The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-19
THE FLYING MACHINE.
Features OF the Apparatus nvent
by Prof. samuel r. Langley.

occoquah VA cpeciai 10 flttSoufS LIS
Like the old cry OF wolf. wolf.' when
there was no wolf, the stories OF flying ma
chine experiments have been 50 often given
to the public that they are received with
an increduiity more or less polite. But there
seems no doubt that she problem or the ages
has al last been solved, and right here In
this pleasant little suburb OF washington
Prof. Bell described the experiment. which
was quite successful. and continued as fol-
lows:
The difficulties are greatly lessened by
the enlargement of the machine. A flyer OF
this type eighty feet long would have a sufh-
cient area Of planes TO sustain a powerful
steam engine and a car carrying a number
Of passengers. The steam may be obtained
from liquid fuel or by burning gas that has
been compressed and loaded into cylindrical
reservoirs of thin drawn steel tubing Such
a reservoir can be made TO hold 100 times
It's cubical contents of gas. and thus the air
ship is able to take on board a great guam
uty Of fuel in a very small compass.
Prof. Langley calls his machine an aero
drome' or a~ir-runner. 1t travels at the ate
of eighteen miles an hour. The inventor re-
t faafi it IS al able e" to aT go sioWiy p0' I'M, 81 wfl Be- ans
derstood when II Is explained that the sus-
tanning power required by the airship be-
comes less In proportion TO the increase OF
ITS speed. A a can skate over thin ice
which would not bear him II he stood still.
The faster he goes the thinner the ice needed
could Go Rp'q run MN over eP' the s Surface az 's q q s'G pond e os
water. The same principle applies TO the
aerodrome. If the aerodrome Is able to sus-
an hour. it can carry twice as much weight
when going twice as fast. Until recently II
has been imagined that the atmosphere was
II effectively. This belief Is now exploded.
Prof. Langiey's experiments have proved
p peeaile revolve fast enough In order to force
the airship along at a rate almost indefinite
ly fast
| ance offered by the air TO the aerodrome
Is only one-fiftieth part OF what was sup
posed, implying that so much less motive
ep Hwsi = Of fe this pattern Viii be 100 miles an
| -FOUR or more IL desired. Such an airship
viii be able to traverse space at a rate far
exceeding the fight Of the fastest birds.
| and a journey across the continent will be
| accomplished in scarcely more than a few
| consecutive twinklings.
THE theory of the aerodrome Is wholly
different from that of the balloon Unlike
the latter, 1t does not aim TO hoat by reaz
son of being lighter than the air. Pro-
lessor Langley's machine weighs about Loo
times as much as the air which supports
II. 1t relies upon the air currents, as does
a soaring bird. In fact, its principles Is de
i IlI6Q IIOLn II <4kSC<l1OIl< 0hSAta W H.
| of the vulture type. There is no better ex-
ample Of soaring than the ~vulture, which.
though a large and heavy animal. will re-
single wing beat, Simply opposing its wings
to the air currents and thus obtaining sup
port from Them
air as implying an ascent TO great heights.
but for that there is no necessity All that
is required for practical purposes Is that
enough to be clear OF houses and trees. The
start must be made from a height. Not the
best flyer among the soaring birds can
difficulty. The eagle makes q long run be-
fore 1t can rise, thus gathering momentum
The sky-searching condor of the Andes gets
crag. An important part OF the problem
of human flight is the question OF landing
safely, People are not going TO trasel In
ney with a smashup Professor Langley
believes that he sees the way out of the
trouble, but he guards his ideas on the sub
ject very carefully.
ture for passenger traffic Will be modified
ty. Suppose a line OF poles carrying a troll
ley wire TO be erected from New York TO
Chicago; The The All, aiTsa s5,e G SsioS Sr TWO would M,ra be
trolley wire. By means Of this arrangement
sns,d Pq Ss fur lHr edn fnoS d sSH nr'p ssasion sas 81
suitable intervals along the route. Thus all
necessity for carrying an engine on the aer-
might fly at a height OF one hundred feet or
so above the trolley. IL would carry sus-
pended beneath 1t a car for PASSENGER wno
such a line as this running across the conti-
nent. with a continuous flight OF aerodromes
t ferpyals9 one Important advantage OF the
trolley idea Is that the wire would control
the flying machine, and no steering would
.FYfteen years ago a man VINO had the