Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-24
DUMONT SANS GASBAG
Younq Brazilian Takes Up the
Aeroplane.
HIS CLAIMS OF SUCCESS
Something About the Various Flying
Machines.
LANGLEY'S INITIAL FLIGHTS
HANDWRITING Machine Produced In
Dayton by the Wright Bros.
Year Ago.
HIS CLAIMS OF SUCCESS
LANGLEY'S INITIAL FLIGHTS

be felt by Americans over the announce
ment that Santos Dumont, perhaps the fore
most exponent of dirigible balloons In the
world. has abandoned the gas bag for air
ship purposes and has taken to the aero
plane, the success of which was demon
strated in Washington by Prof. Langley
as far back as 1896.
1t Is just possible that the entry Of Du-
mont into the new field may give him the
palm of commercial success, for from all
accounts he is a mechanical genius and a
fearless and energetic worker. The COM
mercal success of the airship is now what
every one is waiting for, but no subse-
Quent developments can rob America of the
credit of having first demonstrated the
soundness of the principle that Dumont
has adopted.
For the benefit of those who did not see
the original announcement of the young
Brazillan's trial flight. 1t may be said that
he has designed a heavier-than-air ma
chine without any gas bag and has tried
1t in big open field. with very satisfactory
results. He uses twenty-four horsepower
motor which developed only fifteen horse
power. and the machine. after running
along the ground to get start. goes into
the air as the speed increases, 1t Is just the
principle da which big birds Of the condor
type start their flight
The motor that Dumont used was of too
small horsepower to give sustained flight
But 1t showed that he was on the right
track and his trial on the ground demon
strated that both Prof. Langley and Sir
Hiram Maxim. who tried machines with
launching ways. went to needless trouble
and expense.
Building Bigger Machine.
Dumdlt is now at work on a machine
with a fifty horse-opew motor and thinks
that will give him power enough for sus-
tanned flight. That Is approximately the
power of the engine with which Prof Lang
ley tried to drive his Inflated aerodrome,
his being a fifty-two horsepower motor,
built especially light. 1t is thought that
fifty horsepower will be abundantly large
as the machine used by the Wright broth
ers In their successful flights at Dayton
Ohio, was only thirty horsepower and very
heavy at that
The point that American aeronauts re-
greet, so far as they have any regret, about
the prospective success of the Frenchman
Is that the honor of the first practical afr
SLIP Is likely to go to France rather than
10 this country. and the name of Santos
Dumont or some other Frenchman. will
rank with that of Fulton as the inventor
OF the steamboat, even though like Fulton
he was not really the originator Of the
idea.
1t has been pointed out and exulted in
by the members OF the Aero Club Of New
York that the first successful flight of an
airship without a gas bag attachment has
really been made in this country.
In spite of the scant newspaper credit
given him, Prof Langley of the Smith
sonian Institute was the man who demon
strated scientifically the possibilities of the
heavier-than-air machine. His first expert
ments were made In Pittsburg before he
came to Washington. and 1t Is Of interest
to know that they were financed by none
other than the father of Harry Thaw, who
was. until the time of his death. close
N
Langley Stuck to His Guns.
After coming to Washington Prof Lang
icy stuck to the theory that IL a bird could
fly so could a man. and the first of his sue
cessful models was a steam-driven machine
which flew three-Quarters of mile in 1896
Thereafter. In 1893. he made longer flights
up to one and one-quarter miles with gas
oline driven aerodromes. He had demon
strated the soundness of his theory and
Langley's law" Is now a recognized part
or the text books on ACCOMPANIES.
Many OF his friends. when this point was
reached. said that he had done all that
could be demanded Of him semitic
man. and that the commercial development
OF the idea should be left to private enter
prise. But he built his larger, man-carry-
Ing machine. and IL he had been younger
there Is little question that he would have
carried II to a successful conclusion.
Those who followed such things know
that almost a year ago the Wright broth
ers were making successful flights with
their man-carrying machine in Dayton and
the first rights had been offered to this
government But the government would
not even send a man to whether the
claims Of the inventors were well founded.
This encouragement resulted in their clos
ing provisional contract with the French
government for the rights to their ma
chine. the money involved being about
100000. But 1t seems that this contract
has not expired without all Of the condi-
tons having been fulfilled. and the French
government has been perfectly willing to
let 1t lapse, feeling that what had been
done in America could be done in France.
and that they were on the eve of perfecting
q machine at home.
In fact, France has had for years a big
establishment workshop and laboratory
where they have persistently experimental
with all sorts Of balloons and flying ma
chimes They are far along the road to
mense amount of money. the government
thinks 1t worth It,
French Are Optimistic.
The French people believe that II the army
engineers do not perfect practical flying
machine that some Frenchman will. and
that that country Is destined to lead in this
line as she long led in automobiles.
The first announced success OF the Day
ton machine created a great Juror In aerial
circles In this country. and the Wrights re-
ceived several offers of financial aid. They
couple of young fellows and run a
bicycle repair shop in Dayton. They have
been aided greatly by Mr.. e. Chanute, him
self an engineer of reputation and well
known member Of the Aero Club
When the first announcement Of their
successor had been made they received
offers of capital to finance their work and
in one specific case had an offer OF $4,000
for the exhibition rights to the machine for
the past summer.
They are not rich. and their aerial expert
mentS have been made in the intervals of
earning their own living in the bicycle bust
ness. But they took rather high ground.
and told their friends that they preferred to
he known as scientists rather than as show
men. and they refused all offers OF financial
help. preferring the friendship and encour-
agement of such well-known scientists as
DIR. Alex. Graham Bell. Prof. Langley and
Mr.. Chanute. They seem to have had the
idea that they had done something in the
aerial line which could not be duplicated
but 1t appears from the Paris announcement
that this is not the case. Whether they will
now come to the front and do more in the
way of practical work and less OF quiet