Evening star., 1909-06-13
inventors Claim to Have Out
done Wright AeropIane.
RISES WITHOUT A START
Weighs Only 200 Pounds, Includ-
ing "Gnome" Type Engine.
TO BE TESTED AT FORT MYER
Inventors Maintaining Deepest Sc.
crecy, But Claim to Have Made
a Successful Trial.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
MINNEAINOLIS. Mimi, June 12.-
Working in strictest secrecy in win
dowfess cement shop located at a lonely
point in the woods, or eight miles north
west OF Medicine Lake. this county. ].
Stewart. retired railroad engineer. and
8. BrOwnelI, a farmer OF mechanical ge-
MUS, have invented an aeroplane which,
when perfected in all its parts. prom
fses to rival the invention which has
made the Wright brothers OF Dayton
Ohio, famous the world over.
Because of the peculiar arrangement OF
the planes and OF the means Of manipu-
lating them the Stewart -Brownell inven-
ton Is called butterfly aeroDlane
Wednesday night at full moon success
full flight with Fred Parker, at various
times operator and expert for Roy Knab-
enshue and Baldwin. both national figures
in the world OF aeronautics. was made.
Parker attained an altitude OF between
$50 and 300 feet and remained in the air
ten minutes
Rises Without Running Start.
The butterfly aeroplane claims sew
eral advantages over all other aeroplanes
that have been constructed. In the first
place. 1t rises gracefully from the ground
without running wheels or any assist
| ance other than from its engine. and II
| weighs complete. engine and all. only 20t
pounds, or less than one-third the weight
Of the Wright brothers aeroplane.
Patents already obtained and those ap-
Piled for cover both planes and engine
and numerous devices and improvements
thereon. The engine is the product OF
the brain OF Stewart. who has been work
ing on it for twelve years.
The planes and their Arrangement are
the joint conception of Brownell and
Stewart. though the former applied him
self to the study of aeronautics twenty.
five years ago.
Like the Wrghts, the inventors of the
butterfly airship are maintaining the
greatest secrecy, but several persons have
seen 1t in Its house and during it's fligh,
Wednesday.
the cylinders. which number five are
connected with the main shaft operating
the propeller. They are so arranged and
equipped as to work independent OF each
other. and at Wednesdays trial the en-
lutions.
The horsepower developed Is estimated
by the inventor at between twelve and
fifteen. The total weight Is less than one
hundred pounds. the thickness Of the
finest: cold-drawn shelby tubing, being
one-eighth Of an inch. The stroke ie
three and one-half inches.
Coming to Fort Myer.
Messrs. Brownell and Stewart expect to
give trials at Fort Myer. Washington. D.
c., in October. BY that time they expect
to have perfected their invention so as
to attain any desired height and a speed
Of not less than forty-f1ve miles an hour
Brownell and Stewart are both well
along In years, past sixty. and recently.
learning of the presence Of Fred Parker.
who made number OF flights for Roy
knabenshue and Baldwin being with the
latter when his airship was destroyed by
fire at Denver, they engaged his services
as operator.
Parker, when seen, refused to discuss
any of the details Of the invention, but
with reference to Wednesdays flight he
was most enthusiastic.
Described by Operator.
"She few beautifully" he said. land
when started the engine she jumped
two feet clear Of the ground and then
rose gradually. I attained an altitude
OF between $50 and 300 feet, and after
staying up few minutes I allowed her
to descend gradually. / came to the
ground without jar
Parker resides at 665 Smelling avenue,
and is about to begin construction OF an
aeroplane OF his own ideas.
The Brownell-Stewart machine is kept
locked in a workshop of cement block,
having neither windows nor doors.
The machine is taken in and out
through a roof OF skylights. One Of the
inventors sleeps in the shop. and the
machine is never deserted for q single
hour. its builders fearing their ideas
may be stolen.