Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-07-03
TRYOUTS FOR
VARIOUS filters
AerOplanes Of Many Kinds Un-
deTgOlng Tests.
TRIALS At MORRIS PARK, n. Y.

Flying Machines That Have Proved
Ability TO Stay In the Air ant Others
Entered In Contests For Aeronsutic
society's prizes--curtss AeropIane,
Weighing About Halt as Much as
the wrlghts'. Well Liked by Avia-
tors.
New York, June 26.-All sorts of
queer looking and strange contriv
ances for sailing through the air are
included in the Aging machines en-
tered in the public tests of the Aero
nautic society 10 be held at Morris
park today. The society has been
liberal in it's definitions OF practical
bility. Among the aerophnes which
will fly. or try to fly today. are some
that have proved their ability TO remain
in the air for longer or shorter periods
of time and some that viii have no
chance OF raising their inventors
hopes, either literally or figuratively,
Aviation experts regret that neither
the Wright nor the Herring machine
will be represented In today's flights
or attempted flights. The tests OF
their machine at Fort Myer have kept
the famous flying brothers busy. and
A. M. Herring has also been engaged
In Interesting the government In his
aeroplane. or the machines at Morris
park the one that carries most of the
hopes OF the aviators is Glenn H. Cur.
tiss' aeroplane, specially constructed
for the aeronautic society's tests. The
preliminary trials of Mr.. Curtiss ma
chine have been satisfactory In the
main. and his victory In today's con-
tests would cause little surprise.
Helicopter Among Contestants.
The recent damage to the Kimball
aeroplane was a great disappointment
to those who saw In II serious rival
to Mr.. Curtiss' aeroplane. Among the
other flying machines at Morris park
which have attracted much recent at
tention are the one constructed on the
lines or Alexander Graham Bells Sil-
yer Dart and the Hickman helicopter,
a curious but interesting cylindrical
device for navigating the air.
The Curtiss machine weighs $50
pounds, including the aviator. This 10
about half the weight of the Silver
Dart and OF the Wright machines, be
| ing up to the present time the lightest
successful .aeroplane ever constructed
in the world Its two planes, as the
machine is a biplane, are twenty-nine
N hut fAat
deep, with 200 square feet OF support
ing surface. 1t has horizontal rudders
in front and rear, and both are SC
arranged that they may be used for
vertical steering. There is only one
propeller the blades, OF aluminium
being six feet in diameter. and, al.
though II has a thrust of 225 pounds,
the recent trial nights have shown
that $50 pounds Is SUFFICIENT for flying.
Distribution OF the Prizes.
The committee Of the Aaeronautic
society in charge of the prize fund
will award $4,000 prize to the ma
chine which has never made public
flight that makes successful circuit
OF the Morris park course. about one
ana tnftt-louftn5 uhcss W Ahul w
mains In the air ten minutes. For a
machine going less than this distance,
but 5000 feet or more, $1,000 will be
awarded, or the same amount for re-
naming seven and half minutes in
the air.
Lesser amounts are to be awarded
for lesser distances. but the provision
was made that all members of the so
- An, Arrir,or