Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-11
FARMAN's NOVEL AIRsHIP..
Resembles Huge Bird and Even Has
BirdIike Beak.

Henri Farman's aeroplane in which
! he recen " made successful flight Mt
the Brighton Beach race track near
| New York Is constructed somewhat
after the fashion of bird In it's flight
1t is operated on the principle Of the
| bird. balancing itself In the air with
widespread wings. The forward end
of the machine even has part that
might be regarded rs n huge beak.
| There are two horizontal planes Of
thin. fragile canvas covered with
n rubber composition. These are about
five feet apart and measure thirty-two
feet from end to end. Their width is
six and n half feet. They are mount
ed on spruce frapes of light weight
They form the aeroplane's main body.
When the aeroplane is in flight they
move ut right angles to their greatest
dimension, or sideways. Set behind
them ten feet away is n boxlike struc-
that it presents no resistance to the
air. This is the rudder house. Within
the canvas box is vertical plane.
whose movements. controlled by the
steering wheel. govern the steering of
the craft from side to side. The box
greater stability. The rudder house is
10 by feet.
Set out on the front OF the aeroplane
are two vertical planes whose angles
may be varied at will. These govern
the downward and upward movement
OF the aeroplane. In the center Of the
two forward main horizontal planes Is
a little space partitioned of by means
Of two planes set Mt right angles to
the main planes. Here Mr.. Farman
sits at the wheel. Behind him Is the
fifty horsepower eight cylinder motor.
with its sparker and throttle Mt his
side.
The turning Of the wheel Will move
the aeroplane to the right or the left,
while the entire steering post, by a
backward or forward motion. will gov
ern the planes that mean fight upward
or downward. In the Wright machine
there are four levers for the purposes
of steering. In the Farman aeroplane
the wheel, by its natural movement
or the movement Of the steering post,
governs the whole steering gear.
The engine will drive four propeller
blades set at the rear like the pro-
pellers Of ship. The mechanicians
who set up the aeroplane. said that
owing to the necessity Of having every
thing as light as possible the machine
cannot carry enough water In its radia-
tor and water circulator to admit Of
long flights. Also the weight Of gaso-
Iene prevents the aeroplane from car
rying much Of the fuel.
The two main planes are we'll &C.
cured by means OF piano wire which
crisscrosses between the two surfaces,
and the planes have an arch much like
that Of the wings Of bird. The ex-
perts explained that the small boys
kite really worked on the same gen
eral principle. The kite. they said. is
a monoplane held against the wind by
a string. In the case of the Farman
aeroplane the strings place is taken by
the motor and its propeller blades.
The whole aeroplane weighs LOO
pounds The motor, with water tanks
and propeller. weighs 800 pounds. AS
a supporting structure to the planes
and all of the upper works chassis
with wheels is set like the two hind
wheels of tricycle. which has the
little wheel in front. Two smaller bi-
cycle wheels are set to the rudder
house. All four wheels have pneu-
matte tires, SO that the shock of the
aeroplane striking the ground will be
-nfri'o'-o1