Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-27

in the Voisin Freres shops. 1t is a
monopane ordered by Prince Bolatoff,
a young Russian sportsman, who will
equip it with a special light weight
Panhard engine of 100 horsepower. 1t
is practically certain that an attempt
will be made during the early months
of 1909 to cover the twenty miles sepa-
rating France from England, for apart
from the various sportsmen who are
DESTROYS of accomplishing the task
there are half dozen firms of build
ers who would give much to have this
powerful means of publicity. 1t is
recognized that the sensational flight
is not difficult on condition that an
engine can be obtained which can be
relied upon to run the necessary length
of time without a falter. Up to the
present ii is the engine that is Civ
ing the greatest amount of trouble. few
light weight engines being capable of
running long without developing weak
nesses dangerous to the aviator.
Practical Mems Opinions
Generally European aeronauts are of
the opinion that the flying machine
same way as was done by the automo-
bile. but that, owing to the more fas
cinating nature of aerial navigation,
it will have a greater success than the
automobile, and less Importance from
a commercial standpoint.
Wilbur Wright is not of this opin-
ion, and in recent conversation de-
claed:
THE flying machine is a military
proposition. 1t will naturally attract a
certain amount of attention as a sport,
but it's greatest future is for use with
armies. | believe that owing to the
intensely Fascinating nature of flying
a number of sportsmen will become
interested in the flying machine. but
their number will not be so great as
to have any serious influence ON the
automobile. | have always been of
the opinion that the future of the fly
ing machine was in army work, where
it will largely take the place of cav
airy, and where it will be an instru-
ment with which the enemy can be
constantly harassed. In the immediate
future hundreds of these machines will
be attached to every regiment. AS a
commercial proposition there is little
future for the aeroplane, for it can
rever 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 it is
more risky to be on the Paris streets
than aloft. With my machine there
is no danger from passenger moving
as a matter of fact. / could sit on the
tip 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 for
extra light motors. Even if the gaso-
line engine had not come to the fore
when we made our early experiments,
it would have been possible to fly with
a steam engine. Today there are plenty
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 will be
fitted with an automobile engine with
little of the superfuous weight re-
moved"
Asked whether he had succeeded in
his experiments up to his expectations,
Wilbur Wright declared:
when we began work we believed
that 1t would be fifty years before man
would be able to fly; two years later
NV brother and | had flown together.
1t is impossible to say what is the
greatest difficulty. for there are a thou
sand problems in one and as soon as
you settle one difficulty you are on the
heels of another"