Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-13
NEXT TRIAL SATURDAY
Expectation Regarding Test
of Airship Model.
MEN BUSY AT WORK
REPAIRING THE LAUNCHING AP-
PARATUs ON HoUsEBoAT.
Device Should Show Ability to Float
When It Strikes the
Water.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to Inc Evening star
Underwater, Va, August 13.-The re-
construction of launching apparatus for
the model aerodromes was the principal
work done on Prof. Langley's houseboat to-
day Several mechanics were assigned to
this duty early this morning. The work
was under the supervision of Head Carpen-
ter Reed The track and launching car
which will be practically new, may be fin
ished tomorrow, but an experiment with
one of the fifteen-foot models is not expect
ed until Saturday. If weather conditions
are good that day it is believed that the
party will pull off an experiment in time to
complete it for early return to Washing
ton that afternoon. The gasoline engine
inside was not going this morning and very
little shop work was done.
Airship Should Float on Water.
Submarine navigation for the Langley
model aerod ONE is a thing which the Smith
sonian airsh:p experts greatly detest. A
thousand times had they rather see the
mechanical bird take to the surface Of the
water like duck than once to see it
plunge beneath the waves.
Prof. Langley. finding quite enough work
in the task of building machine to fly
through the air has been unable, up to the
present to equip his invention with ap-
pliances for navigit ton when it strikes
water.
1t is just at this stage, too, in the develop
nlent of his product that such an equipment
is most needed. Later on. when the ability
of the machine to maintain itSef indefinite
ly in the air has been more fully demonstrat-
ed such provision will, of course, be en-
tirely unnecessary. From the beginning OF
his experiments with aerodromes up to the
Drnf h,c I.d fhrno
things-the land, the surface of the water
and the water beneath the surface-to take
into consideration with regard to the de-
scent of his airship. To escape danger
land in bringing his machine down from
the clouds he chose the broad waters of
the Potomac for his experiments But
with the launching from his houseboat the
surface to be first considered was the water
line. This was what the professor had
rather deal with than anything else. But
it is demonstrated that not yet is the air
ship so constructed as to avoid the other
surface with it's terminal in the bottom of
the river
Two Former Experiments.
In the two experiments in 1896-the two
which were regarded as the most success
ful-the aerodrome settled down gracefully
upon the surface of the river where it
ton to be taken back for another trial.
The secret of it's remaining afoat was not
that it was constructed like a boat, but
partly because it was equipped with con-
ical-shaped body. empty, and designed to
act a float. This, coupled with the sus-
tanning power of the extended wings on the
surface, kept the machine from going be-
low. But let the airship take a shoe,
downward, going under full head OF
steam so to speak, and it will travel fast
to the bottom. despite wings and floats
The machine which took the first fight OF
the present series of experiments was bet
ter equipped than it's predecessors with q
view of keeping the surface. On its cen
trail body two conical floats, one sit.
uated slightly aft of midship, and the
other little to the rear of the back PAL,
of wings But how poorly their purpose
was effected will be recalled by the dis
astrous plunge of the aerodrome to tn,
mud bottom of the Potomac.
How to keep the next model that j:
launched from going to the bottom of the
river in the event of any accident is one
of the many things just now perpleXing the
scientific minds of Chief Assistant Charlie!
X. Manley and his associates.