Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-04-10
STEAM IN AIRSH|P'
New Power to Take Place of
Electric Motor is Latest
Plan of invention.
COLLEGE PROFESSORS IDEA
Screw Propeiors for Lifting Power Yet
May Be Stopped in Mid
air.

DR.. Robert ". WOOD. professor OF
experimental physics ii tAc Johns Hop
kinS university. and Otto Luylics.- Il
skillrul Eicchanica! engineer OF Balti-
more. hope they have solved the prob
lem il aprodynamics upon which
Langley failed and which SantOs-Du-
mont has not yet succeeded in Unrav-
cling. Professor Wood is the successor
to the late Professor II. y. Rowland.
the inventor of the famous spectre
scope grating machine. known to all
physicians. ana the multiple telegraph
system now being introduced i'll the
various countries of Europe.
The type of machine UrOn which
Professor Wood and Mr.. Luytie3 are
at work is known as the "nelicC1ter."
says the Washington Post. 1t il en-
tirely different from rce balloon type
and belongs 10 what Is known as the
heavier than air class of airShipS.
now attracting the attention of all who
are Interested in aerial navigation. 1t
belongs properly to the same class with
the aeropane. which was the object of
extensive experiments 10y the late Pro
fcSSor Langley Of Washington. The
Langley airship. however, has several
drawbacks. the most serious of which
is the difficulty of making landings be
cause of the extreme high rate of hOri-
zontal velocity which it is absolutely
necessary to keep up in order that the
ship may sustain itself in the air.
In the "helicopter" Messrs. Wood
and Luyties hope to overcome these
disadvantages entirely. In the first
place, there is no stationary supporting
surface. such as is required in the
aeroplane. which maintains its position
in the air by several pairs of huge
wings and the high rate of velocity Mt
,, which it is drawn.
Professor Wood and Lord Rayleigh.
the renowned English physicist. differ
on the question of motive power. The
EngliShman advocates electric motors,
whereas MesSrs. Wood and Luyties
show this to be impracticable in that
such motors are entirely too heavy,
weighing 100 to 100 pounds to the
horsepower. Such being the case, DR.
Wood proposes using the steam engine
modelled after those used in the racing
| automobiles.
Engine of 900 Pounds.
In the particular ship upon whicl
| they are now working an engine weigh
ing about 900 pounds and capable o
generating 100 horsepower at the be
| ginning will he used. This high horse
| power will be maintained for Il few
minutes anly. as it will soon reduce I,
| forty or fifty horsepower. due TO the
| high grade Of pressure. Tie ship i
to he lifted by the power Of IFS en-
CINE. and movement when in the al
will he obtained by what is known a
the lifting powers of its rcvolvin:
| propellers." These prOpellerS will be Il
least forty feet in diameter and vii
| consist of light metal frames covarc,
with a light but strong fabric.
Unlike the aeroplane. it can be stop
ped in midair and still keep its cleva
ton. whereas the aeroplane must &c
scend as soon as all OF its motive pow
! err is cut off.
Professor Wood in speaking for him
self and Mr.. Luyties made the follow
ing statement:
The object of the experiments whicl
are now in progress is to determin
the ascensiOnal power which can b
given to Il flying machine by means O
very large propcllers operated by en-
CINE power. The aeroplane type o
machine requires a high linear velocit
| for. 70 t1ic III In IN,
more or less dangerous. In addition t
this. the machines constructed thus fl
have, as rule, required some specia
device for launching.
authorities, for the most part, ar
agreed that the successful machin
must ascend without the aid of an
apparatus exterior to itself and mus
be capable of making safe landing
Landing with an acrOplane will Away
be accompanied with some danger.
The helicopter' type of machine rise
vertically like Il balloon. lifted solel
by the upward thrust Of its revolvin
screws. Once aloft. lateral motion ca
be given to it in variety of ways.
1.-The machine of the future will YER
probably be compromise between til
aaoplane and the 'helicopter.' Up
the present time no work has bee
done on large scale on the liftin
power of large propellers. In the mi
jority of cases where the large screw
have been built attempts have bee
made to operate them by man powe
and, this means proving wholly made
quate, the experiments have been di:
continued or efforts have been made
build light engine TO drive them"
| Horrent Oiaonosis