Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-28
REAL AIRSHIP AT LAST.
How Benbow Expects to Win $1oo'ooo
Prize.

ooiili III i%~ ''
peared on the scene at the Worlds
Fair. a man who is confident that he
has the only airship that can truly be
said to be dirigible, the only one that
actually complies with the conditions
imposed by the authorities. Inc DIE
machine is in it's stall at the aero
drome, and several successful tests
have already been made.
The inventor, T. .. BenpoW, mas
made other airshps, two OF thelh' ana
he has invented other Things peslues
oirships. In addition to operating q
| Montana ranch he has been Ior many
years an inventor. Like many anoth-
er of his temperament and talent, ne
| knows what it is to send his model 10
| the Patent Office the day after the
other fellow sent his. Thls time ne Is
in 4 fair way to derive both the credit
and the cash for the product OF his
| brain.
The ship is not an aeroplane. 1t is
similar i'll appearance TO the one WIN
which Santos-Dumont expected 10
electrify America Yet the SINH
larity ends with the appearance. The
mechanism is totally different. There
is a great gas bag, 10 feet long and 20
| feet wide at the center, taperlng to
| points at both ends. 1t is made OF the
| finest French silk. kind OF SILK mat
! combines the maximum OF strength
with the minimum of weight, and is
manufactured by only one firm III the
world.
The bag contains 5000 cubic feet of
| hydrogen gas when it is inflated, and
upon this the ship depends for the
maintenance of the equilibrium. The
! frame of the ship is Of aluminium and
| bamboo. and the power is derived from
ten-horse power gasoline motor,
| similar to those in use on automobiles
and motor cycles. Thus far the
| principles involved are similar to those
| employed by SantOs-Dumont and other
/ inventors of airships. The contriv-
ances for guiding the huge gas bag are
! unique.
The other airships that have been
| tested were constructed according to
the principles Of the screw propeller
| steamer. One enormous wheel with
! two or four blades served to give the
direction, which could be maintained
on any given plane. If the aerial
navigator desired to raise or lower his
machine he was compelled to modify
his ballast or regulate the contents of
the balloon. With the airship now in
the aerodrOme neither Of these meth
| DDS is necessary. The change in plane
| can be made as easily as the change
in direction, and by exactly the same
| mechanism.
Mr.. Benbow's idea in constructing the
! propeller was derived from the plan of
the side-wneel steamer. Attached to the
frame of the ship are four wheels, each
| consisting of four paddles or fans. The
tan is constructed of a triangular piece
OF canveS attached to two aluminium
rods. These rods may be closed or opened
at The pleasure of the navigator. AS tile
wheel of the Side-Wheeler is half out OF
| water all the time, 50 Mr.. Benbow con-
trivcd to have the propellers half out
of the air all the time. This seeming i'm
| wheel reVolVeS the TWO tipped fans close
| the rods being brought together so that
practically no caiiv1s surface is exposed
| Thus there is almost no resistance TO the
| air just as, in the upper part of the
steamers wheel there is no resistance to
the water. When the blade reaches the
proper place in its revolution, ii opens
automatically.
In regulating he plane of the ship, the
navigator changes the opening and clos
| ing OF the blades. When he wishes to de-
/
| ing and closing so that the two blades
| that are uppermost shall be the open ones.
| BY means of this regulation OF the re
| sistance surface ne is able to control the
motions of the vessel IN breeze. the
principle being similar to that used by
the sailor when he tackS against a wind.
The method Of turning the airship
around is one of the most interesting
things about the handling of it. 1t is in
teresting because 1t is simple and so
apparent, and because no other inventor
/ E,rrnS h.,y-n ,ty,t of far.a hn
ship is turned exactly as rowboat is
turned. If the man in the boat wishes to
turn to the left he takes the left-hand oar
out of the water and pulls on the other
oar. The one-sided momentum causes the
boat to Veer from the straight course, and
If it is persisted in, the boat will describe
a complete circle. Likewise. when the
airshp is to be turned, the propellers on
one side are thrown out of gear. and
those on the other side are permitted to
furnish all the motive power Thus the
vessel may be turned to the right or to
the left with perfect ease.
Whether the principles employed In the
construction of this ship will solve the
problem of aerial navigation or not re-
ouShly practicable. and is actually dirig-
lille. 1t is not a mere balloon, to be toss
ed about at the pleasure of the wind
! The motcr that furnishes the bower for
operating the wheels has four cylinders.
with a three-nch stroke, and it is ignited
| by means of an electric spark. The
| weight OF the motor Is 100 pounds, ana III
| is attached by cables to the platform on
which the operator stands.
| The total weight of the airshp is about
six hundred pounds. and the fans are
| thirty-two inches wide at the outer edge.
| When the machine is immersed in the
tranquil air, or is going with the wind.
there is practically no resistance; but
when 1t attempts to go against the wind
| the force Of the waves that dash against
| the Prov of the ocean steamer is as moth
| ing when compared with the resistance
| that the motor of the airship must over
| come. Tho airship is immcasurably
| larger In proportion to its weight than
! any other form of conveyance, and hence
| II offers an immcasurably greater surface
| for resistance. This is why the problems
| OF aerial navigation have been so haro
to solve. In the case of these machines
| that have no balloon and hence do not
| offer this great resistance to the air, there
| seems to he no method. at least no sue
| cessful method of maintaining the equiib
| rum and regulating the speed. An afr
/ snip mat cannot stop Is of about as much
praCtlcal value one that cannot start.
and the trouble with the aeroplane So"mS
| to be that when it once gets in motion,
| there is no means Of stopping it except
| to simply let it drop. which is sure to be
more or less uncomfortable for the oc.
| cupantS.
Putting 1t DeicateIy.