Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-29
DR.. CYRUS ADLER SAYS so
Reporters Get First Close Look at
"the Buzzard.'
ITS MECHANISM IS A MARVEL
President Post of the Aero Cluo
Also Given View of Bird Ihat
Never Flew.

at Is not likely, gentlemen. that TINS
machine will ever be given another triai'
II has made history and 1t belongs TO MS
tory II is relic and should ne pre-
served as such along with the others
nroduced by Prof. Langley. the pioneer OF
mechanical flight" These were the words
of DR.. Cyrus Adler. acting secretary. at
the Smithsonian workshop yesterday
speakinx to Dr. Albert Zahm, Augustus
Post. president of the Aero Club. and
small party of newspaper men, who were
given the first close view that the press
had ever had of the famous Langley aero
drome known over the world as Inc
Buzzard.
much as Ii seemed to mark PERIOD IN
the relations between the newspapers ana
the Smithsonian Institution In connec-
tion with aerial navigation. Every one
Langley trials. failures and successes,
and how bitter was the criticism of the
work in some quarters. Omclals OF the
Smithsonian declare. indeed. tnat tne
Langley experiments were stopped by ad-
verse newspaper criticism. The big man.
carryi ing machine has been locked uD for
five years from public view, and 1t was
only the occasion of MIR. Posts visit TO
w
vate view of the machine and some ex-
PLANTATION as to its history and the prob
able future of the Smithsonian's attitude
toward aerial work.
The Buzzard'' does not look as though
1t had ever been in the Potomac. The
frame work has been repaired and pol
ished wherever injured. The wings. which
were the most damaged by its fall. have
been repaired and Hacked away. The
machine is not now assembled. owing to
its great size. but. saving natural de-
terioration. easily repaired. it is prac-
tically as good as the day 1t was fin
ished.
1t is a marvel of workmanship. Possi-
bly,, if il were to be rebuilt now with the
aid of venadium steel and some other
modern accessories. it might be made a
little lighter. or possibly stronger at the
same weight, but the general design
would not be much changed. even in the
light of all that has been done by Far
man. Delagrange and other practical nav
igators.
Wonderful Mechanism.
The great main frame of the machine
Is an oblong with rounded corners about
twenty-five feet long by four feet wide.
Midway of this frame are the gearings
for the two propellers that work amid
ships. At the forward and after ends
there are planes for attaching the great
bird-like wings. of which there are two
pairs. <AHNOSulpS there Is TIE tIISiuS anu
the seat for the operator. This is about
as much Of technical description as
would interest the average layman.
Roughly speaking. the main frame is of
two-inch tubing that looks as heavy as
steam pipe, but which in reality is but
little thicker thar writing paper. This
is true of all the tubing used in the con-
struction. The bare frame as 1t hangs
in the workshop looks as though it ought
to weigh 500 pounds In reality 1t weighs
but little over $50 The machine with
all on. including the operator, weighed
$50 pounds.
Above and below the main frame there
are hollow guy posts at each end. From
cross braces of thread-like wire. taut as
a harp string. and held so by fairy turn
buckles. The pulleys. where there are
any needed. are the size of half dollar
and about as thick. The hollow tubing
is all alright. and the workmanship of
the whole thing is as near perfect as it is
possible TO make it.
The motor is conceded by experts to be
the finest thing in aerial motors that has
been developed up to date. 1t is composed
OF five cylinders in the shape of a five
pointed star. set around a hollow hori-
Zontal axle. 1t develops f1fty-two and a
of its fuel capacity without oyerheating
1t weighs two pounds to the horsepower
without water, fuel or radiator, and with
all these. on. including the batteries, it
which is less than half the weight of the
best practical motors in use now.
Have Never Been Patented
Neither the Langley motor nor the aero
drome has ever been patented. either by
the government or by any one else but
precautions have been taken at the patent
office against their ever being patented SO
that in the course of time. when techni-
cal descriptions OF the motor are printed.
and there is a demand for it among aero
nauts. it may he used by them freely and
without royalties.
Regarding the unfortunate antagonism
between Prof. Langley and the newspa-
pers while the big aerodrome was being
constructed. DIR. Adler yesterday said that
the situation was not generally under
stood. Along in 1896, when Langley had
practically finished his aerial experiments.
and the problem of mechanical flight was
experimentally solved. he decided to let
the subject drop. When In 1898 1t was
known in the inner circles of the admins
tration that war with Spain was almost
inevitable. the government approached
Prof. Langley and asked If he would
make man-carrying aerodromn. He
said that he could and would and the
work was started under the board of ord
nance and fortifcations, with the proviso
that the whole thing should be kept a
dead secret.
OF course such a secret is impossible to
keep in this country and being both 10y al
and shrinking, Prof. Langley knew of
but one way TO choke off the papers, and
that was to make himself unapproachabla
There were other ways that the end could
have neen better. accomplished with no
friction at all, but both sides misunder-
stood each other. and the breach widened
and at the end when apparent failure had
met the efforts of the aeria! navigators,
all OF the papers made sport of the affair
Eiost of them lightly, but some vicfously.
Prof. Langley took the editorial criti-
oisms much to heart. but what is more to
the point with regard to the history of
eeria' navigation in America. these criti-
cisn: so affected the public. and espe-
ciaIly the congressional mind. that fur
ther aliotments from the board of ord
narce and fortiiicaiions were rendered i'm
possible.
Declined Private Help.
Mr.. Langley was offered private help
II carry on the experiments. but declined
10 place himself under obligations to pri-
vata persons for the continuation of this
work. holding that IL was work under
taken purely in the interest of the nation.
and IL the nation would not support II he
would not go on with 1t.
The big aerodrome remains a miracle
of workmanship. both scientific and me-
chanical. in the workshop of the Smith