The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-01
BIRD FOR A MODEL
Charles Haas, Near Tecumseh,
Builds a Flying Machine
That May Be the Sue cessful
One Looked For.
1t Is Propelled Like a Bicycle
and Has Wings

A young farmer by the name of Charles
Haas, who lives on farm with his IN
Gle. c. L. Randall, half mile east of
Tecunnseh, has solved the problem of
aerial navigation, at least to his own sat
isfaction-
He has made a crude model of the fly
ing machine at the Randall farm which
has been sent $50 feet into the air sue
cessfully. The whole country is talking
about Haas and his strange apparatus,
and it would be difficult to convince any
one in that locality that the inventor and
his craft will not soon be able to fly from
the place to Topeka and back like bird.
The experiments are made on Sundays,
because Haas works on the farm and
there is no other time available to make
his experiments. For six years he has
studied the problem of aerial navigation
and he says he is satisfied that at last
he has found the key which viii solve
the problem that has baffied scientists
from Darius Green down to Prof. Lang
ley.
Inventor Haas says that the only thing
that has troubled other inventors who
have worked the question of aerial
navigation has been how to maintain a
balance in the atmosphere. This is the
only thing he claims in support of his
machine over the numerous others that
have been made. 1t is built on the same
plan as that used by Prof. S. P. Langley
OF the Smithsonian Institute, with which
he succeeded in floating a mile or two
with the single added feature of a sail
to balance the machine in mtdair.
The model which is roughly made is
ten feet long and six feet wide The
framework is made of cedar and is very
light. The machine itself looks very
much like the old fashioned quilt frame
with the quilt stretched upon it. In place
of the quilt Haas has covered the frame
with light muslin. Half way from either
side is an upright piece two feet high to
which is fastened more muslin stretched
perfectly taut. The sail or whatever it
may be called, stand perpendicular to the
framework upon which the larger piece
of muslin is stretched. 1t is this upper
sail which is supposed to maintain the
machine in upright position when it
is in the air It is the 'baIancer.'' Strong,
thin cords run from this "balancer' to
the outer edge of the lower frame and
from there they are run to a point di-
rectly under the center of the main sail,
where they are fastened to an upright
piece. This upright piece is where the
load will be swung.
In place of a man, Mr.. Haas tied a bar
rel and sack of hay to this upright.
Then he fastened a heavy string to the
machine and took it to a hill north of the
Randall home. Mr.. Randall held the
string ans Haas managed the machine.
When a good strong breeze came up Haas
let go and away sailed the machine 1t
went higher and higher into the air until
it reached the length of the string, $50
feet, and there it remained almost per
Pectly stationary. People saw the strange
object floating in the air and they went
to the Randall home to find what it
meant. Soon a large crowd had gather
ed, all watching the flying machine" 1t
was kept in the air an hour, and then
hauled down like a kite and stored away
Inventor Haas does not allow this model
to be called a flying machine if he can
help it. He speaks of it almost contempt
uously as "a float He says that its
only value is to show the principle upon
which his machine will be built and to
prove that it will balance in the air, no
matter how strong the wind.
Il have been working on this for six
years. said Haas. 'eI was sowing grain
one day and had stopped to fill the seeder
when 1 happened to notice a hawk soar
ing in the air I noticed that it kept
its position in the air without Tapping it's
wings and began to wonder why a ma
chine could not be built on the same plan
by which man could fly through the air
Then 1 began work on this model, and
the following year I was pretty well sat
isfied that I had found the true principle,
and have been working on it ever since
I have never built anything else but the
float which you see here, but hope to
soon be able to get men of means inter
ested in the invention so that I can build
a model to make a trial trip with a man.
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