Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-25
Inventor Wright Putting His
AeropIane Together.
MAKES GOOD PROGRESS
May Attempt Flight Before the End
of This Week.
MACHINE POSSESSES RUNNERS
Sensation While in the Air-Plans
of Mr.. Herring-More Bal
loon News.

While 1t is expected that the engine
for the Wright aeroplane will arrive at
Fort Myer today, it is not intended to
commence the installation before to-
morrow. The big plane is taking shape
and the vertical and horizontal rudders
were placed in position today. The ma
chine, unlike the successful French
planes, has no wheels under it. Instead
it has skeleton runners. something like
an old-fashioned high sled. Mr.. Wright
says that the runners are much more eff
fective than wheels, and that they will
stand treatment that would rip off any
wheels that could be attached. The
ground where the flights were made
around Dayton was very rough, with
hummccks a foot high. In actual prac-
'tice it was found that the machine could
light on the runners and shear OH the
rough ground like a horse scraper. where
as wheels would have been ABSOLUTELY use
less. In the same way. the runners al
low the machine to alight on almost any
sort CT open ground and the track from
which it is launched makes lever run
way from which to start into the air.
Expert aeronauts who have discussed
the problem at the fort say that theoret-
icaly there is no limit to the speed OIL
an aeroplane till it is burned up by inc
ton against the air So far as expert
ments have shown. it takes constantly
decreasing engine power to drive a ma
chine the faster it goes. Thus not only
the horsepower of the engine but the
wing surface can be largely decreased as
the machine gathers speed -,
This sounds paradOxical. but it is said
to be true within certain limits. "
course. this desirable state of affairs has
not vet been worked out in practice. out
there is no question that the ffty-mlie-
an-hour machine is already here and the
seventy-five or one hundred mile ma
chine is practically in sight.
Sensation While in the Air.
Mr.. Wright, in speaking of the sensa-
ton while in the air, says that with the
air as a sustaining surface for the en-
CINE the vibration is hardly noticeable.
If the engine is set up on the plane and
is run with the flying machine at rest
the vibration is almost intolerable. but
with the air to act as cushion the VI
brations become almost nil. This may ne
partly on account of the fact that "hen
a man is flying he has too much else TO
think about to worry over the snaAnhs VI
an engine; but that Is question tha'
| can be worked out later.
The work of assembling the plane SO
| far has been rather faster than MI.
| Wright expected, so that it is possible a
short flight may be made by the end OF
| the week but there are always num-
Der of small things that crop up at the
| last moment that may delay the nrst
| trial till next Monday.
| The plane is being put together in the
| balloon house and will be carried to the
parade ground for the flights. Just how
this will be done has, not been deter
mined. but the method in previous flights
has been to start up the engine and
| walk" the machine along partly under
it's own power.
Plans of Mr.. Herring.
Nothing officially has been heard from
Mr. Herring since he was at Fort MyeI
and obtained an extension on his contract
time to September IL. AS to the state
ment that when he was here he said he
intended to fly the machine to Washing
ton from New York. the inventor denies
having said such a thing, but he intimates
that he may pick out place nearer
Washington and come in to the trial un.
der his own power.
Augustus Post secretary of the Aero
Club of America. has been in washington
several weeks watching the flights a,
Fort Myer He returned to New York
yesterday and states that he will bring
back with him the constitution and by
laws of the Aero Club for the guidance
of the committee appointed at the Press
Club dinner last Saturday night 10 organ
ize an Aero Club here.
After completing his aeroplane trials
in France Wilbur Wright will probably
take his ma chine to England to compete
for the $50 600 prize offered for the aero.
naut who flies from London to Manches'
| ter in a day in an alrshlp heavier thar
air.
| 1t is understood that by the end of the
year the military authorities of Germany
will possess eight dirigible balloons suit
| able for war purposes.
British Military Balloon Engines.
! The engines of the British military bal
loon which recently met with an accident
| at Marlborough, Eng, are so built thai
| the exhaust vapor is turned into gas
| which is carried to the balloonett above
| by a tube. The capacity OF the DallOor
| is 1900 cubic feet.
Besides giving $500 toward the funt
| of more than $500, 600 which has been con
| tributed to Count Zeppelin for a new
| dirigibe airship. the kaiser has obtained
! from Norway a new device for anchorlnt
| balloons
There are already thirty entries in the
| Berlin International endurance contest
| representing the principal states of west
| ern Europe, and it is probable that more
| than sixty balloons will participate. Ar
| rangements are being made to accommo
| date quarter of million spectators or
| the starting field.
| The first scientifically constructed in
| land harbor built especially for the
| launching and landing of balloons ant
airships is receiving the finishing touche:
at Fort Omaha. and will probably bt
turned over to the government mex
month. Every scientific appliance known
| to aerial navigation has been adopted il
the construction of this Station. and i
will be the finest in the world.