The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-14


a pair of enormous wings, was first tried,
but was found TO be unsteady ana dlnl-
cult of operation, requiring much prac-
tice. skin and agility in management
The wings would osciilato from SIDE 20
side. ard thus Lccome unsteady. one mp
would strike the earth and bring down
apparatus and operator together. Many
glides of from 10 TO $50 feet were made
from heights of from 20 to 80 feet, but after
thorough trial the Lilienthal apparatus
was finally discarded, and the Judgment
of the operators was confirmed Dy tne
fact that few months after their expert,
ment Lilienthal was killed by fall
through the disarrangement or breaking
of his apparatus.
Wings Laid Aside.
The Lilienthal wings being laid aside,
the Chanute apparatus was next tried.
THE apparatus consisted OF twelve wings,
each six feet long by three feet wide,
measuring over ii square feet in area.
each pivoted Mt its root to a central frame,
so that it could move fore and aft, this
action being restrained by springs. The
main frame was so constructed that the
wings could be grouped in various ways,
so as TO ascertain the lest arrangement
for a maximum support and for counter
balancing the effects Of wind gusts, II DOS
sible The total wing surface was La
square feet, and the weight was "a
nOuuls. III WIS TeCOgDlIcu tldb tHc
wings interfercd with each others ELI
cheney; that the wind was DETECTED down
ward by the front wings, so that the mid
die and rear wings did not afford the same
sustaining power as at the front. After
making n few glides with this arrange
ment a series Of changes was tried to as.
certain what was the best grouping and
the best distance between the wings in
order TO obtain the maximum lift and the
greatest steadiness. The paths of the wind
currents In each arrangement OF the wings
were indicated by liberating bits f down
in front of the machine. and urder their
guidance six permutations wero made.
each of which was found TO produce an
improvement In actual gliding flight over
its predecessors.
The result of the experiments was very
satisfactory, but 1.-THE fact which most
strongly impressed itself upon us was the
INCONSISTENCY of the wind. 1t is incossantly
charging in direction and In strength.
This fact is not new; it has been we'll
shown experimentally by Mr.. A. 4. Zahm,
by Prof. Langley and probably by others
but It's effects upon man-ridden machine
must be seen and felt to realize that this
is the great obstacle TO be overcome In
comprising artificial flight 1t cannot be
avoided, Ii cannot be temporized with, and
il must be coped with and conquered be.
fore we can hope TO have practical flying
machine"
Better Results Obtained.
second series of trials was held tho
same summer and even better results were
attained 1t was found that by moving
the operators body backward or forward
an undulatory course could BIO impaired To
the apparatus. IL could be made TO rise
several feet TO clear an obstacle or the
flight might To prolonged when approach
ing the ground by causing the machine
To rise somewhat steeply and then con-
tinuing the glide mt fiattcr angle 1t
was very interesting TO see the aviator on
the hillside adjust his machine and him
self to the veering wind, then, when
poised, take few running steps for
ward. sometimes but one STEP and rails
ing lightly the front of his apparatus sail
off at once horizontally against tho wind
to sec him pass with steady motion and
ample support 40 or 90 feet a bove the OBJ
server and then having struck tho zone
of comparative calm produced by 'oddies
from the hill, gradually descend 10 land
on the beach several hundred feet away"
Toward the last such confidence was ac-
quired in the Chanute apparatus that the
party allowed anybody who visited the
camp to take flights, AMI unskilled visi-
tors who possessed the requisite courage
found themselves able to glide down the
hill as easily as those who had practiced
for weeks with the device.
The writers of the Aeronautical Annual
are evidently much grotffied at being ablo
TO detail their experiments. Machines
have been constructed which are certainly
practicable, and which have unquestion-
ably performed the work which was ex-
pocted of them. They have been built
with and without wings; with steam,
compressed air. electricity and various
gases as motors. with and without the
application Of the balloon principle in the
form of n cigar-snaped receptacle for gas.
Tho inventors are working on many diff
fereI lines, some claiming that the con-
struction Of tho bird should DO followed
as n model. Others that this theory is en-
tirolv wrong and that success will never
te attained until it is abandoned. That n
practical flying machine which shall trans
port the operator and the necessary mech
anism is thing Of the near future can
not be doubted, If indeed a. has not al
ready been invented In the course of a
few years men Will be able TO navigate tho
air ms easily as they navigate tho water,
bat for all that the majority of the human