New-York tribune., 1896-09-27


to the aeronaut; that ls IL he accompanied hh
craft. Langley and others have already acted on
this idea, and Messrs. Chanute and Paul. with
similar purpose. have located their launching stage
only about 200 feet from the lake toward which
the slide is directly aimed The drawing repro
duced herewith. by way Of illustration. was made
by "The Philadelphia Record" from photograph
In striving to initiate the shape of wings Of an al
batross in the outstrctched fiat surfaces which are
employed to sustain their craft in the air the sci.
entists at Ailler's have adopted a model on which
of machines small and large. have been
constructed; but by placing their sand ballast
which has thus represented possible live load.
in boat-shaped body where it brings the centre
OF gravity well below the level Of the wings. pos
sibly there has been some improvement the ap-
paratus OF other eXperimenters. Nevertheless, 80
great stretch of wing with a continuous fiat
face has its drawbacks and dangers, although
Lilienthals fate shows that the two-story plan
also has its embarrassments.
Like the Inflated German just mentioned. Messra
Chanute and PAU purpOsely neglect TO equip their
boat with propellng apparatus They consider that
phase of the question far less important than de-
launcned, ana therefore leave II Tor later consid.
GRAFTON. Then. again. they are already provided
with power for short flights by the action Of gray-
tation ike llienthal they purposeiy face me
breeze when they launch their craft; and the
weight of the latter added to the slight impetus
quired by sliding along the ways tends 10 send the
machine forward. Any broad fiat object. lying
horizontally IN the air. falls by moving edgewlse.
IL does not drop directly TO the ground. Graytta-
ton therefore sends ii in the direction OF the
movement already acquired. especially il a gentle
descent in that direction is favored by slight
downward inclination Of Cne edge
Just how much work the wind does In causing
any such thing TO move forward against IL Is
question about which there is difference OF opln-
ion. kite. already at a good elevation, Will rise
a little further and move forward when the breeze
freshens The lifting action is due 10 the pressure
of the air on its inclined surface and its forward
movement results from the fact that il Is held by
a string. But great many more or less learned
observers of the albatross and other soaring bros
believe that properly modelled aeroDane. with.
out any prOpelling action OF its own, and without
kite string 20 keep il from drifting down the
wind cannot only hold its own, but even advance
against the wind No very satisfactory demonsra-
tion OF this theory has been furnished. however.
There has always been room for at least suspi.
cion that the soaring birds kept their position by
an unseen and very slight. but nevertheless an
actual expenditure OF muscular power. fossloiy
Messrs Chanute and Paul will be able to throw
little light on this controversy. H. tor instance,
their machine should continue to advance IN the
face OF a breeze after both its original momentum
and the action Of gravitatiOn had ceased 10 DO
operative their experiments might prove some
thing. - ,s 49,
Up 10 date these enthusiasts have deemed II ex-
pedient not TO risk life or limb on board their a1'
ship