Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-04-17
NEW TYPE Of ARSH|P
Steam Engine to Be Used Instead
of Electric Motor.
COLLEGE PROFESSOR IDEA.

COLLEGE PROFESSORS IDEA.
Machine to BE Stopped In Midair and
Keep Its Eievation---v Very Large
Screw Propellsrs For Lifting Power.
Entirely Different From Balloon.
DR.. Robert w. Wood, professor Of
experimental physics at the Johns Hop
kins university, and Otto Luyties, a
skillful mechanical engineer Of Balti-
more, hope they have solved the prob
lem in aarodynamics 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 81. A. Rowland,
the inventor Of the famous spectre
scope grating machine, known to all
physicians, and the multiple telegraph
system now being introduced in the
various countries of Europe.
The type of machine upon which
Professor Wood and Mr.. Luyties are
at work is. known as the "helicopter,'' 7
says the Washington Post 1t Is en-
tirely different from the balloon type
and belongs to what Is known as the
heavier than air. class Of airships,
now attracting the attention Of all who
are interested in aerial navigation. It
belongs properly to the same class with
the aeroplane, which was the object Of
extensive experiments by the late Pro.
fessor 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 1t 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
disad vantages 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 at
which it ID 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 $50 pounds to the
horsepower. Such being the case, DR..
Weed proposes using the steam engine
modelled after those used In the racing
automobiles. ~.
In the particular ship upon which
they are now working an engine weigh
ing about 900 pounds and capable Of
generating 100 horsepower at the be-
ginning will be used. This high horse
power will be maintained for. a few
minutes anly, as 1T will soon reduce to
forty or fifty horsepower, due to the
high grade Of pressure. The ship Is
to be lifted by the power Of its en-
CINE, and movement when in the air
will be obtained by what Is known as
the lifting powers Of its revolving
propellers." These propellers will be at
least forty feet in diameter and will
consist Of light metaIY frames covered
with q light but strong fabric.
Unlike the aeropiane, it can be stop
ped In midair and still keep its eleva-
ton, whereas the aeroplane must de.
sscend as soon as all Of its motive pow.
er is cut Off.
Professor Wood in speaking for him
self and Mr.. Luyties made the follow
ing statement:
The object Of the experiments which
are now in progress Is to determine
the ascensional power which can be
given to q flying machine by means Of
very large propellers operated by en-.
CINE power. The aeroplane type Of
machine requires a high linear velocity
Tor Its support, and this makes landing
more or less dangerous. IN addition to
this. the machines constructed thus far
have, as q rule, required some special
device for launching. 1t
Authorities, for the most part, are
agreed that the successful machine
must ascend without the aid OF any
apparatus exterior to itself and must
be capable Of making a safe landing.
Landing with an aeroplane will always
be accompanied with some danger.
The shelicopter type Of machine rises
vertically like balloon. lifted solely
by the upward thrust Of It's revolving
screws. Once aloft, lateral motion can
be given to It IN variety OF ways.
The machine of the future will very
probably be compromise between the
aeroplane and the thelicopter.' Up to
the present time no work has been
done on q large scale oh the lifting
power Of large propellers. In the ma
jortty Of cases where the large screws
have been built attempts have been
made to operate them by man power,
and, this means proving wholly made
quate, the experiments have been dis.
continued or efforts have been made to
build q light engine to drive them"
Proposes Negro Territory.
In discussing the race question Gov
ernor Broward Of Florida In HIS mes
sage to the legislature says that the
relations between the two races are
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