Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-30
0'v1Is Wright Says q Considerable
Part Could be shot Away Whh.
out Bringing L Oowa.
rs EXPLAINS TIE. REASON WY
Inventor Confident Of Surprising Ali
Other Tests at OFFICIAL Tria, Soon
to be Made-Army Officers win
Make a Study Of Ai-ship's tianeu.
vers.

Ty Associated Press).
i. WASHINGTON. d. C.. Avy.. al
tecame known today tina: army nt
ficers, while witnessing the in,tial test
lof Orviile Wright's aerOpianr A For
Myer next week, will max" a spscia
study OF the effectiveness D. the aero
plane for military purpJs's 4! com
pared with the dirigibIe balloon. IN
i"iew OF the anticipated .ny'nprintior.
OF 100000 or more Tor aCrunuu. icf
by the next Congress. the sISnai cor ps
IS anxious to ascertain VIII her Ihe
dirigiblc or the aeruplare ehu; III lie
Ceive first attention.
Tests Of Baldwin's dirlgiEic have
afforded eXceh.nt oppo E.n.'y for the
army experts TO stuiv this type OF
fighting aerial craft, an liir cnhl:ig
demonstrations OF the ArlSa. aero
piano will give good Oppnrtrnity OR
comparison. Both typls OF airship
have their advocates. Scne army o.
( Gters say that the dirisl i.e could be
more easily damaged by 4 she: N Tho
air than an aeroplane.
Mr.. Wright's Statement. ttat 4 good
~ part of his machine might lie shot
away and the aerOplane Sill b. able
to navigate is especially interesting
to army experts, who, while recogniz
ing that II would be difficult To hit.
have assumed that, ewing, to fts deli
cate. nature. II could he placed hrs
d. combat by single shot.
Why Damage Would Not BE Fatal.
The tips OF the two planes Of the
Wright machine are pulled fr m their
Iormal straight line BY the us Of the
lever TO a curve which is a helicoid.
Altering the shape OF the tips of two
planes on one side of the aeroPlane in
this way adds TO the lift" on that side
and swings that side higher in the air
and allows it to obey its rudd.r by go
ing around the curve Of its course
without sliding sidewise, as il would
do If 1t attempted to turn a corner
on an even keel But this helicoid
curve does more than merely makes
steering with the stern or perpendicu-
lar rudder possible. II is by altering
the shape of the tips of the planes that
the balance is preserved in the afr.
and it is due to this feature Of the
that part OF It might be
shot away without totally disa bang IT, |
For the tips" as Nj. Wright |
terms the ends Of the aeropIanes, are
not, as the word would indicate. the
ends Of the planes. hut ex-I
tend down fully a third OF the whole |
plane on each side. Thus. two-thirds |
Of each aerop'ane. both upper and |
lower. are technically tips" which is !
10 say that twathirds Of both planes
are controlled Nv the levers. Il would
,wav twothirds of both planes.
The rear or perpendicular rudder Is
operated by lever which is graspcG
simultaneously with the tip-con;roIL
ne lever. Int these two levers can be
;et in any relation 10 each other and
till be operated together or apart
should one end Of one tip be shot
way. for instance II would be necss-
AIRY for tie remaining tip 10 assume
greater beiicoid curve when useo
ither fon steering or balancing. and in
Ich a case the direction of the twot
evers might be altered.
In anv case only a shot watch de-
the propclle-s. or a very
,FSe area Of the planes themselves
r the operator. would bring the whole
D the ground.
All Balloons Hard to Hit.
A has been pointed cut. u Is OK.
difiCult 10 hit either an aero
lane or balloon in the air with
ither a rife o- any sort of field piece
ecause there IL no way Of getting 2
inge upon u and no means Of telling
neither the shot Is high or Iox. :oBr
r snort Moreover. anything pro
r"Ssing at a. the rate Of forty miles
D hour vs. hard target. II a h1nteT
birds on :hc wing had to use a riff
I'd one bullet; army officers say. h.
ouii bring down q pretty poor bag
Vi fr the same reason cunning for
'roplancs. particularly " they wcrr
ring high and fast. will be a precaTi- .
~ business. l.,
Nr. Wright gems 10 he utterly In l 4,
HcT"ui 90 the hour flight he has &C. /,
axe and srrms perfectly confdnni | :,
performing an acronaB;icsI feat
hSh will surpass anything hitherto r,
Tho sped test. which viii I,
l." him Eve mics and t1ck. over Z
oxen c"uniry. seems 10 give him fa' >,
prc concern than the apparently l u
,rc difficuit task. but nc cannot BE- .
u 10 be very much troubled about al
her. IL