Evening star., 1909-05-08
Local Man Patents Some
Newfang|ed Aerial Ideas.
HAS BUILT A BI-PLANE
Machine Will Be Tried After Flight
Of Wrights.
IS LIGHT, BUT VERY STRONG
Novel Attachments Described.
Steering Device Departure From
Present-Day Methods

Washington has a new flying machine
that will be ready for trial about the time
the Wrights finish their contract with
the government at Fort Myer. 1t Is the
work Of Harry A. Orme Of this city. and
is the result Of several years Of work and
experiment. The machine Is something
like the Wrighs'. being a bi-plane, but
In detail is decidedly different This
particular machine has never flown. but
Mr.. Orme has flown gliders built on the
same principle, so he thinks there is no
question about it working II the motor
now installed is sufficiently powerful. The
motor is only eight horsepower, but II
runs smoothly. The whole machine. in
cluding the motor. weighs less than 1OC
pounds. SO 1t probably will require less
power than any other machine now In
use.
The radical departure OF the Orme ma
chine is in the steering device, which It
carries on top. The machine proper con-
sists of two planes eighteen feet long.
These are trussed with fine steel wire and
are rigid SO they cannot be warped like
the Wright planes. There is horizontal
rudder in front Of the machine for ele-
waiting and depressing 1t. and at the rear
is a double vertical rudder, apparently
exactly like the Wright machine. A nov
ice looking at it would see no differ
ence so far in the two aeroplanes. But
there is q difference.
New Mechanism Here.
Over the top of the main planes there
is a third round deck, much like a mush-
room, or a very fiat umbrella. 1t Is In
this that the chief popularity Of the ma
chine consists. This mushroom deck is
set on springs and can be distorted In
any direction-that Is, the edge can be
pulled down and thus will guide the ma
chine like a birds TAIL Mr.. Orme has
built several gliders, using this system
OF control. and 1t has worked perfectly.
When 1t comes to the horizontal rud-
der in front there Is another surprise In
store. The movement of lever from
the aviators seat bends the rudder In the
middle along its longest axis and Will act
much like a skater sticking down his
heel on the Ice. giving braking effect
that could not be secured with plain
horizontal surface.
The double vertical rudder at the rear
is also surprise. BY releasing spring
a fat plane like the front rudder. so that
a backward tilt of the machine Is stopped
as soon as it commences. The whole of
the control mechanism Is worked from a
wheel and two levers at the aviators seat.
Runs Like Sewing Machine.
The motor is an air-cooled affair Of Bel
gian make and weighs only forty-five
pounds 1t is run by high tension mag
neto and works as smoothly as a sewing
machine. 1t is geared to two cog wheels
at the back and drives the propellers by
chains over two-to-one sprocket wheels.
The engine makes about 100 revolutions.
which drives the propellers at about 600.
The propellers are built of thin steel for
the test and have movable blades that
can be set at any pitch. No attempt
has been made SO far to determine the
thrust of the propellers. but 1t 10 thought
there is an abundance of power to drive
the machine. The pitch OF the propellers
will be changed from time to time and
when the most effective pitch Is found
there will be propellers cast Of aluminium
or built up Of wood.
The work on the machine has all been
done by Mr.. Orme himself and is re-
markably fine The frame is built OF
spruce with the ends OF strips only an
eighth of an inch thick steamed and ben,
to shape The covering of the planes Is
OF light canvas. The total supporting sur.
face is 174 square feet.
Protected by Patents.
While the machine has not been built
for profits. but merely as recreation. the
whole has been thoroughly protected by
patents. There have been fifteen allowed
on the construction. The machine has
been built In Washington, but will be
taken into Virginia for q trial and pos
sibly, II that Is successful. will be turned
over to the government for use.