Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-16
NEARER FLYING THAN EVER.
Prof. Langley's Steam Bird il q Long
Flight in Advance.

Flight In Advance.
From the New York Sun.
1t is believed by those interested in aero
nautics that Professor s. P. Langley's
aerodrome is a long step forward toward
the achievement Of mans power to fly.
What Professor Langley permitted to be
made public was printed in the Sun yester-
day. 1t was far from definite in descrip-
ton, either Of the new machine or Of its
manner of flight, but it was enough to
arouse the greatest interest among those
who have followed this little practiced
branch Of science. In general, it set forth
that the aerodrome, propelled by a steam
screw, raised itself to height of 100 feet,
in a course of regular spirals of about 100
yards in diameter, thus traversing dis
lance of about half a mile. Then The
steam gave out. but instead of tumbling to
the earth, it swept slowly and gracefully
down until 1t landed gently and intact in
the water This experiment was tried at
Occoquan, Va, on May 6. The aerodrome
used measures fourteen feet from tip to
tip of its aeroplanes, and it's framework is
of steel. Its rate of speed was about
twenty miles an hour. A second expert
ment was equally successful, the flyer 60
ing In direction different from that it
took on the first trial, and landing safely
about quarter Of mile from the start
ing point
Mr.. Frank J. French of the American
expert on aeronautics, and who knows
Professor Langley, Is one of those who be-
heve that the aerodrome is a distinct ad-
vance on anything that has heretofore been
invented. He said yesterday:
From the meager data given out by
Professor Langley. 1t is difficult to Judge
with any certainty of the nature of his
ccntrivance. If it does what is claimed for
II, however, that is, If it rises in sprals and
returns to the ground gently, it excals in
stability and in its ability to rise to a point
directly above its standing point anything
mat mas gone before it. 1 take it for
granted that the aeroplanes, which CORES
pond to the wings Of a bird, are not NOV
able, and that the aerodrome is dependent
Tor Its propelling power solely upon the
propeliers the aeroplanes serving merely
as sustalnerS. Now here is an application
OF two principles. The first is the aero
plane principle. which LilienthaI of Berlin
mas SO successfully demonstrated in his
soaring flight against the wind that an
aeroplane properly balanced will, for a
tlIne, support weight and sail against the
Wlnd. Inc second, a corollary to this is
the principle successfully proven on a large
scale by Maxim, that aeroplanes proneiled
with sufficient rapidity will rise from the
earth Just as kite can be raised in q dead
calm by running with 1t. Maxim built a
huge aeroplane to run on tracks, but had
to build an upper track to hold II down
because he did not dare send a man I'm in
II. not knowing how it might light. Har-
grave or Australia built big foIr-winped
ar,L.cial bird that was propelled for nearly
nalt mile by steam propellers but the in
Ventlon came to grief when the steam gave
OUT, Tor 1t fell to the ground with great
force and was smashed
NAT Professor Langley appears to
nave achieved is the discovery of some ar
Eangement of the aeroplanes; first, to give
great STABILITY SO that the equilibrium is
preserved after the power gives out and
the downward flight begins; and, second
10 cause the flying machine to follow a
spiral course: This. should suppose, must
oe acnleved by flexible wings which would
adjust themselves to the proper .nrIe &C
the aeroplane curved. IL you have ever