The San Francisco call., 1909-09-08
BUILDS BIPLANE ON
MODEL OF WRIGnTS
San Francisco Lad Confident He
Has Solved Problem of
Air Navigation
Portola Committeeman to Join
Youths Attempted Flight
Across the Bay

The Wright brothers and Glenn H.
Curtiss have received offers from the
Portola festival committee to come to
San Francisco and compete in air races
during the fete, but whether they come
or not the city may witness an aero
plane fight during the great celebra
tion, and seated in the soaring machine
will be its inventor and builder, Is
year old San Francisco boy. Clyde
PAYNE Jr.. student at the Lowell
high school, has built a biplane, in the
rear of the family residence at 1850
Jones street. in which he says he will
make several flights before the week is
over. in order to perfect himself in the
art of aerial navigation. Then viii
come the voyage in his power ship
of the air. and if all goes well that
Journey will be made over the heads
of the Portola crowds as they throng
Market street.
FOLLOWS WRIGHT MODEL
The big machine poised for flight on
the heights at Jones and Washington
streets is practically complete. It's
Is year old constructor has built the
shin according to the Wright model,
and has it all but ready for launching
Within two days the canvas covering
will be stretched over the spreading
planes, and then all will be ready for
the initial test flights on the sand
dunes beyond Golden Gate park in
the Parkside district.
Young Payne, who is the son of DR..
CLYDE Payne, has been an enthusiastic
student of aviation for the last two
years Like the Wrights, he has de-
voured and digested practically all
"a
of mechanical flight, and studied every
sort of air craft that enthusiasts have
developed within the last dozen years.
The machines of Maxim, those heavy,
lcomplicated structures, driven by steam
power. are as familiar to him as the
simple inventions of Bleriot, Latham,
Curtiss and the Wrights. From these
varying types he has CHOSEN the Wrlsnt
model. and built a craft almost identi-
cal with the ones with which they
made their record flights
CLAIMS LIFTING POWER
The Lowell high school student has
constructed a ship which, by carefuf
series of computations, he is certain
will, when speeding at rate OF 40
miles per hour, be capable OF lifting
mower of 420 pounds The two planes
are 20 feet in length and 31a feet wide.
They are four feet apart. Ihe tail
bearing the rudder IS 13 feet long.
novel idea the young inventor IS
working Oh is the perfection of bal
apcing device which Will insure the all
craft a greater degree of equilibrium
than any of the Wright machines have.
This consists of a square surface ar
each end of the planes. geared so thae
they may be operated from the driver
seat. These appended squares will not
interfere with the ships fight when II
is proceeding on an even keel, but If
side current tips the craft the squares
will be turned so that an incline is
presented that will right the vessel at
once.
PLANS LARGER CRAFT
Payne's aereplane is now without a
motor. but soon tho construction of
larger machine, driven by gas engine,
will be begun. With this larger craft
flight across the bay Will be at
tempted and every effort will be made
to have the machine ready by Portola
week A passenger may be carried on
this fight and Marshall Douglas, who
is associated with the Portola festival
committee. has volunteered TO accons
pany young Payne in his flight should
the craft be ready to soar during the
fete.
Il believe the aeroplane will fly
without any difficulty of any Importance
being encountered" young Payne safo
Yesterday The fact thai 1t is built
after the Wright models makes it Gel
tain that it VIII not prove Il failure
Then l have great confidence in my de-
vice for preserving the crafts balance.