Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-11-04
WEDGE LIKE A|RSHIP.
New York Inventors ArrOWpIane
Resembles Paper Dart.
CAN SAIL IN HEAVY WIND.

Automatic Rudders.
Do you remember the paper darts
that the boys used to make in school
and how gracefully they sailed on the
air when the wind was not too strong?
! Well, that is the principle on which
the latest airship has been planned,
coupled with additional ideas caught
from the fight of the arrow and the
sailing of racing yachts. ARROW
plane" the inventor calls it, and, as he
frequently addresses the members of
the Aero club on the subject dearest
to their hearts and was formerly sec
rotary of the Aeronautical society and
still an enthusiastic member of that
organization, his efforts to solve the
problem of aerial navigation are re-
ceiving the serious attention of the
members of both organizations.
l.. G. w. Schroeder is the inventor
of the latest airship, which is unlike
anything else of it's kind. 1t consists
of two planes forty feet long and
wedge shaped. At the forward end
the machine is only six inches wide.
At the stern it is fourteen feet wide.
There is a keel, seven inches. deep,
just like the fin keel on the English
cutters that came over here to Gift
the cup" says the New York Globe.
The keel runs the entire length of the
machine. There is a seven foot pro-
peller forward, and provision is made
for a larger propeller behind. These
will be driven at the rate of 800 revO-
lutions a minute by a forty horse
power, four cylinder, four cycle ex-
plosion engine.
The engine and other machinery are
fastened to the bottom of the keel and
close up to the front of the Arrow
plane. That idea is taken from the
boats that have lead on the bottom of
the fin keel to keep them from turning
turtle. Mr. Schroeder contends that
there is little o. no difference in prin-
ciple between sailing on the water and
in the air. By having all the weight at
the bottom of the keel, he says, it will
be impossible for his airship to turn
turtle under any circumstances.
Sticking up out of the forward end
of the Arrowplane is the steering rud-
der. At the rear of the horizontal
planes are what might properly be call
ed the equilibrium rudders. They are
couple of squares working up and
down on hinges. These regulate the
rising and dropping Of the airship. By
lmeans of an invention which Mr..
Schroeder is having patented the equi-
librium rudders work automatically in
an emergency such as resulted in the
accident to Orville Wright. Mr.. Schroe-
der is certain that under no circum-
stances, not excepting the breaking
down of the engine, will his airship
descend in any way but right side up.
No heavy wind or sudden gust Of wind
can bother him.
The inventors reasons for this conf
dence are twofold. There is nothing
above the two planes, which consist
Of q frame of hollow steel tubing into
which are set frames covered with can
vas or other material strong enough
for the purpose. These squares are
worked by levers much as the ventilat-
ing windows in a greenhouse are ma
L ulDuldlGu.
squares that comprise the planes will
be tilted at an angle sufficient to spill
the wind" out of the planes, just as is
done on a sailboat when squall
comes up Then there is the fact that
the Arrowplane is designed to travel
on an even keel and that both direction
and height are under control. If one
set of rudders gives out there are 9TH
ers to do the work.
| The machine rests on four automo-
bile wheels, two feet in diameter,
which are used in starting. TO rise
| in the air the sections of the planes
are raised sufficiently to get the great
est pressure from the air against them.
| The propellers are started; the ma
chine runs forward and sails from the
ground. When the desired height is
reached the sections of the planes are
| flattened and automatically locked in
| their places After that the operator
goes where he pleases. There are dial
and a pendulum to tell when the air
ship gets off an even keel or tits to
! one side or the other. 1t is the pres
ent purpose Of the inventor to make
machines that will be a success in a
! commercial way to the extent of build
| ing them to carry two or three pas
sengers. Mr.. Schroeder is sure he can
| do it.
| This latest addition to the fotilla OF
airships is now being assembled. The
inventor is confident that he has the
right idea and is enthusiastic about
the future Of his airship. He sent out
a lot Of miniatures made of paper from
| the windows of his offices in New
! York city the other day. They went
where he said they would.
eve naturally think our own chill
dren are finer than any other children"
he said, ''but that is not the reason I
consider my aeroplane superior to 9th
/ Ar q irCbinc Nv OhiocfiO0 m fhn WRIGHT