Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-03-30
POISED FOR FLIGHT.

POISED FOR FLIGHT.
far from the lake shore. There was not
a sign of Mr.. Chanute's hobby about
In fact, he does not ride it in winter,
and he does not care to exploit it at any
time, as I found, for fear that he Will
be classed by the newspaper reading
public as Crank" Even the assur
ance that the number of eminent scien-
fists engaged In the solution OF the
problem as we'll as his own reputation
in the scientific world was guarantee
of the seriousness of the pursuit does
not serve to convince Mr. Chanute thai,
the public will look with an under
standing eye on his work.
Mr.. Chanute says that he took up the
study of man flight as he approached
the end of his professional career. He
did not expect to have time to solve
more than one Of it's many difficulties,
that of providing for equilibrium and
consequent safety, but If he succeeded
i'll that undertaking he would be salts
fed.
1.-THE end is not going to be reached
by one man or by two men," he said.
e"One man is going to follow the thread
a little way into the maze. Then anoth-
er is going to take it up where he has
dropped it, After four or five men have
followed it some one is going to reach
the heart of the maze and be heralded
as the discoverer. That may not be for
several years. What think will be &C.
complished within year is flight by
some experimenter for the distance of a
mile. l have little doubt that will be
done, but 1 question whether it can be
repeated indefinitely"
Mr.. Chanute Investigations have
been confined to the maintenance of
man S equilibrium in the air. In his
study of this problem he has made a
great many experiments along the line
laid down by Lilienthal, reversing,
however, the principle of the apparatus,
In fact, his first experiments were made
with Lilienthal machine He told me
that at the time Lilienthal was killed
making a fight with one Of his ma
chimes he himself was demonstrating
way in which the Lilienthal method
could be made safe by a change in the
machine.
every Bird" said Mr.. Chanute, "is
an acrobat. You have seen them, if you
have ever observed bird flight, moving
their wings, their necks or their feet to
maintain their equilibrium in the air.
Lilienthal endeavored to maintain his
equilibrium in the same way-that is,
by balancing to keep the center of gray
ity in a direct vertical line with the
center of pressure. I conceived the idea
of SO constructing the aeroplanes as to
make the center of pressure return to y
point in line with the center Of gravity,
So that the man would not have to move
himself. Lilienthal's experience there
fore need not discourage any one in e1
perimenting with concaye surfaces 81
perimposed on one another. lam afraid,
however, that his death has retarded
tue Investigation OF the question some
what. I am afraid, too, that some Of
our friends are proposing to go ahead
too rapidly this year, and that we are
going to have some legs broken if moth
ing worse.
The Future Motor.
Experiments il still air along the
line 1 have been following ure of little
comparative value. The air is not the
calm, steady stream that it seems to US.
1t is full of eddies and cross currents.
The machine which is going 60 support
man in safety ON this thin, unsteady
medium must be prepared to meet all
these conditions. When such machine
has been evolved, the motor which will
carry it through the dir is still TO be
perfected. l believe, however, that the
machine which will maintain mans
equilibrium is to be made in the near
future. The motor question will be the
most serious after that Already mum.
beI of very able men have attacked it
They have produced surprising results
Hargrave has made steam motor which
weighs only ten pounds to the horse.
power Maxims steam motor weighs
only eight pounds to the horsepower and
Langley's only seven. But these motor S
approach the limit of endurance This
does not count the 26 pounds OF water
to be vapori2ed every hour. But 1t is re
markable in view of the fact THAI when
the experiments of these gentlemen be
gan the lightest steam engine weighed
60 pounds to the horsepower, Celieve
the motor of the future for use In the
propulsion of flying machines is to be
one operated by gasoline or petroleum. =
In answer to question abouE com
pressed air NJ. Chanute said that il
could be use to advantage perhaps in
preliminary experiments ana that pos
sioly it conld be made to operate a Ena-
chine fer few minutes. but as 5ast it