The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-04
USE OF THE KITE
AS AN AIRSHIP
The Aerial Problem May Be
Pushed a Little Further Along
by Professor Alexander Graham
Bell, the Inventor of the Tele-
phone What His Tetrahedral
Kite May Be Able to Do.

u 4 f,. : 81 y ~ g.4n !. e :
Washington, June 1.-For the past
five years DR.. Alexander Graham Bell,
the inventor Of the telephone. has
been experim enting at his summer
home near the little village of Bad
deck, N. S., with tetrahedral kites as
means of devising an aerial loco
motive.
The region is one most favorable
for the study of aerial flight and ex-
periments with different devices to
accomplish it. Baddeck, made IA
nous twenty-five years ago in Charles
Dudley Warmers quantity humorous
book, paddock and That Sort Of
Thing" is a little village of 500 souls,
far out of the travelled pathway Of
commerce and pleasure. where the
inventor may ply his trials Of kites
and motors without an ever-present
throng Of quizzical spectators or in
credulous newspaper reporters.
Begins with Hargrave Model.
When DR.. Bell first took up the
study Of kites he made use Of the
old-fashfoned Hargrave box model.
This was invented in 1892 by Lau-
renee Hargrave of Australia. The
box kite as unit flies we'll, but when
enlarged is unwieldy, and when null
tiplied in many units does not go to-
gether sufficiently we'll to encourage
the use Of it. Triangular kites were
next tried, and later those with cir
cular cells and with cells Of six, eight
and twelve sides. None Of them suo-
ceeded. The ratio between the weight
of structure and the buoyant surface
soon demonstrated that they could
not be employed. After many fail
ures and much careful study, DR.. Bell
hit upon the tetrahedron as the unit
form for his kites.
The tetrahedron is simply solid
figure with four faces, consisting
of equal equilateral triangles. The
easiest way to get an idea Of 1t is to
take six stick Of equal size and
length, lay three Of them SO, as to
form an equilateral triangle, stand the
other three sticks at the apex of each
angle, and bring the tops together.
The word tetrahedron is derived from
two Greek words, meaning -four" and
stbase," as the figure has four equal
bases. The result is a construction
braced equally in every direction, the
strongest that any unit form intend
ed for kite construction can secure
Essentially the Chinese thousand
years ago made tetrahedral kites in
form. The combination of the Chi
nese idea and the Hargrave scheme
| Of multiplying units has brought out
the Bell kite plan, which thus far Is
likely to lead on to ultimate success
in aerial navigation.
! Kites Started with Horse.
The tetrahedral cell possesses mar.
| velous lightness and strength. It /,
braced in every direction, so that i
may be constructed of the leas
! weight Of material in proportion tt
| sailing surface. A special advantage
also appears In the fact that, no mat
ter how much the unit form is null
4 tiplied, the result maintains the buoy
ancy Of the single cell. Kites Of un
4 limited size can be built, and will
adequate means of starting, can b.
4 est. This Is something which ha
i never proved true with other type
Of construction. DR.. Bell is now abb
/ to combine tetrahedral cells 80 as t.
produce g. kite forty feet wide an
4 requiring the power Of steam tu
to start it on its flight. Many of hi
kites are so large that he starts then
by fastening the guide rope to tn
collar of a horse, which is whippe
to a keen gallop across a long fele
In a. good wind such start as thi
easily sends the kite soaring upwar
. quite as buoyantly and successful
as would be the case with a sma
kite.
At the Baddeck laboratory, whic
, has been fitted up without stint {
expense, DR.. Bell employs a numbe
!, | of expert mechanics both In the cor
struction and trial Of the kites. TT
t / framework usually is made Of thorol
. seasoned black spruce. At first tx
{ sails, placed on two sides of q tetrs
I. ! hebron. were made OF silk. Now ths