The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
TALK or MACHINES THAT FLY.
EXPERIMENTS HERE TIE MOST
SUCCESSFUL OF ALL.
Unprecedented Developments Expected I'm
the Coming ear ~Extinction Of Auto
MODELLING May Result AerO plancs Sure
10 ne Used Extensively I'm Future wars.
Special Gable Despatch 10 THE Sun.

Special Cable Despatch 10 THE sun.
LONDON, Nov. 1.-THE air for the last
few days has been metaphorically hum
ming with aeroplanes, motor kites and other
heavier than air flying machines. Santos
Dumont's partially successful experiments
i'm Paris and the Wright brothers apparently
far greater successes in America, to which.
by the way. little attention was paid here
until the enthusiastic admiration OF the
Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls was cabled
over, nave given a strong FLIP TO the in
terest in air travel and led to the publica-
ton OF numerous interviews with aero
nauts and engineers. There is a consensus
that the year 1907 will see unprecedented
Developments and that ere long automo-
biles will be discarded as a slow and old
fashioned pastime for the more novel and
more exciting tours OF the air.
The chief obstacle to the development OF
air travel for the moment seems to be the
lack Of q motor which Is equally light and
powerful. Santos umont is convinced
that 1907 will find motor makers paying at
tention to this problem n that the diff
Guilty will soon be solved. This, according
to the cable reports, seems to be the main
trouble with the Wrights, but their achieve
ments are held to be Of far greater impor-
lance thar Dumont's.
Sir Hiram Maxim, who has for a long
time peer an advocate OF the heavier than
air machine as opposed to the balloon type.
Ia enthusiastic over the Ohio experiments
and their success He says they are just
as much greater han Dumont's as thirty
1--WE minutes is greater than twenty-one
seconds, which, he understands, represent
the durations of the respective flights. He
admits that Santos-Dumont has led the
way in Europe, but Is not greatly impressed
with his achievements Va compared with
that of the Wrights. He say Dumont
has adhered too long to the dirigible balloon
ideas and is convinced hat these will soon
become obsolete.
Major Baden-Powell, an experienced
a~eronaut who has made valuable expert
ments with balancing aeroplanes, agrees
with Sir Hiram that there Is nothing very
wonderful in the achievements OF Santos
Dumont as compared with that of the
Wright brothers, "a Dumont's machine
seems to be very liable to turn over and
always comes 20 the ground witha damaging
thump. What all the e-xperimenters are
now crying out for is more money to hasten
the success Of the work. Santos Dumont
complains Of the terrible expense OF his
efforts which he has borne himself. Sir
Hiram Maxim says hat already he per-
sonally has spent ESQ 900. He urges that
the British Government should grant an
appropriation for the experiments. as the
United States, France, Germany and other
countries have already don England,
he says has plenty of men capable of utiliz-
ing the monRY to the best advantage and
they would HEpbably be able to outdistance
other ~experhhenters. There is no sign AZ
yet of the Government complying with his
suggestion, but private enterprise is busy
and the public is already looking skyward
in anticipation of satisfactory experiments.
Col. Fullerton Of the Royal Engineers,
lecturing on November Is. discussed the
recent progress in aerial navigation and
it's relation to the next war. He said he
did not doubt that flying machines would
play a great part in the next great conflict.
They would operate against each other;
against land forces and against warships.
There would be a light class Of machines.
weighing anything from 10 1000 to IS 900
pounds. with a crew of three or four men,
which would have a speed Of from forty
to eighty miles an hour. The important
features Of their utility would be an album
lance Of ammunition and first rate gunnery.
Their worn would be to destroy the enemy's
sirships. Then there would be a heavier
class with heavy armament for firing down.
ward at warships. forts n large bodies Of
troops. Their weapons would be similar
to torpedo tubes. Flying machines OF all
kinds would be particularly effective against
cavalry, as it would be almost impossible
TO keep horses steady under a fire from
above.
y Doubtless, the lecturer said, these war
machines would have the most difficult
task. Many would be lost because all sorts
OF guns for firing upward from the ground
would be invented. and although the flying
machines would be difficult to hit they
would be extremely vulnerable. Countries
using these machines must keep a large
stock OF them ready for service at a mo-
ment's nbtice. He recommended that the
British Government appoint a commission
TO investigate the whole subject.