Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-20
TWO NATIONS
PAY HONORS
TO WRIGHTS
BROTHERS TO RECEIVE AN
AMERICAN MEDAL
FRANCE is LIoNlZlNG BOLD
AMERICAN AVIATOR
Believes That Flying Machines Are
Military in Scope and Possible
of Greater Development
Than Automobiles

Wilbur Wright said recently that he
is convinced the future of the aero
plane is in warfare rather than IN
commercial work. On this opinion he
said recently in Paris:
1.-THE flying machine is a military
proposition. 1t will naturally attract
certain amount of attention as sport
but it's greatest future is for use with
armies l believe that owing to the
intensely fascinating nature of Tying
a number of sportsmen will become IN
terested in the flying machine, but their
number will not be so great as TO nave
any serious influence on the automoblle
] have always been of the opinion that
the future of the flying machine was IN
army work, where it will largely take
the place of cavalry and where 1t will
be an instrument with which the enemy
can be constantly harasSed. In the I'M
mediate future hundreds of these ma
chimes will be attached to every regi-
ment. AS a commedcial proposition
there is little future for the aeroplane,
for it can never compete with railroads
and steamships.
"There is naturally a certain amount
of danger with a flying machine, but
it need not be any greater than on an
automobile, and in my opinion 1t IS
more risky to be on the Paris streets
than aloft, With my machine there is
kel17CAAoCA
as a matter of fact, 1 could sit on the
tin of the wing and still balance the
machine
"Though of course it is useless to
carry unnecessary weight, there is
nothing to be gained by the search Tor
extra light motors. Even If the gasoline
engine had not come to the fore when
we made our early experiments It
would have been possible to fly with
n steam engine. Today there are pien-
tv of automobile engines that we could
lift off a car, place on our aeroplane
and fly without any change whatever
The aeroplane of the future VIII pc Mt
ted with an automobile engine win d
little of the superfuous weight re-
moved" -. 1,,..,.r,,.
France is making much OF wright,
especially Paris. He is overwhelmed
with invitations from fashionable per-
sons who come to his rooms III re-
snlendent carriages and automobiles.
But when Wright accepts ne Walhs'
taking an umbrella when 1t rains.
Wilbur and Orville will both be III
Nv York in January or February,
when they will be guests of the Aero
cluh of America at q banquet. The elup
will present the brothers $1,000 gold
medal to commemorate their achleVe-
ments. .,s4,.,,
Wilbur Wright had the SATISFACTION
Of DrOVing on a FGenCn ih5ut 'ti"'
% Which happened to his brother
OrviIle at Fort Myer might happen
without necessarily DANGEROUS results,
He had a similar experience at lie
Mans with a passenger on board ana
landed in safety. Ia,
After flight of twenty minutes WIN
c,antain Lucas Girardville on board Lhe
obain driving the right-hand propeller
suddenly snapped in two when the
aeroplane was travelling at good ,. speed
about seventy feet above the GROUND,
Tbe machine gave a slight list and
every t one thought that similar acct
dent to the one which took place at
Tort Myer was inevitable; but with re-
,,,arkabIe GOODNESS Wright cut Off the
;pnition and brought his flyer to the
ground with the least damage; xnoo
This fact proves in itself the great
oontro, that the driver possesses over
his his machine, and that the accidental
stopping of one of the propedii,ers neee
a -, predicted by many OF the
critics of the Wright machine