Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-11-26
WEDGE LIKE A|RSH|P.
New York Inventors ArroWpIane
Resembles Paper Dart.
CAN SAIL IN HEAVY WIND.
Planes Operated to "spiIl" the Wind If
II Is Too Strong-has Keel Like
Yacht to Keep Her Right Side Up.
Automatic Rudders.

Do you remember the paper darts
that the boys used to make in school
and how gracefully they sailed on the
air when the wind was not too strong?
Well, that is the principle on which
the latest airship has been planned,
coupled with additional ideas caught
from the flight of the arrow and the
sailing of racing yachts. Arrow
plane" the inventor calls it, and, as he
frequently addresses the members of
the Aero club on the subject dearest
to their hearts and was formerly sec
retary of the Aeronautical society and
still an enthusiastic member of that
organization, his efforts 20 solve the
problem of aerial navigation are re-
ceiving the serioGs attention of the
members of both organizations.
L. G. ". Schroeder is the inventor
of the latest airship, which is unlike
anything else of its kind. 1t consists
of two planes forty feet long and
wedge shaped At the forward end
the machine is only six inches wide.
AT the stern it is fourteen feet wide.
There is a keel, seven inches deep,
Just like the fin keel on the English
cutters that came over here to lift
the cup" says the New York Globe
The keel runs the entire length of the
machine There is u seven foot pro
peller forward, and provision is made
for a larger propeller behind. These
will be driven at the rate of 500 reyo-
lutions a minute by forty horse
power, four cylinder, four cycle eX-
plosion engine.
The engine and other machinery are
fastened to the bottom of the keel and
close up to the front of the Arrow
plane. That idea is taken from the
boats that have lead ON the bottom of
the fin keel TO keep them from turning
turtle. Mr.. Schroeder contends that
there is little o. no difference in prin-
ciple between sailing ON the water and
in the air. BY having all the weight at
the bottom of the keel, he says, it will
be impossible for his airshp to turn
turtle under any circumstances.
Sticking up out of the forward end
of the Arrowplane Is the steering rud
der. At the rear of the horizontal
planes are what might properly be call
ed the equilibrium rudderS. They are
a couple of squares working up and
down on hinges These regulate the
rising and dropping of the airship. BY
means of an invention which Mr.
Schroeder is having patented the equi-
librium rudders work automatically in
an emergency such as resulted in the
accident to Orville Wright Mr. Schroe-
der is certain that under no circum-
stances, not excepting the breaking
down of the engine, will his airship
descend in any way but right side up
No heavy wind or sudden gust of wind
can bother him.
The inventors reasons for this conf
dence are twofold. There is nothing
above the two planes, which consist
of frame of hollow steel tubing into
which are set frames covered with can
vas or other material strong enough
Tor the purpose. These squares are
worked by levers much as the vcntlat-
ing windows in a greenhouse are ma
uipulated. In heavy blow these
.Iuares that comprise the planes will
he tilted at an angle sufficient u "spill
the wind" out of the planes, just G5 is
done on a sailboat when q sqGali
cones up. Then there is the frct tlat
ihe Arrowplane is designed t. travel
IN an even keel and that both direction
and height are under control If one
set Of rudders gives out there are 9th
ere to do the work.
The machine rests on four &Utouo-
bile wheels, two feet in diameter.
which are used in starting. To rise
in the air the sections of the planes
are raised sufficiently to get the great
est pressure from the air against them
The prOpellers are started: the ma
chine runs forward and sails from the
ground. When the desired height is
reached the sections of the planes are
fattened and automatically locked in
their places After that the operator
goes where he pleases. There are dial
and pendulum to tell when the air
ship gets off an even keel or tilts to
one side or the other. 1t Is the pres
ent purpose of the inventor TO make
machines that will be a success in
commercial way TO the extent of build
ing them to carry two or three pas
sengers. Mr.. Schroeder is sure he can
do it.
This latest addition to the flotilla of
airships is now being assembled. The
inventor is confident that he has the
right idea and is enthusiastic about
the future of his airship He sent out
a lot Of miniatures made of paper from
the windows of his Offices in New
York city the other day. They went
where he said they would.
I'VE naturally think our own chill
drcn are finer than any other children"
he said, "but that is not the reason l
consider my aeroplane superior to 9th
er airships. My objection to the Wright
brothers machine is that it is forty
feet wide and only eight feet long.
See how little air pressure they get in
the long way of their aeroplane. My
machine gets the pressure for all its
length. There is practically no diff
ference between sailing in the air and
in the water. If the principle OF the
wide aeroplane is right, why are not
boats built in the same way? Boats
are constructed long and narrow.
TOO many Of the airships are built
on the bird mGdel, which is what makes
the trouble for them. The wings are
all right until wind comes up. a
bird will make Its wings smaller offer