Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-24
Substantially Not Sacrificed
for Lightness.
NEARLY READY FOR FLIGHT
Brothers Have Many Orders to Build
Similar Aeroplanes.
BALDWIN SOON TO GO AWAY
Will School Army Pilots Some More
and Leave This Week-New
Machine in Baltimore.

| The Wright flying machine at Fort Myer
| is taking shape and now looks more or
less like what 1t will be when ready to
take wing.
| Exception was taken by some aero
nautic experts to descriptions of the ma
chine as gas driven clam she'll" AS
| it is put together the idea seems mere
and more to fit. To be sure. the clam
| shells both have convex side up but
she is a bivalve all right. even if she is
a bird.
The two planes have been put together
and the truss wires are being stretched.
These wires are about 1.10 inch in dame
ter and immensely stronger than the
breaking strain to which they will ever
be subjected. In fact, the whole machine
| is strong in construction with little at
| tempt at lightness.
| The wire joints and all bent-in loops are
soldered, the only method. Wright says,
| found to make the joint as strong as wire
| itself The movable wing-tipS are not yet
in shape to be manipulated. but the de-
signer says the play is at an extreme
will be raised or lowered about ten inches
at the tips.
Motor Not Yet Installed.
The motor has not yet been installed.
but will rest on heavy wooden bed In
the middle of the machine between the
upper and the lower plane. The vertical
and horizontal rudders are not yet In
place They will give the machine an
extreme width of about twenty-five feet
There is not much shop talk at the bal
loon house but IT will be of interest to
the public to know that the Wrights have
several machines already under construc-
ton. each on special orders. Ihere are
about enough such contracts on hand 10
keep the builders busy to the emu OF the
present year.
Aeroplanes are not yet as common as
bicycles or automobiles. They are COM
ing along in the same class. 1t costs
more now to buy an aeroDlane than II
does to build an auto, but this Is prin-
cipally because there is so much work
about them that is necessarily hand Work.
and the motor has to be subjected to
good deal more machine work than does
an ordinary automobile motor.
This extra machining takes off only
few pounds in weight. Nevertheless an
important consideration. The motor is by
no means featherweight, and is not in
tended to be. Also the machine can easily
lift more weight than is put en- 1t. At
the same time one cannot yet build fly
ing machine like stationary engine that
has a concrete foundation under it and
where weight is distinctly a minor con-
sideration.
1t will be the end of the week at least
before the Wright machine is all assem-
bled and ready for initial est BY the
time the official trial of the machine is
over A. Herring, the other heavier-than-
air contractor. will be about due with
his machine.
Baldwin Plans Departure.
Capt. Baldwin, who has successfully
completed his dirigible balloon business
here, has few more lessons that he will
give his class of army officers, and expects
| to be ready to leave Washington by the
end of the week. Conditions favorable,
there probably will be another training
flight for the benefit of the balloon squad
at the post this afternoon.
1t Is stated that a new aeroplane has
just been built In Baltimore by August
east side park there this week. 1t is not
said what system of control the new
ship will use. 1t is reported to be radi-
cally different from that of the Wright
or Herring machine.
One feature of the new machine is said
| to be its lightness. 1t is built of steel
tubing and canvas and weighs together
| with the engine only $50 pounds. The en-
| CINE is designed to drive three propsllers
at maximum of 600 revolutions and has
an auxiliary foot power attachment for
use in case the engine falls.
The whole machine is only twenty-five
| feet long. five wide and six high, and is
designed to carry five passengers. 1t is
said TO have a lifting power of 80 pounds.
Propellers Of Aluminium.
A feature of the propellers is that they
are made of aluminium and will be at
tached near the center of the ship In a
| horizontal position. this position being
thought to give the machine a greater
resisting power to the air. This arrange
ment, Stenzy claims, will enable his air
| ship to rise and fall like bird.
A new sparkling plug. the invention of
stopping In midair unless desired, while
| to prevent the machine falling, the in
ventor has equipped his apparatus with a
| foot-power attachment which, he asserts,
will permit him to land in safety
Another feature, unique in it's way, is
that the machine can be taken apart and
assembled within Id minutes. The ma
chine when dismembered Is said to occupy
no more space than a bed and can then
| be easily carried by two men.
| StenZy fears no weather conditions and
| asserts his willingness to make an ascen-
sion in the teeth of a storm or driving
wind. He has several other ideas en-
bodied in his invention which he does
not care to make public at the present
| time.