The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-08-19
HOW LANGLEY FLEW.
Recent Experiments Increase De.
mands for His Writings.

anu navy Dy count Zeppelin'S airShiD
night In Germany several days ago
and the tests now being held at Fort
Myer, the Smithsonian Institution is
being deluged with with requests for
the works on aerodynaniics by the
late Prof. S. p. Langley.
To meet these demands the insti-
tuition has prepared booklet contain
ing four Of the principal papers writ
ten by Prof. Langley on his flying
machine. These papers are entitled
story Of Experiments in Mechanical
Flight" "The Langley Aerodrome,"
THE Greatest Flying Creature" and
Experiments With the Langley Aero
drome." in which Prof. Langley gives
his version Of the last attempt to fiy
his airship, which ended disastrously.
ly.
Prof. Langley was probably the
pioneer investigator and experimenter
with machines heavier than air that
were supported in fight only by
their own mechanical energy. He de-
signed and built several small models,
and quarter size model of a larger
man-carrying machine which made
successful flights Of over half a mile
EACH keeping in the air as long as
fuel lasted. The first of these flights
was made in May, 1905, over 12
years ago. The three small aero
domes. two driven by steam and the
third by gasoline engines, are on ex-
hibition In the United States Ma
tional Museum
The latter large machine, built not
long before Mr.. Langley's death, has
never been fully tested, a break oc-
curing In the launching apparatus at
each Of the two trials in 1908.
few figures relating to the large
machine given by Mr.. Langley. are
interesting, in view Of the numerous
aeroplanes now making successful
flights.
The flying weight Of the machine
complete with that OF the aeronaut
was $50 pounds. It's sustaining sur
face 1.040 square feet. It, therefore,
was provided with slightly greater sus-
tanning surface and materially great
er relative horsepower than the quar-
ter size model. which few successful
ly. The brake horsepower Of the en-.
gine was Sc. the engine itself. with
out cooling water or fuel. weighed
approximately one kilogram to the
horsepower. The entire power plant.
including cooling water. carburetter
and battery. weighed materially less
than Ave pounds to the horsepower.
The underlying principle of Mr..
Langley's experiments, worked out
through years Of exact scientific study,
is explained in one OF these papers.
published originally in 1897.
It says:
What IL popularly known as the
flying machine it literally a machine,
without gas to support it. in no way
resembling a balloon and which its
inventor has called the aerodrome.
The aerodrome (from words signify.
ing air runner) is, then, the name
given to this apparatus by Mr.. Lang
ley to indicate the principle OF its
action, which in no way resembles
that Of a balloon that floats, because
1t Is lighter than the air, while the
aerodrome Is hundreds of times
heavier than the air. The weighty
machine owes it's support to another
| principle; that Is, the rapidity with
| which it runs over the air like q
| skater on thin ice. This machine,
built almost entirely Of steel. Is far
| heavier in relation to the air than a
| ship of solid lead would be in rela-
ton to the water and could not re-
main in the air If still.
THE essence of its action, then, is
in its motion without which it could
not remain suspended It is moved
rapidly by steam engine, carrying
Its own fuel and it's water supply, by
| which it can be kept up indefinitely.
| while 1t is also, and by the necessity
of its own action. rapidly advancing.
This may all be admitted as prob
| ably true in theory, but it is not gen.
| orally known that this has been ac-
tually DONE"
Although some Of Mr.. Langley's
models had flown short distances be-
fore, he preferred to consider the
flight Of May 6. 1895, over 12 years
| ago, 1t is believed, as the first really
successful one. The model used was
No. 5. measuring about IL or IA feet
from tip to tip, weighing with fuel
| aboard about