Evening star., 1909-07-14
Wright AeropIane Encounters
More Bad Luck.
POWER WAS INSUFFICIENT
Makes Two Unsuccessful Attempt:
at Flight.
REPAIRS MAY BE MADE EASILY
No Announcement as to the Next
Trial-Prof Woods Among
the Spectators.

After two unsuccessful attempts at
flight at Fort Myer yesterday the Wright
aeroplane broke one of the crossbars on
the supporting skids and was laid away
for repairs. The failure was unexpected,
as the conditions were apparently par
ticularly good. Appearances are decep-
tive, however. and though the air ap-
reared to he almost still there was
slight breeze blowing down the starting
rail. and it was just enough to keep the
machine from going into the air and
staying there. Wilbur Wright, who, as
a rule, is a silent person. had a little
fun in his own way with the newspaper
men after the last trial. They asked him
why the machine would not go into the
air. He explained about wind velocities
and the squares and cubes IF velocity
and resistance, and that sort Of thing. and
left the subject almost as clear as it
was al the start.
The fact remains that the machine did
not have sufficient power to get into the
air. and whether it VIII behave better
under more favorable conditions remains
to be seen. The Wrights said that yes
terday they were using about 1.-l5 OF
the full engine power. Asked why they
did not use the whole of it and make sure
of getting into the air. they said that
they wanted TO keep as much power as
possible in reserve for the time when
they will carry passenger.
Rain Kept Crowd Down.
There was severe rainstorm at the
fort just before the trial yesterday. 1t
drove every one to cover and kept down
the crowd to record smalnesS. The Wis
itors included the German ambassador,
several members of the Russian embassy.
John Barrett director of the bureau of
American republics; Representative Ite
fer of Ohio and Prof Woods of Johns
Hopkins University.
Prof Woods is one of the premier he
liocoptre men of this country and has
built a machine in Baltimore with which
he is experimenting. He said that yeSter-
day was the first time he had ever seen
the Wright machine. and that he would
stay over in Washington today in the
hope of witnessing a flight.
Trials Brief and Proftless
The two trials of the aeroplane were
brief and profitless. II was brought to
the starting rail about 6 o'clock and the
engine tried out The engine seemed to be
running smoothly, but at rather low
power.
When the weight was dropped, at SO,
the machine went down the rail with
rush. but, though it went into the air be-
fore the end of the rail was reached, the
engine power evidently was not so great
as the momentum from the weight, and it
flew low and did not get into the air
enough for the aviator to attempt TAX
ing the curve at the lower end of the
field. II there had been an indefinite
open level space Orville Wright probably
could have made the contrary plane to
go higher and when the turn was made
and the machine moving into the face
of the wind there probably would have
been enough power to have kept the aero
plane flying. But that first turn on the
restricted field is the crucial point. 1t
has to be made on the rise, which re-
duces the speed, and the turn itself holds
the machine back. There has to be GER
tain amount of speed to keep the machine
in the air at all, and Orville decided that
it was not worth the risk. So he de-
scended and the machine slid long way
on the muddy ground.
The second flight was like the first.
only the machine went a little farther.
1t covered about a furlong, but still there
was not enough power to make the first
turn, and, the machine striking a small
hummock in the ground, the connection
between the front skids was broken and
the trials were declared off for the day.
Repairs Easily Made.
The repairs to the machine are mat
ter of no great time and might be made
in season for a flight this afternoon, but
Wilbur Wright is always chary of making
promises, and when he was asked if
| flight could be announced for today with
the usual weather proviso, he laughed
and said the announcement had better be
| put off for a week.
| Both the brothers were interviewed
| to the flight of Bleriot in France yes
| terday, when he covered twenty-five miles
| in fortyfive minutes and ten seconds not
counting an eieven-minute stop. This
| figures out little more than thirty-two
| miles an hour, which the Wrghts said
| was about what they expected the mono
! plane to do over measured course. The
| estimates Of the speed on circular flights,
| they said, is not accurate.
Figuring Out Speed.
Poles are put up for the aviator To keep
outside OF and then the distance he goes
from the poles is estimated and if the
estimate is large enough almost any
| speed can be figured out The point-to-
| point flying, they say, is much more
! satisfactory as to indicating the real
speed. and the country is well adapted to
| that sort of test
| Wilbur said that Orville is taking more
| chances at Fort Myer and going over
worse distractions than would be found
| on any of the cross country courses that
had so far been attempted in France.
That is about the only way an outsider
| can get any statement OF the Wrishts'
| taking chances. If Orville Is asked he
| may tell of something Wilbur has done
that was risky, and If inquiry is made of
Wilbur he may say that Orvile is the
/ only member &C the Wright family who
\ has ever taken a chance
Four-Hour Trips to Great Falls
/