down in the face of the
| wind, this being necessary for good start
CURIOUS EXPERIMENTS.
Otto Lilenthal contributes to the Annual
a most interesting article, in which he de-
| scribes his experiments with a double soar
| ing machine, which gave surprisingly favor
able results. In his previous experiments he
| found that while large surface would be
desirable for more extended flights than he
, was able to make any great increase made
the machine unmanageable in high winds
| He therefore constructed a double appara-
tus, in which each surface contained about
| nnety-seven square feet. while the whole
had span of only about eighteen feet. The
| lower surface was similar to the ones with
which he has already made such notable
successes, while the upper one was without
only a vertical lifting force. With this APP
paratus the management was exactly the
same as with the single surface. The ex-
| periments which he made were most inter
esting. An ordinary wind would carry him
almost horizontally from the top of the hill
at which he made his start without any
starting jump, while, when the wind was
stronger he had simply to allow himself &c
be lifted from the top of the hill. and to sal
slowly toward the wind, the direction of the
flight having, with high wind. strong up.
ward tendency, so that he often reached po-
sitions in the air higher than his starting
point. AT such points he has often come Il
a standstill for some time, so that he wa:
able to talk with the men on the ground be-
low MIN. He says that he can feel plainl,
that he could remain floating if he could
lean to one sill and describe circle max
ing use of the force of the wind behind him
but that he has never been able to get fa
| enough from the hill at sufficient altitud.
to be able to do this with safety GAS soor
as or any other sIl inventor succeeds in de
lone may regard this event as one of tn,
most important contests on the road to per
feet flight. From this moment only, one Il
| enable to make a thorough use of the VII
| viva OF the wind, so that when the wind in
creases one is able to fly against it. an,
Savana Il tb one fly with it. gettn
Gates the use Of soaring machines both a.
most exciting, and interesting sport. an,
| as a means of developing 1.-THE strong point
and the reeds of the machines.
Hiram s. Maxim presents an extract from
an unpublished work, in which he make
an elaborate comparison between natura
and artificial flight In this he makes al
interesting explanation of that puzzlin
problem OF the flight OF soaring birds 81
careful study of air currents and of tn
movements of the birds themselves, he ha
satisfied himself that there is a constan
interchange of warm and cold air takin
place, the cold air descending, spreading
itself out over the surface OF the earth II
places, and ascending in other places, an
that 1T does this on columns which may b
separated from each other by distance
| varying from five hundred feet to twent
miles. that the birds seek out an ascendin
column OF air. and that while they reall
appear to be sustaining themselves withou
any muscular exertion, they are really fall
| ing through the air which surrounds them
| at a considerable speed.
MAXIM'S IDEAS.
With regard to artificial flight. he be
lieves that the initial power may
secured by means OF engines, an
| with regard to the question of weigh
he says that that must be looked at 4
aeronautics just it is on land or water
| While engines and steamships are man
times heavier than any animal. they ar
also able to sustain a speed many time
greater than that of any animal, and I
keep 1t up for an unlimited time, while tn
animal soon tires. and Mr.. Maxim believe
that the great energy will recompense 70
the great weight. He also gives niue
valuable information with regard to tn
placing OF aeroplanes, and to the efficienc
OF screW-propellers, and describes some eS
periments which he made with the latte
, showing that, properly operated, the scre'
| iS of uyaS