The broad ax., 1907-03-30
AERIAL NAVIGATION.
-Hsavisr Than Air" Flying Machines
Now the Goal Of Inventors

NOW Cno goal OF tuNeuooBs
Prizes aggregating many thousands
Of dollars for the production Of flying
machine Of the heavier than air" va
riey, offered by English and French
enthusiasts, have caused great activity
among would be inventors, and some
Of the most prominent aeronautic ex-
perts predict that the year just begun
win be marked by remarkable adj
vances in the science and practice Of
aerial flight. To the gasoline engine
and 70 the extraordinary mechanical
progress made in automobilism Is due
the hope that something definite and
worthy may be achieved by those who
seek to solve the problem Of aerial trav-
cling.
The ordinary balloon, II Is agreed.
has little practical value save as an ex-
citing form Of sport and for purposes
Of observation In calm weather. In
anything like a sim breeze 1t is the
sport Of the winds and quite useless
from a practical point OF view. Better
things are said Of the cigar shaped con-
trivances utilizing both the gas bag
and the gasoline engine. Six years ago
Santos umont was able to steer an
airship Of this kind around the Eifrel
tower, running with and against the
wind. Since that time hundreds Of
similar Siderable balloons have been
built In France until today they are
nearly as common as the spherical gas
bag. Nevertheless 1t Is realized that
these are far from representing a solu-
tion Of the problem Of practical naviga-
ton Of the air. They have, In fact,
only stimulated the desire for some
thing that will represent a radical I'm
provement, such as the successful
heavier than air. vessel would be.
The latter would mean, naturally, dir
igible vessel which could be driven In
any kind Of weather and In any de-
sired direction. A fortune In prizes al
ready awaits the inventor or such a
vessel, to say nothing Of the monetary
return in a business way. Two prizes
Of $4,000 each, one In England, the
other in France, await the inventor Of
tho successful aeroplane.
The mechanical difficulties In the
way Of producing a perfectly dirigfble
airship are immense because of the
number OF contingencies that must be
provided for In travelling through such
q mobile and treacherous element as
the air. Machinery that can be de-
pended on not to fail and precipitate
the heavier than air" machine to the
earth Il the most necessary qualifica-
ton, but this can be provided, II is
known, II the method Of propulsion
can be invented. The screw propeller
Idea Is by no means ideal because OF
Its great bulk, its poor lifting power
and its enormous waste Of energy. A
Tapping propeller, moving from side TO
side, seems to give promise, but many
sound thinkers favor an approximation
to the bird method Of flight, though
serious difficulties lie In the way Of
circular motion derived
from a motor into the complicated and |
various motions performed by the |
wings Of bird. Even If such motion |
could be Appropriated by mechanical |
means great skill would be required in |
directing the controlling mechanism, |
rs the constantly changing aerial con-
ditions would have to be instinctively |
provided against
Toy models working after the man.
ner Of a birds wings have successfully |
travelled a few yards, but have failed |
Of success when enlarged to any ex-
tent. That the air Is q region In |
which man can travel has been proved,
however, and that under conditions he |
an sail or fy through It by the aid of |
mechanical power has also been dem
onstrated, but many years are likely
10 elapse before any practical method
IF aerial navigation can be attained. |
L Is a problem that viii not be solved |
but that solution will come |
eventually Is now almost settled con-
Viction with students Of aeronautics,
md the incentives offered abroad with
u the past few months give the hope
hat great progress, II not actual
achievement, viii mark the current |