New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-13
WRIGHT'S BEST FLIGHT.
Continued from first page.

dinner given for Orville Wright by naval officers.
"Airships aren't any good to launch a shell from.
because you can't the centrifugal force that Is
necessary to hit object. said the sergeant The
idea he intended to convey that the whrling
motion given to a shell by the modern steel bore
guns could be accomplished in dropping an ex-
posve shell from airship
The main facts brought out in the discussion
were that machine such that of the Wright
brothers would be practically invulnerable a tar
get for the enemys guns, that with little prac-
tice an explosive could be dropped on a war yes
sci with damaging results. and that the aerial war
craft could be launched from the deck of a bat
tleship. Mr.. Wright said that he had made ex-
periments with a swinging weight 10 see how
closely he could hit objects over which he was
flying.
Il found that after little practice it became
comparatively easy TO put the weight just where 1
vented TO he said One allowance which must be
made is the effect of wind striking the course of
the arship at right angles"
ION your present machine. how much weight
could be added in the form of a gum Lieutenant
Sweet the naval officer detailed to observe the
tests asked.
'One hundred and fifty pounds Mr.. Wright re-
piled
The merits of launching explosive from a gun
then discussed Mr. Wright said there would
not be a sufficient kick to cause the aeroplane
dverge from its course. A shell could be
dropped into the funnel of a warship causing ter
rible damage to the machinery and completing its
work OF destruction by bursting the pOllerS- II
suggested by one Of officers present that
attacks could be made by a number of aeroplanes,
as is done by the torpedo boats. 1t was
pointed that the greater cheapness OF the aero
plane and the fact that only one life for each snip
would be sacrificed would make these attacks much
more economical from both humanitarian and
monetary point of view
Mr.. Wright's assistants, c. E. Taylor and - W.
Furnass, spent part of to-day making Few
changes In the aeroplane, which were decided on
49, tnrTllI "a
the purpose of determining the rate of speed at
which the machine had been travelling The
sprocket of the shaft has ten teeth The gear
ing will be reduced by substituting sprocket "lti
nine teeth This will result in a greater number
of revolutions of the shaft in proportion TO the
propeller. thereby increasing the power but dlmin-
ishng the speed The latter will then be Increased
by giving higher speed to the motor
In his former flights Mr.. Wright has run MS
motor at 124O revolutions a minute, but when the
new sprocket is in place he intends increase this
TO 1.45O revolutions. With this change he expectS
to maintain speed of at least forty-four
miles an hour. which would give him bonus OF
$4,000 if this average should be maintained in the
onciaI speed trial So far the motor has never
failed and in the longest fights it has not become
overheated shown any indication of skipping
10 any serious extent. On one or TWO nights after
il had been running ever hour. the motor
skipped one cylinder of the four in every ten
seconds more. This made no apparent difference
in the speed of the aeroplane. and Nh. Wright con-
siders ii OF significance.
Several officers have suggested to Mr.. Wright
that he put rim around his propellers, thus op-
tanning a gyroscopc effect. That would be a
great disadvantage" Mr. Wrights reply. The
machine would then travel in straight line, and
that is Just what don't want. We want TO have
its control absolutely in our power. Mr. Wright
explained that having the two propellers turn in
opposite directions was for any particular pur-
pose but was necessary because the rudder and the
wires which control it in The centre of the
craft thus preventing the use of one propeller.
I'VE will try only propeller later on, he said
Mr. Wright has shown considerable anxiety over
fbe health OF his brother, Wilbur Wright who Is
making flights at lie Mans. France He has heard
that Wilbur has been suffering slightly from fever.
Mr. Wright has said that he Will TO Europe I'M
mediatelv after his official fights at Fort Myer.
and while he is non-cornmittal. he does not deny
that his object IS to make an effort 10 capture the
r,za of 80 COO offered by THE London Daily Mall
10 the aviator making the first flight from London
~ Manchester. The distance is about one hundred
and sixty miles, and. two stops are allowed for
rap,apisbipe the fuel, 1t would consist OF three
siahts of hfty-three miles each. Mr. Wright feels
aneaent that he can fulhl the conditions with the
aroe tyne of machine he is using at Fort Myer.
Secretary Wright of the war Department has
aro,,sd the recommendation OF the signal corps
that A NJ Herring of New York. have an extern
sion ~ time of thirty days from September Is TO
80 HE seropiane at Fort Myer ready for official
.,s The extension is because Of the incomplete
ness OF his machine