The Ordway new era., 1908-07-24
WRIGHT AER0PLANE
DETAILS OF FLYING MACHINE
FULLY EXPLAINED.
Two Thin Surfaces, Which NOW
Broadside to the Atmosphere
Constitute Chief Part OF
Successful Air Graft.


n secret destined. perhaps. TO prove
as potentially vital In the histof! U.
civilization as was that OF WATTS "'S'
steam engine or OF Fultnn's elemeh'
tary steamboat-has been laid bare
Reasons which for years have caused
the Wright brothers TO guard so Jeai
ously the mysteries OF their htro-
planes are not longer so compelling
as they once were.
Their rights. due to priority Of In
vention, in so far as they can De 10
gally guarded. are now protected ny
letters patent issued in France and IN
other countries and by cavcat hled
in the United States patent ONCE
which protects them in this country
! for a period OF two years, before 'he
expiration OF which time they expect
TO be In a position to take out later
patents covering further improve
ments.
Like many other great inventions
| the essential feature Of the wright
aeroplane, the feature which chlehy
difrerentiates It from its rivals, Is so
mechanically simple in its conception
and construction that scientific men
who for years have been working
along more or less similar lines doubt
less will wonder that they had not
! hit upon the same device.
According to the official description.
the Wright flying machine is composed
Of thin surfaces or aeroplanes super
posed. There can be one or several
OF these. but the Wright machine, as
built at present, Is made OF two.
These planes are TO move In the d.
rection OF their broader sidcs-that Is.
broadside to the atmosphere. The
two planes are separated by uprights
or stanchlons which are rigid from
one end to the other. They are fas-
| tened to the planes at their upper
and lower eXtremities by universal
Joints. So. while they keep the planes
parallel at all times, they do not pre-
vent them being twisted spirally In
unison. At the front of the machine
are reinforcing cross wires, which,
| with the stanchiOns, hold the front
part Of the machine perfectly rigid.
| The front of the wings is intended to
| be held unchanged at all times. The
desired fiexibility OF the wings is con
fined to the rear, where It is con.
trolled by very ingenious mechan.
ism.
At the middle OF the machine are
fore and aft wires which keep the
whole Of the center of the structure
rigid But between the stanchions
which separate the wings at the rear
there are no stiffenlng wires, and none
extends fore and aft at the extremities
Of the wings. These eXtremities. or
wings. are flexible at the rear and the
structure is articulated at the limits
OF the rigid central part. The parts OF
the frames extending beyond this cen
| trail part, therefore. form n plant po.
sition by wire running from the up
per end OF the rear stanchions at the
| eXtremites of the wings through
guides or pulleys near the center
fixed to the lower wing or plane.
The rear central part OF the frame,
with REINFORCED cables and the rear
part of the lateral wings. form thus.
with the stanchion. the guides and the
cables, a funicular system. rigid and
at the same time pliable to another po
stion, which permits the regulation
Of the rear corners of the planes. at
the same time preserving the char.
acteristics of a rigid framework.
When the drum Is turned In order
to move the cable to the left, thus
drawing downward the rear lateral
risht-hand part of the upper wing, the
corresponding part of the lower plane
Is similarly lowered because of the
rigid connection through the stan.
chions. The downward movement OF
this part of the lower plane caused
by cables serves to raise the rear left.
hand part of the lower plane, and by
means OF the stanchions raises the
corresponding part Of the upper wing.
This communicates simultaneously
a spiral twist to the wings of the two
planes. In thus turning the extreme
rear part Of the wings around axis
lying in their primitive plane. the
operator forces them to present varia,
BILE angles of incidence to the air. the
side presenting the greater angle OF
Incidence being obliged to rise under
the greater pressure resulting from
the action of the air on this part
whereas the side offering the smaller
angle Of incidence falls.
This action permits the aviator, by
regulating the angles Of incidence, to
maintain the lateral equilibrium Of
the machine, but this action tends
to make the machine turn around q
vertical axis. because the increasina
angle Of incidence offers to the air q
greater resistance Of forward move
ment and permits the part Of the
aeroplane having the smaller angle Of
incidence to move ahead at greater
speed than the part having the greater
angle Of incidence.