The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-06-29
TRYOUTS FOR
VARIOUS FLIERS
AerOplaneS Of Many Kinds Un-
deTgOing Tests.
TRIALS At MORRIS PARK, n. Y.

Flying Machines That Have Proved
Ability to Stay In the Air and Others
Entered In Contests For Aeronautic
society's Prizes-Curtiss Aeroplane,
Weighing About Half as Much as
the Wrishts', Well Liked by AvIa.
tors.
New York June 26-An sorts OF
queer looking and strange contriv.
anccs for sailing through the air are
included I'm the flying machines en-
tered in the public tests OF the Aero
nautic society TO be held at Morris
park today. The society has been
liberal In its definitions OF practica-
bility. Among the aeropIanes which
will fly. or try to nv today. are some
that have proved their ability to remain
in the air FOR longer or shorter periods
OF time and some that will 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 I'm today's flights
or attempted flights The tests OF
their machine at Fort Myer have kept
the famous flying brothers busy. and
A. NJ Herring has also been engaged
in Interesting the government in his
acroplane. OF the machines at Morris
park the one that carries most of the
hopes Of the avla,ors Is Glenn II. Cur.
tiss' aeroplane. specially constructed
for the acronautic 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.
Heleopter Among Contestants.
The recent damage to the Rimball
aeroplane was great disappointment
to those who saw In e a serious rival
10 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 OF Alexander Graham Bells Sill
yer Dart and the Rickman helfcopter.
a curious but interesting cylindrical
device for navigating the air.
The Curtiss machine weighs $50
pounds. including the aviator. This is
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
feet wide and four and a half feet
deep. with 200 square feet OF support
ing surface. II has horizontal rudders
in front and rear. and both are so
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 il has thrust Of 225 pounds.
the recent trial flights 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
viii award a $4,000 prize to the ma
chine which has never made a public
flight that makes a successful circuit
OF the Morris park course. about one
and threefourths miles. or that re-
mains in the air ten minutes. For a
machine going less than this distance.
but 5000 feet or more. $1,000 will be
awarded. OF the same amount for re-
naming seven and a 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
ciety who succeed in flying 500 feet
will receive prizes OF $3.50.